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Valentine’s Day Outfits for Small Dogs: Boo’s Closet, Sweetheart Edition
The closest thing this site has to a Valentine’s photo is not a costume. It is Boo and his older brother Buddy lying together on a bed, which is the whole holiday in one frame and required no shopping. Keep that in mind: the best Valentine’s Day outfit for a small dog is the one that gets the dog into the picture without getting in the dog’s way.
So this list is short and ranked by comfort, the way every holiday page on this site is. A heart sweater that is real clothing for a cold February, then the bandanas, bow ties, and headbands that last exactly one photo. Whether dogs like wearing clothes at all has its own page; read it before buying the sweater.
Wear all February
None of these were Boo’s; they are the picks we would make today for a small dog with a clipped coat.
1. The heart sweater. The one Valentine’s outfit that is also just a warm sweater, and February is cold in most of the country. A red knit with a heart on the back reads as the holiday from across the room and gets worn on every walk until March. The knitted Valentine’s heart sweater.
2. The sweater dress. For the dog that will wear a sweater but whose owner wants the photo to look like an occasion: a soft turtleneck knit with a skirt hem, pink or red, and no hood. The Valentine’s sweater dress for small dogs.
Valentine’s Day outfits for the photo
3. The bandana. Nothing to put on but a knot at the collar, so it is the pick for the dog that has vetoed clothing. A two-pack of small heart-print bandanas gets both dogs in the house into the card. Valentine’s dog bandanas, two-pack, small.
4. The red bow-tie collar. A collar with a detachable bow tie is the Valentine’s outfit most dogs do not notice they are wearing, because it is just a collar. Five thousand reviews on this one, which for a collar mostly means the buckle holds. The red velvet bow-tie collar for small dogs.
5. The heart headband and collar set. Headband, ribbon collar, done, off in ten seconds. For the dog that tolerates a headband for one photo and not a second longer. The Valentine’s headband and collar set.
6. The kissing booth. A headpiece shaped like a kissing booth, the dog’s face in the window. Pure comedy, zero fabric on the body, and the photo that gets sent to the most people. The kissing booth costume headpiece.
The chocolate rule
Every Valentine’s page about dogs has to say it once: the chocolate on the table is for the humans. Keep the box out of reach, keep the wrappers off the floor, and if the dog is a counter-surfer, the box lives in a cupboard. That is the only rule on this page that matters more than the outfit.
Fit, in one line
Sizes come from a tape measure and the brand’s chart, not a guess, and the winter clothes page has the measuring guide.
Boo’s year-round wardrobe is in Boo’s Closet, the holiday before this one is on the Christmas page, and the two dogs in the photo at the top have their own page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a small dog wear for Valentine's Day?
A heart sweater if February is cold where you are, because it is real clothing the dog will wear all month, or a heart-print bandana or a bow-tie collar for the photo. Headbands and the kissing booth are for a dog that tolerates a prop for one picture.
Are Valentine's Day dog outfits safe?
The outfits are fine if nothing covers the face or pins the ears and the dog can move normally. The real Valentine’s hazard is the chocolate, which is for the humans; keep the box out of reach.
Do dogs like wearing Valentine's costumes?
Some tolerate them, most are indifferent, and a few hate anything on their body. A bandana or a collar gets the holiday look on a dog that dislikes clothes; the honest answer to whether dogs like clothes at all is on its own page.