Okinawa pet lovers celebrate ‘Dogtoberfest’
View Gallery (4 images)
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — Picking a costume for your dog is fairly easy on Okinawa: You buy the one that fits, said several dog owners Sunday at Dogtoberfest at Chibana Recreation Area.
Buying costumes online offers a better selection, said Terri Kraus, whose two Chihuahuas wore cheerleader and football player outfits.
Or you could do what Ashley DeGong did. Ashley’s grandmother sewed matching poodle skirts for her and Baby Girl, her terrier mix.
The hard part, many owners at Dogtoberfest — an opportunity for pets and pet owners to socialize and included a dog and owner costume contest and other games — said, was not picking the costumes but getting the dogs into them.
Pam Davis whose mini Schnauzer mix Buddy wore a clown costume said, “It took two of us to get [Buddy] into it.”
The trick, said Krista Williams, is to get them wearing cloths when they are young. She’s been dressing up her Doberman, Jack, since he was a puppy.
Candi DeGong, Ashley’s mother, admitted, “The little dogs are easier to dress.”
But, once dressed, it’s harder to keep them in costume, she said.
