Dogs and Halloween

Halloween is here and kids across the United States going door to door and trick-or-treating.  This tradition has gone on for a long time, but recently more and more dogs are becoming involved in the Halloween tradition.  Yes, that's right, it's becoming very popular for families to dress their dogs up in a costume and even throw parties for them.

This is not just Halloween; anything to do with dogs is booming.  Dog fashion, which is a relatively new idea, is now becoming a huge business industry, and there a many designer dog products available now.

The reason for this?  "We love our dogs like our kids", says Kathleen Duffey, owner of a dog daycare store.  Events such as Dog Day at ballparks prove her point.  Dogs are becoming a crucial part in American's homes, and people are now treating their dogs just as they treat their children.

The idea of dog companionship isn't new at all, as pet dogs can be dated back to at least the ancient Romans and probably farther, but treating and spoiling them like humans by buying them luxurious human products certainly is.

Is bringing dogs to Halloween and dressing them up taking the tradition to far?

Remember, Halloween started as a celebration of the end of the light part of the year, summer, and the beginning of darkness and winter, a time associated with death.  Now, however, it is all about fun and candy, and, personally, I love this new Halloween tradition.  Americans may have strayed a bit off of the original focus, but they've made it their own.

With that said, I think it is taking it to far to try to incorporate dogs into the holiday experience.  Kathleen Duffey says dogs are like children so they should be treated.  I'm no dog hater, but I completely disagree with this.  Dogs are a very important part of every family and deserve plenty of attention, but I think they should be treated as dogs because, after all, they are dogs and not human beings.  Therefore, it is unnecessary to dress them up and throw dog parties for them.  I see how this can be fun, but I find it extremely pointless and not worth it to buy fancy human things for dogs.