These happy dogs in costumes have a word of advice for their humans this Halloween.
Halloween is awesome, and we would know. We're dogs in costumes.
Pocky, a pug, is dressed in a military costume. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
Adults, kids, and even pets like us get to dress up and make believe however we want on Halloween.
(There's even candy involved, which is a nice bonus.)
Superdog catches a frisbee. Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images.
But sometimes people want to divide our imaginations by gender, and we're not into it.
Take a walk through any costume party or Halloween aisle and you'll see what we mean.
Boys and men get to be traditional police officers. Girls and women? Not so much.
Golden retrievers Champ (L) and Jordan (R), dressed as SWAT team members. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.
Girls and women get to be butterfly princesses. Boys and men? Well, you get the idea.
Daisy, a bulldog, is dressed as a princess. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
The whole thing is pretty gross. (And we know gross. We eat cat poop.)
A dog dressed as a spider takes part in Halloween dog parade. Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images.
Why? Because men don't own masculinity, just like women don't own femininity.
Hanging a gender on a costume doesn't make much sense at all, especially for kids who are still sorting out their identities.
Dachshund-terrier mix Robin, dressed as a mail carrier. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.
As young people sort out their identities, who are we to keep them from expressing themselves?
Bon the dog poses as an iPhone. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
This Halloween, take a cue from us, the pets in your life (and our pet-parents), and dress how you want.
Bambi, a Dachshund mix, is dressed as Superman. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
We're dogs in costumes, and unless you look really closely (why would you, though?), you can't even tell whether we're male or female.
We're just playing dress up.
Rudy (L) poses as Michael Jackson and Parker poses as his girlfriend in the "Thriller" video. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images.
We're walking, barking furry reminders that setting aside gendered costumes and outdated expectations matters.
Why? Because being who you want to be in this world matters.
A dog dresses as the wolf masquerading as Grandma from "Little Red Riding Hood." Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
This year on Halloween, do us pets a solid: Encourage the kids in your life to choose whatever costume they want.
After all, when children dress up, it's more than play — they're learning too.
Bella Luna, a Pomeranian, is dressed as a chef. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
If that means shopping in a different section or skipping the party store entirely this year, so be it.
Terrier-pitbull mix Parker dressed as a unicorn. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.
Short of appropriating someone's culture or heritage, everyone deserves to play as they please.
A Chihuahua is dressed as an aviator at a Halloween dog costume parade. Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images.
That's what Halloween is all about.
Just when you've seen everything, a dog cowgirl. Photo by Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images.
So have fun. Be safe. And, most importantly, be yourself.
(Or, better yet, the costumed version of yourself you want to share with the world.)
Tommy attends the 3rd Annual Bow-Wow-Ween. Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images.