Whether it’s a sharp sweater, a warm jacket, or yes, an adorable turtle costume, tons of pet parents have played dress-up with their four-legged friends. National Dress Up Your Pet Day on January 14th is the perfect day to celebrate your pet’s impeccable fashion sense.
National Dress Up Your Pet Day has been celebrated every January 14th since 2009, when the “howl-iday” was first created by leading pet lifestyle expert Colleen Paige. Paige encourages pet owners to take time on this day to have fun with their dogs, cats, and critters by dressing them up in cute, safe outfits and pet costumes.
Of course, we also have to take our pets’ comfort and safety into consideration before we adorn them in adorable garments. Here are a few things you should know to make the most out of National Dress Up Your Pet Day.
Dressing up should always be about bonding, says Paige, and should never be a miserable experience for the pet.
National Dress Up Your Pet Day is a light-hearted, novelty day of celebration and should stay that way; it’s not about forcing a dog or cat to suffer humiliation or discomfort for human amusement.
“It’s important to remember though, that it’s not, however, a day to disrespect our pets with uncomfortable, vulgar, and/or seasonally inappropriate costumes for the sake of a laugh or photo shoot,” Paige writes on the event’s website.
If your dog doesn’t love dressing up and you still want to participate in Dress Up Your Pet Day, a simple bow tie or bandanna is usually a good option. They’re not too distracting, they’re safe, and they’re not likely to bother your dog if they’re already used to wearing a collar.
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