How to Make Sure Your Dog Isn’t Miserable in Their Holiday Pajamas

The holidays are coming up, and that means it’s time for your annual Christmas photoshoot. If your whole family is getting together to dress up, take cute photos, and send out cards with your smiling faces on them, you probably want to make sure you include the whole family. That means your dog(s), whether or not they can sit still. But you might be wondering how they actually feel about the whole thing. Tight pajamas, reindeer-ear headbands, funny elf hats, flashing lights — do they actually want to take part in your holiday photoshoot? And is it OK to make them?

Annie Valuska, certified applied animal behaviorist, says yes, with one caveat: They should be totally comfortable wearing clothes. “Holiday clothes and costumes can be a fun way to include them in the festivities,” she says.

Whether they’re happy and comfortable is complicated, but as their human, you’re the best person to be able to tell. “A lot of people assume that as long as their pet isn’t actively trying to remove the clothing, then they’re comfortable,” Valuska says. However, this isn’t the case. “Signs of stress in dogs can be much more subtle than that. Look for body-language cues like lip or nose licking, freezing, yawning, pinned ears, panting, ‘whale eye’ (the eye being held open widely enough that the white is visible), eyes squeezed shut, or a tail tucked between their legs,” she says. “If you see those behaviors, your dog may be stressed by the costume.”

Sadie Geoghegan-Dann is a dog trainer who specializes in supporting nervous dogs, so she offers a slightly different perspective. On the whole, she says it’s not a great idea to dress your dog up just for the purpose of a photoshoot. However, she says that there is an exception: It’s OK if your dog is already desensitized and comfortable with wearing sweaters and coats for practical reasons.

“Who can resist a cute Christmas sweater and capturing a photo of them in it?” she says. “Just be sure you’re not forcing them into an uncomfortable pose or situation for the photo opportunity, and you’re all good.” However, things like reindeer antlers; silly glasses; red noses; or bright, flashing lights aren’t really fair, Geoghegan-Dann says.

At this time of year, your dog may need to wear a sweater or coat for practical reasons. Certain dogs start to feel the cold at 41 degrees Fahrenheit. This is particularly true for very young dogs, very old dogs, small dogs, dogs with thin coats, and dogs with certain medical conditions. Large dogs with thick coats, active dogs, and working breeds who are genetically predisposed to cope better in inclement weather might show more reluctance to wearing a sweater at all, Geoghegan-Dann says. “It’s always advised to use your best judgment and put your dog in a coat where appropriate.”

Whatever the reason for putting clothing on your dog, if they’re new to the whole thing, you need to take the time to desensitize them and not just force them into it. This will prevent them from forming negative associations with it. This is particularly true if you do it for the first time for something that could be overwhelming or stressful, such as a holiday photoshoot.

“Try it at home for short periods to begin with, in order to get them used to it. And, ideally, use force-free, positive reinforcement, consent-based handling to build up their confidence and make it a positive experience for them,” Geoghegan-Dann says.

If your dog seems unhappy wearing clothes, first consider whether they need to or whether you just want them to. Through training, Valuska adds, pet parents can teach their dogs to accept or even enjoy wearing clothing.

“The best strategy is to start this process before the dog has any negative experiences with clothing. It will be easier to teach them that clothes are fun, versus having to undo a learned aversion,” she says. “In a nutshell, you want to gradually build up to your dog wearing the costume, positively reinforcing calm behavior with treats, praise, and/or pets along the way.”

You may start with the costume just sitting out near you, then hold the costume next to the dog, then put it partially on for just a second. “Each of these ‘levels’ may take several sessions of positive reinforcement before you and your dog are ready to move to the next step,” Valuska says. “If your dog seems at all nervous, go back a step until they’re more confident, then move on. The goal is for your dog to learn that costume time is fun! Even if they don’t necessarily love a Santa hat, they’ll be OK with it because they know it also means that attention and treats from you go along with it.”

If your dog is happy wearing the costume, there are ways to tell. You’ll likely see very loose, relaxed body language, Valuska says. Their head will be held high, they’ll be moving normally, and there will be no tension in the ears or mouth. If any of the signs of stress that our experts describe are present, try taking the photos without a costume. It’s more important that they’re involved in the family than arbitrarily wearing a holiday sweater that’s making them miserable. That way, you have cute photos to send out to everyone where the whole family is happy and relaxed. What better way to celebrate the holidays?