Tobi sat through a full flapper makeover, and his face did all the talking.
Tobi sat through a full flapper makeover, and his face did all the talking.
His owner was trying on Halloween accessories, including jewelry and a feathered headpiece, and decided to dress Tobi in them first. In the clip from @mr.tobiman on TikTok, TAG24's viral video of the day for Oct. 28, Tobi holds still and gives the camera serious side-eye. She joked that the costume might end up being his, and one viewer wrote that he's "praying you get a girl dog."
Side-eye looks funny on camera, and it's also one of the quiet ways dogs show emotions like discomfort.
The quiet signals owners miss
Researchers in Italy asked 1,190 dog owners what stress looks like in their dogs.
Owners most often named trembling and whining, followed by aggression, heavy barking and panting, according to the owner survey.
Quieter signs, like looking away, turning the head, yawning and licking the nose, were rarely reported.
The authors concluded that few owners can spot stress early enough to step in.
In a separate mouth-licking study, dogs licked their lips more often when looking at angry human faces than at happy ones.
Costume night stacks a strange outfit, strangers at the door and a lot of attention, so it's a good night to watch your dog's face.
Signs to watch while the costume is on
Check your dog's face first, then the body.
Whale eye, where the whites of the eyes show as your dog looks sideways
Lip or nose licking when there's no food around
Yawning when your dog isn't tired
Ears pinned back, a tucked tail or a hunched body
Freezing in place or refusing to walk
Pawing, rolling or scratching at the costume
Two or three of these together are your cue to take the costume off. A full-body shake afterward usually marks a switch to the next activity, according to the Barnard researchers who filmed 96 shaking dogs, so read it alongside the other signs.
How to make costume night easier
The ASPCA suggests putting your dog in a costume only if you know your dog loves it.
Try the costume on before Halloween. If your dog seems distressed, let this be a costume-free year.
Leave headpieces off. ASPCA's Halloween tips recommend avoiding costumes with a headpiece, which puts Tobi's feathers on the list.
Pick a costume that doesn't limit movement, sight, breathing or barking, and check for dangling pieces your dog could chew off and swallow.
Build a good association with treats. Show the costume and treat, touch it to your dog and treat, then put it on for a few seconds, treat and take it off.
Use single-ingredient freeze-dried treats like beef liver for that training, since dogs will work hard for them.
Remember that a bandana counts as a costume.
Keep the photo shoot short, and take the costume off before trick-or-treaters show up.
The rest of Halloween night
The costume comes off after the photos, and the rest of the night brings its own stress.
The doorbell rings over and over, strangers show up in masks, and the candy bowl sits at nose height. Set your dog up in a quiet room with water and a long-lasting chew during trick-or-treat hours. We ranked the Halloween candy bowl by danger, and sugar-free gum sits at the top.
Tobi's side-eye got a laugh, and when your dog gives you the same look, the costume comes off.
Sources
TAG24, "Viral Video of the Day for October 28, 2026: This dog is not impressed with his Halloween costume!" by Jenna Cavaliere, Oct. 28, 2026. https://www.tag24.com/en/topic/viral-video-of-the-day/viral-video-of-the-day-for-october-28-2026-this-dog-is-not-impressed-with-his-halloween-costume-3536306
Mariti C, Gazzano A, Lansdown Moore J, Baragli P, Chelli L, Sighieri C. "Perception of dogs' stress by their owners." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 7(4): 213-219, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2011.09.004
Albuquerque N, Guo K, Wilkinson A, Resende B, Mills DS. "Mouth-licking by dogs as a response to emotional stimuli." Behavioural Processes 146 (2018): 42-45. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29129727/
ASPCA Pro, "Halloween Safety Tips for Pets." https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/halloween-safety-tips-pets
ABC11, Halloween pet safety tips from the ASPCA and the Humane Society (signs of costume discomfort). https://abc11.com/2569672/
