Forget cute toddlers in plant and animal costumes. Munchkin the Shih Tzu Teddy Bear Dog took over Halloween this year! It is often hard to believe many of the events that take place in YouTube videos these days when technology makes it possible for both professional and amateur video creators to design highly-realistic computer-generated images.
So, anyone viewing a small, light-colored, tan teddy bear running from a doorway toward a camera might find it hard at first to believe that what they’re seeing is real. Yet, in this case, there were no computer special effects.
On October 31, Cindy Roth posted a video to her “Munchkin the Shih Tzu” channel showing what at first looked like a teddy bear, or an Ewok from the “Star Wars” universe, running happily toward her across a carpet.
The actual lifeform in the video is the California resident’s 8-pound, female Imperial Shih Tzu named Munchkin dressed in an adorable costume that Cathy created using a pre-manufactured teddy bear. The design allows Munchkin’s face to fit through a hole where the teddy bear’s face would normally be and her front legs through the bear legs.
Cathy removed all of the stuffing from the bear except for the arms so that the heavier pieces would flop out to the sides while Munchkin walked and add to the illusion created by this unique costume. The “realism” of the costume only ended when Munchkin moved close enough to the camera that her tail and body came into view.