In all the Halloween rush to get your kids costumes, decorate your house, carve pumpkins and buy candy, did you remember to get a costume for your pet?  They are a member of your family, aren’t they?  At least the two dogs in my house are.  I don’t even think they realize they’re dogs at all! 

I think it’s cute when you put a Halloween costume on your dog.  I’m sure they may have a different opinion on the matter, but I think it’s adorable.  Pet costumes have become increasingly popular over the years.  If your family is doing a group costume, you can even include little Fido in with the theme you choose. 

Check out the Top 10 Pet Costumes for 2009, they’re too cute to pass up!  Your pet will be the talk of the town (or at least the dog park) for months to come!

The same goes for Halloween!   Don’t you want to know what the new trend in costumes for 2009 is going to be?  Every year HalloweenExpress.com comes out with a sneak peek at the years new costumes.  This year is no exception!  And best of all, you can check out the Halloween costume ideas 2009 right here.  There are plenty of costume ideas for everyone.

Halloween costumes for everyone in your family; women’s, men’s, kids, teens, tweens and don’t forget your pet – there’s new pet costumes for them too!  Want to get some new decorations to add to your old ones from last year?  No problem, they have new Halloween props and decorations that you just have to see!

In addition to all the ideas you get, you can also see a list of the top Halloween costume picks for 2009.  Between all these great costumes ideas and top ten lists, you’ll be more than ready for Halloween!

I’m telling you, HalloweenExpress.com has everything you need to make this Halloween the best yet!!

Every year at Halloween kids and adults alike are trying to find out what the hottest trends are in costumes!  What is the number one costume for sexy costumes, funny costumes, couples costumes, kids, teens, adults, toddlers…even your pet has his own Top Costumes for 2009 list!

• What are the cool and popular costumes?
• What will everyone be wearing?
• What is the number one costume in every category?

Well, look no further!  HalloweenExpress.com has the answers to all these questions and more!  With a simple touch of a button you’ll have everything you need to make the right decision on that perfect Halloween costume right at your fingertips.

Here is a list of the categories you’ll find:

1. Top 10 Kids Costumes
2. Top 10 Teen Costumes
3. Top 10 Toddler Costumes
4. Top 10 Baby Costumes
5. Top 10 Sexy Costumes
6. Top 10 Funny Costumes
7. Top 10 Couples Costumes
8. Top 10 Plus Size Costumes
9. Top 10 Pet Costumes
10. Top 10 Halloween Masks

So this year surprise your friends with your outstanding “knowledge” on what’s hip and cool this year when it comes to Halloween cotumes!  They’ll be coming to you with all their “what should I be for Halloween” questions and you’ll know just what to tell them.  Don’t worry, it will be our little secret!

In the coming weeks I’ll do blogs on each indivdual category so that you’ll see just how much fun the Top 10 Lists are!

To get ready for the Halloween season everyone is busy checking out all the new trendy costumes.  Summer usually brings with it some great blockbuster movies with characters that give way for cool Halloween costumes.  Costumes come in all shapes and sizes; big and tall, short and small…and puppy size.  The cutest thing in the world is to see dog’s dressed in drag!  Pet costumes have become a huge sensation although I’m pretty sure the pet owners like to see their dogs dressed up a lot more than the actual dog does. 

Every day on celebrity news you see another actor/actress prancing around town with their pet decked out in the latest fashions.  I know it’s cute and sweet, but I’m pretty sure the dog would rather wait until Halloween to get dressed up.  And where do all the pet owner’s look for their four-legged friends costumes??  HalloweenExpress.com of course!

At HalloweenExpress.com not only do they have a costume for every dog personality out there, but they have so many great styles to choose from.  Is your pet sweet and cuddly?  Then by all means check out the Snow White pet costume or maybe even the Eeyore pet costume.  Maybe your dog leans more toward the roughneck crowd?  If that’s the case then you have to get your pooch a Biker Dog costume or Tatto Dog costume. 

Halloween is a fun holiday for the whole family.  This year don’t leave Fido out in the cold when it comes to participating in costume activities.  Dress them up just like one of the family!

Pirate costumes are extremely popular this year and here at HalloweenExpress.com you’ll find them in every shape, style, color and size.  It’s a great theme to use if you’re looking for ideas for a family costume or if you’re going with a group of people.  So dress your whole family, mom, dad, brother, sister and even Fido in the finest Pirate costumes around!

Don’t miss out on all our great Adult Pirate costumes and Kid’s Pirate costumes or you may be forced to “walk the plank”!

Fido is just as important and deserves to be treated as such!  At HalloweenExpress.com we have costumes for the whole family, including your four-legged companion.  Even though your pet can’t really tell you what they want to be for Halloween, they all have their own individual personality that makes it easy to pick out a costume for them.   

Is your dog a “trouble maker”?  Try our Zelda Prisoner or Devil Costume:

Does she think it’s “her” house?  Check out our Zelda Queen or Snow White Princess Costume:

Don’t forget the one person who loves you unconditionally and is always there for you!  Your pet deserves to have fun on Halloween too – although their idea of fun might not be having you put a costume on them and embarrassing them in front of all the other dogs in the neighborhood – but hey, what are parents for??  Check out all our great pet costumes at HalloweenExpress.com.

As cute as it is to dress up your dog or cat and parade them around the neighborhood, Halloween can still be a very frightening time for pets.  We’ve all heard of safety tips for your children, but did you know there are safety tips for your pets too?  Each year veterinarians nationwide see pet injuries that could have been avoided if only the pet owner would have known how to protect their pet on Halloween night.

Here are some ways to help keep your pet safe and stress-free on Halloween:

• Find a secure place in your home to keep your pets, especially if you’re giving out candy to trick-or-treaters.  Many dogs get loose when the door opens and the presence of little (and big) costumed people often scares them, increasing the chance your dog will run away or get hit by a car.
• Make sure your pet is wearing an up-to-date I.D. collar and tag and/or a microchip.
• Consider crating your pet, which can make him feel more secure and reduce chances of accidental escapes.  Give them plenty of chew toys, a favorite blanket or anything that comforts your pet.
• Always keep your pet indoors.  In addition to the parade of trick-or-treaters frightening and agitating them, there have been reports of taunting, poisonings, and pet thefts.
• No tricks, no treats.  Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats.  It contains Theobromine, which can cause nerve damage and even death in dogs.  The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is and the smaller the lethal dose.  Tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous as well as causing choking or intestinal obstruction if swallowed.

All of these things are simple to do.  I always hated walking up to a door with my child, ringing the doorbell and having their dog come bolting up to the door barking up a storm.  You never know if when they open the door to give my child candy if that dog is coming out too.  For the most part all dogs just bark when someone rings the doorbell and they’re as harmless as a fly, but it’s still a little nerve racking when it’s your child standing on the other side of that door.  If your dog has any aggressive tendencies, fear of loud noises or a habit of excessive barking, put him in a quiet room as far away from your front door as possible at least a half-hour before trick-or-treaters arrive.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Superman Pet Costume

At Halloween Express we have a wide variety of adorable pet costumes for your dog.  Picking out the perfect costume for your pet is just like finding one for you child.  Every dog has his/her own personality and many of our costumes play up to that.  Is your dog wild and crazy or timid and shy?  Does she think she’s “Queen” of the house?  Take all that into consideration when looking for a costume for your dog. 

There is not a dog alive that wouldn’t look adorable in any of these costumes.  We have two Great Danes and a new puppy chocolate Lab that will be dressed up for Halloween this year.  I’m letting the kids pick out what costumes they want the dogs to be.  With all these great costumes to pick from I’m hoping they can decide on just one!  Remember pets love Halloween too!  

They’ve also been having a lot of fun playing outside with our new puppy, Sheba.  She’s a black lab and boy is she a handful!  We haven’t had a new puppy in years and you forget how much work is involved.  I think the hardest part for all of us is remembering to put everything we own up and out of her reach.  Her favorite is shoes!  The kids come in and kick off their shoes and the next thing you know there she goes down the hallway with one in her mouth.  That teaches them really quickly when they find their favorite flip flop with the heel missing!

Speaking of dogs, last weekend we were all out doing yardwork (well my husband and I were doing yardwork, the kids were playing with Sheba).  Anyway, I see this blur of red and black run by and when I looked up it was Sheba with a Superman cape on.  It was hysterical.  She had no problem with it and ran around the whole back yard with the cape just flowing out behind her while the kids were chasing her. The Superman cape belongs to my son, Caden.  He wore it for Halloween a few years ago, but since everyone knows that a Superman cape never goes out of style it just keeps showing up.  He thought Sheba would make a great “Superdog” and apparently he was right!  She really likes it, so I guess it’s hers now!

It’s always cute to see dogs dressed up in costumes, especially at Halloween.  Dressed right, they can make the perfect accessory to any costume.  At Halloween Express we have all new pet costumes to pick from that will turn your dog into Superman, Spiderman, Zorro, Buzz Lightyear or even Elvis!  Plus there are so many other great costumes that will make your pet look adorable – your pet may not think so, but we humans sure do!

The Premium Theatrical grade costumes, as well as our other more traditional costumes, are not just for wear on Halloween night, but can be worn for so many other purposes.  Many drama teachers use them for school plays, if you’re invited to a certain “theme” party during the year they’re a great idea, or for many other holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc…  No matter what the festivity, Halloween Express has the costume, accessory, or prop you’re looking for.

Speaking of costumes, don’t forget your four-legged friend!  Nothing says Halloween like having your dog running around dressed as Superman, Zorro or Buzz Lightyear!  Every year my daughter, Sydney gets to pick out a costume for our girl dog, Roxie; and my son, Caden gets to pick out one for Beauregard, of course he’s our boy dog.  Heaven knows we can’t have Sydney pick out the boy dog costume, my gosh what would her friends think!!  Anyway, it is a lot of fun to dress them up on Halloween night (although they might not think it’s as “fun” as we do).  Last year, Roxy was a princess and Beauregard was Zorro.  They’re both Great Danes, so Roxy was the perfect regal princess and Beauregard made a dashing Zorro, until he got his mask off when we weren’t looking and shredded it! 

So this year, don’t just dress up the kids, check out our website under pet costumes – it’s a fun and inexpensive way to make Halloween a night for the whole family!