Sunday is Halloween.
Purists are inclined to be a bit sniffy about plastic pumpkins and skeletons, and talk loftily about the meaning and origins of the festival. I think they should climb down off those high horses and try a bit of fun for a change.
With that thought in mind, we’ve arranged the next Happy Greys Social Club coffee morning on Halloween itself. For a miracle, the Husband has the day off, and because it’s the weekend, so do lots of other people. So Mouse’s Aunty Lyn and I though a spot of doggy fancy dress would be appropriate. And before you say this info belongs over on Mouse’s own blog, there is of course a reason I’m talking about it here.
In general, I’m not a huge fan of dogs wearing costumes a lot (warm- and waterproof-wear being the exception), it’s bad for their fur and it’s a bit too anthropomorphic for comfort. But occasionally, I’ll make an exception.
You know where this is going, don’t you? As co-host, Mouse insisted something Special.
I had a think about it. I concluded that a sleek, black creature with large ears and pointy fangs was made to wear a pair of bat wings. So I built him some. It’s a double layer of black felt, cut to shape and stitched together, with channels stitched in to form ribs. The leading edge has a stiff wire in it which I shaped to flick up so that they don’t just droop and flap. I was originally planning to wire every rib, but it turned out to be unnecessary. I attached the wings to his old harness with a velcro closure. He didn’t seem too distressed by them, nor too disgusted. They’re light and soft. I won’t make him wear them for hours, and he’ll probably flop down at some point and squish them. That’s OK. Let me know if you want more detail on how I constructed the wings.
And then today in the supermarket I saw The Cape. It’s fancy dress for a small child, but fits him nicely. It’s very light and flimsy, but has this brilliant gold stand up collar, as well as gold lamé pumpkins, ghosts, bats, etc, all over the fabric. I knew we had to have it, and at $2.80 it wasn’t breaking the bank. At that point, I hadn’t finished the wings and wasn’t sure they’d be successful, so Hound Dracula was to be his fallback position. He wasn’t sure about it, at first.
As it is, Hound Dracula can wear his cloak and his wings at the same time. He looks… magnificent, although there’s still a strong element of side-eye going on. Sorry about the photos being a bit blurry and crowded, we had to capture him in all his glory before the supply of bribes treats ran out.
I do draw the line at fake blood on his fangs! 🧛♂️
*And if you don’t now have an ear-worm from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, I haven’t don’t my job properly!
He is a magnificent Prince of Darkness.
Isn’t he! He knows it, too.
ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT !!!
I just knew his whole get up would be spectacular 🤩 I love it 😻
I think he’ll attract a fair bit of attention in that get up! The café is looking forward to it hugely, and I’ve seen a couple of the other outfits – it’s going to be fun!
I’m definite it will be and I’m so waiting for the follow up post 😎
😁🧛♂️
Mouse looks splendid! I will show O & R who will no doubt be envious. Enjoy your coffee morning
We shall, all of us!
Your dog is ready for going in the movies! And the oscar for best costume goes to Kate! Marvelous!
He has the film star looks but not the acting talent, unfortunately! 😂
Oh, Mouse, you are soooo Scary! Love your costume. Since our Leahmae doesn’t get out and her black fur and gold eyes are costume enough. She does like to sit in the window, though. We have a neighbor who is sooo very superstitious that he won’t even speak to us anymore because she is a black beauty. His loss. Now, she just seems to know when he’s walking to his car and makes a point of sitting in the window and calling out to him. He, of course, has a freak attack. Silly man.
Poor thing, to be so nervous of a pretty puss.
Fantastic
it suits him, doesn’t it?
Yes, he looks so smart. My Luna doesn’t have long enough legs for the wings or the cape.
I reckon Luna would probably be perfect for some kind of dinosaur, with big pointy spikes down her back, or if she wants a comedy costume, a couple of long tan cushions on either side to look like hot dog buns!
The dinosaur outfit would suit her, she’s all teeth.
My teeth are chattering in terror. So scary.
Hee hee! You realise he’s just a great big greedy guts when he comes lolloping with those wings waggling, begging for a frozen chicken neck. And I expect the wings will be squashed to death in very short order once the coffee morning kicks off and he’s lounging on his floof, sipping at his puppacino…
I was not prepared for the sight of Mouse in bat wings and a gold sparkly cape. I’m unlikely to be able to get that image out of my mind for days.
Wait till you see the photos from Sunday! All the doggos will be in fancy dress in some form or other. I assure you the vision of Mouse will fade once you’ve seen Tuppence in her witch’s hat!
So stinkin cute!!!!
He’ll be thrilled you think so!
FLY AWAY! Fly Away!
The wings would have to be a good bit larger for that to work – he weighs 77 pounds! I have visions of him leaping into the air and flapping off into the night…
TEe Hee
Brilliant! Perfect! I LOVE the cape over the wings (and I bet Mouse prefers it that way too).
It looks like he’s had one of those ‘reveal’ moments, where he’s gone from an ordinary – but gorgeous – doggo, to Creature of the Night, as he spreads his wings. Personally, I’m totally thrilled about how well the wings work!
Brilliant!
He does look really fab. I won’t make him wear them on the walk to the café, but I’ll make sure he’s wearing them as we come round the corner, so if there’s anyone sitting there, they’ll receive the full Hound Dracula effect, tee hee.
Genius adding the cape to the wings! Black dogs rock Halloween 🦇
I reckon Deez’d rock a pair of the wings, for sure!
I share your dislike of animal costumes in general while at the same time finding myself delighted by costumes worn by creatures (usually for seconds) in my family over the years. The white rat with a purple cape, the cow with a flower garland, the German shepherd with an evening gown, the cat with a bonnet, well, you get the idea.
… um, “German Shepherd in an evening gown”? I don’t suppose you have visual evidence? I’d pay good money to see that!
Now all you have to do is teach Mouse to say, with a courtly gesture “Welcome to my house…enter freely and of your own will…Mwah ha ha ha ha!”
I wish his manners were indeed more like that, but his first impulse is to barge and shove at the smallest sign of food. Just as well he’s no vampire! He has the aristocratic sneer down perfectly, though!
His face, when wearing the Cape, is priceless! I laughed out loud.
Yes! It’s totally “what fresh hell is this?”, isn’t it? He has an impressive line in side-eye, reproachful glares and convincing impressions of starvation. I am his slave…
Oh Mouse you look so wonderful! Have a wonderful Halloween Coffee morning. What are th staff dressing up as?
Hello! I don’t think the Staff are dressing up, and frankly, I don’t want to run the risk of being upstaged by my domestics… It’s a day for the doggos to shine. Mum did mutter something about wanting a nice pointy black hat, but really, I think not….
Quite right!
LOVE! ❤️
😊
He is rather adorable…I mean menacing, but oh my that side eye is something else. Have fun!
He has a huge talent for side-eye! Coupled with his aristocratic appearance, he manages to communicate disdain without uttering a word. However, I use the ‘I’m too dumb to understand, I’m only Staff’ strategy, and it works a treat!
🙂
He is too adorable and cute in his costume. Of course he will love all the extra attention he gets in his outfit. You did a perfect job of this and I’m grinning from ear to ear. What a perfect costume for him!!!
It really is, isn’t it? This is definitely one coffee morning that requires PLENTY of photos!
that’s brilliantly magical. And yes, I do have the earworm. Saw it live quite often as a youth/student,, including one memorable occasion when I and a pal queued for returns on the off chance and it turned out to be the 25th anniversary performance which had Richard O’Brien playing the narrator. it was V G.
Oh wow! A real landmark performance! Mouse did credit to his outfit at today’s coffee morning, and all the other doggos dressed up too, so we attracted quite a lot of attention!
yes, it was pretty fab. Especially as my pal and I called by on the off chance whilst meeting up for something else. Well done again with that outfit.
Totally amazing!
He looks good, and boy does he know it! Most doggos would, I think, have been trying to wriggle out of the set-up after about 10 minutes, but he wore the wings for the full occasion, although the cloak got a bit hot and we had mercy on him!
Mouse looks amazing! I think the side eye makes it complete 😂
It does make him look suitably supercilious! I’m very proud of the wings – there’s a better photo of Mouse wearing them over on his own blog, plus his friends wearing their outfits:(http://happygreyssocialclub.wordpress.com)
🤣🤣🤣🤣 love it, I needed a chuckle to cheer myself up
Glad to entertain you! 😉