Photos of dogs in costumes on social media are usually met with two kinds of comments. You’ll either get comments like, “Wow, that’s so cute!” Or comments that say, “Dogs aren’t people, they hate dressing up, and you’re a terrible person for doing that!”
When you dress up your dog, you may want to share your cute fur baby with the rest of the world. What’s with all the anger?
Why the anger?
People care about dogs. It’s understandable. None of us like to see a dog that looks miserable. It’s OK to express that concern, and sometimes people need to be reminded that their dog looks uncomfortable.
But some people take it to the extreme and go beyond the top in their comments. They forget that they are talking to someone who wants the best for their dog, and they think that intense shaming and bullying is the only way to get people to change.
These days, it’s fashionable to be loud and angry about any little thing on the Internet. As a dog site, we receive comments on every angry point of disagreement you can imagine – and feel free to post your comments below.
While these comments start with a concern for the dog’s well-being, they often go too far, and the anger gets misplaced.
Some people will argue that “dogs aren’t people” and therefore, they shouldn’t dress up.
Dogs are not people. But they are our friends, family, and companions, and we play with them, take pictures with them, and spoil them like our children, which is what we do.
Surely someone will cry, “Abuse!” A photo of a dog in a vintage costume goes too far. We report stories of animal abuse and claim that the abuse of the dog’s clothing makes the severity of the actual abuse trivial.
But that doesn’t mean these commenters don’t mean anything. Sometimes it’s not cool to dress your dog, and there are ways to tell you when it’s okay and when it’s not.
When is it okay to dress your dog in a costume?
Playing “dress up” with your dog needs to be handled individually. Every dog is different. Some dogs dress up one day and may change their mind the next.
Some dogs get cold and need extra clothes to keep them warm, which is essential if you live in a place with inclement weather.
Specifically, Halloween can be a cold day in some places.
But even if your dog doesn’t need the extra warmth, they may still enjoy wearing a costume.
My dog loves to dress up. He loves the variety of costumes I’ve chosen for him to wear as a lion from Africa in Kuoser’s Lion Suit. Or maybe as a bat from an old castle.
When is it bad?
Some dogs hate the feel of clothes. Dogs with thick coats can get overheated, so it’s important to keep them “naked” as much as possible.
Other dogs don’t like the feeling of sitting and will tug at any new clothes to get them off. Some dogs will be nervous or anxious and will find the sudden attention and petting frightening.
If you find that you have to dress your dog by force, you are doing it wrong. Let your dog decide.
How do you handle an angry person?
So you find out that your dog likes to wear costumes, but you still get angry comments. This is the Internet, after all. In real life, you may even see some nasty looks and comments, especially when you take your dog out trick-or-treating.
How you handle these comments is entirely up to you. I personally have no problem blocking or banning negative commenters on the Internet, but perhaps you like to encourage discussion and debate. If this is the case, you can simply state that your dog likes to wear costumes and point out that the dog is not in distress.
