How to Get Your Dog Used to Wearing Clothes
Train your dog in basic obedience., Gather your supplies., Have your dog 'sit' or 'down.', Reward your dog with a tiny treat., Show your dog the bandana., Lay the bandana around the dog's neck., Remove the bandana and repeat the last step until your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Train your dog in basic obedience.
No dog should be asked to wear clothes unless they trust you and respond calmly to the basic obedience commands: sit, down, stay, come, heel.
Dogs trained to basic obedience with food rewards or a clicker respond well to learning to wear clothes. -
Step 2: Gather your supplies.
Before you find the perfect outfit, a dress, tutu, shirt and pants, or just a hat, practice with small pieces of clothing and lots of treats.
A bandana or oversize tee shirt (oversize for your dog, that is) is a good way to start. , , You will be using lots of treats.
Dogs feel rewarded by just a taste of treat, so you can give many many rewards even if they are tiny. , Let it sniff it and treat the dog. , Say "Get Dressed" or a similar command that you will use in the future.
Reward and praise for calm behavior. ,, If your dog is chewing at the bandana or shaking it off or resisting in some other way, go back to just showing the bandana and rewarding calm sniffing.
Stop when you have calm behavior.
Practice sessions should last only 5 or 6 minutes. ,, Once the dog is not concerned about wearing a bandana, practice with an over-sized pet tee-shirt.
The shirt should be big enough that the dog's head fits easily through the neck.
Using the same command, "Get Dressed," show the tee-shirt to the pet, then gather up the sides of the shirt and gently slide just the neck over the dog's head.
You should then have a dog wearing a tee-shirt like a big bunchy collar.
No legs through arm holes yet! , Remember, always end each practice session on a positive note.
Go back a step if necessary. , Using the same graduated training, put the tee-shirt around your pets neck as in the previous step (still using the "Get Dressed" command and treats.) Put one hand through one sleeve from the outside of the tee-shirt to the inside.
Gently raise your pet's front paw and draw it through the sleeve.
Stop if there is resistance and just practice to that point. ,,, You may need to measure your dog.
It is better to have the clothes a little to big than too small. , -
Step 3: Have your dog 'sit' or 'down.'
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Step 4: Reward your dog with a tiny treat.
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Step 5: Show your dog the bandana.
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Step 6: Lay the bandana around the dog's neck.
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Step 7: Remove the bandana and repeat the last step until your dog is calm and accepting of the bandana.
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Step 8: End your practice session on a positive note.
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Step 9: Practice in short sessions once or twice a day until your dog will calmly wear the bandana without shaking
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Step 10: scratching or biting.
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Step 11: Practice with a harder piece of clothing.
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Step 12: Repeat the neck hole practice until your dog is calm and unconcerned about the tee-shirt around its neck.
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Step 13: Train your dog to put its legs through the sleeves.
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Step 14: Continue practicing until your dog calmly lets you dress it in a tee-shirt and wears it without fighting you or the tee-shirt.
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Step 15: Find that perfect outfit.
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Step 16: Make sure the size is right.
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Step 17: Dress your dog in its new clothes and you can both enjoy the attention your dog gets.
Detailed Guide
No dog should be asked to wear clothes unless they trust you and respond calmly to the basic obedience commands: sit, down, stay, come, heel.
Dogs trained to basic obedience with food rewards or a clicker respond well to learning to wear clothes.
Before you find the perfect outfit, a dress, tutu, shirt and pants, or just a hat, practice with small pieces of clothing and lots of treats.
A bandana or oversize tee shirt (oversize for your dog, that is) is a good way to start. , , You will be using lots of treats.
Dogs feel rewarded by just a taste of treat, so you can give many many rewards even if they are tiny. , Let it sniff it and treat the dog. , Say "Get Dressed" or a similar command that you will use in the future.
Reward and praise for calm behavior. ,, If your dog is chewing at the bandana or shaking it off or resisting in some other way, go back to just showing the bandana and rewarding calm sniffing.
Stop when you have calm behavior.
Practice sessions should last only 5 or 6 minutes. ,, Once the dog is not concerned about wearing a bandana, practice with an over-sized pet tee-shirt.
The shirt should be big enough that the dog's head fits easily through the neck.
Using the same command, "Get Dressed," show the tee-shirt to the pet, then gather up the sides of the shirt and gently slide just the neck over the dog's head.
You should then have a dog wearing a tee-shirt like a big bunchy collar.
No legs through arm holes yet! , Remember, always end each practice session on a positive note.
Go back a step if necessary. , Using the same graduated training, put the tee-shirt around your pets neck as in the previous step (still using the "Get Dressed" command and treats.) Put one hand through one sleeve from the outside of the tee-shirt to the inside.
Gently raise your pet's front paw and draw it through the sleeve.
Stop if there is resistance and just practice to that point. ,,, You may need to measure your dog.
It is better to have the clothes a little to big than too small. ,
About the Author
Jean Moore
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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