Your dog doesn’t want to wear clothes? Unfortunately, this is a fairly common problem, especially if your four-legged friend is learning to wear clothes. Your dog may not want to wear clothes for a specific reason. Try to find out what is causing your dog’s aversion to clothes. It will help you effectively convince him to wear them.
Not every dog that needs to wear clothes in cold weather will do it willingly and with a positive attitude. Some dogs prefer being cold during a walk to let the owner put on a sweater. In this situation, proceed gradually. First, let your dog get acquainted with the clothes, smell, and texture.
What you will learn from this article:
- Not every dog likes to wear clothes
- Your dog may not want to wear the clothes because they don’t fit well
- The material of the dresses can be irritating to the dog
The dog does not want to wear clothes
Have you ever had a small argument with your four-legged friend while wearing a sweater or jacket before going for a walk on a winter day? If so, I want to tell you that you are not alone. My dog also insisted for a long time that he didn’t want to wear clothes.
If your pet belongs to a group of dog breeds susceptible to low temperatures, then wearing clothes on cold days is essential. That is why he is perfectly aware that it can be tiring to convince the dog for a long time before going for a walk not to protest against his clothes.
So, I’ll tell you what you can do to make your dog change his mind about his clothes and wear them freely during your walks. That will save a lot of stress for both you and your dog.
Why won’t my dog wear clothes?
Let’s consider what could be the reason why your dog doesn’t want to wear his clothes. I’m sure your pet isn’t acting this way for no reason. Dogs have it in common that most of their behaviour is not accidental.
In most cases, dogs are not stubborn in their behaviour towards their guardian without a serious reason. Therefore, before convincing your quadruped to wear clothes, consider whether you can define the reason for this behaviour.
Most often, dogs do not want to wear clothes for reasons such as:
– the garment is ill-fitting
None of us feels comfortable wearing clothes that don’t fit us. I mean both size and cut. The same is true for our four-legged friends.
Perhaps your dog’s clothes are too small. When wearing it, he feels an unpleasant pressure that restricts his movements. That can be very uncomfortable when moving around.
The situation can also be precisely the opposite. Your dog’s clothes may be too big for him. As a result, it will get tangled between the paws when walking or slipping off.
The cut of your pet’s clothes is also essential. My dog doesn’t like hoodies very much. You can see that he feels uncomfortable wearing such a cut of clothes. It seems to me that when he wears such a sweatshirt, he thinks something is on his back. I noticed that he was twitching as if trying to throw something off his back.
If you decide to buy a sweatshirt, remember that the hood should be designed so that it falls on the pet’s back and does not fall on his head after each jump!
However, when it comes to all kinds of sweaters, my dog feels excellent in them. However, your dog may be different. The turtleneck in the clothes can cause your pet to rebel while wearing them.
– avoid low-quality dog clothes
Clothes made of artificial materials can be very uncomfortable for a dog. Why? Poor quality material or made of synthetic fibres can irritate the dog’s skin. As a result, it can cause abrasions or irritation.
Moreover, the artificial material does not allow the skin to breathe. A dog wearing clothes made of synthetic material may overheat during a walk, which on cold, windy days may even end up with a cold your four-legged friend.
Therefore, when choosing accessories for my dog, I always focus on high-quality products. I appreciate the solid craft and suitable quality materials.
– how to put on clothes
Some dogs do not like clothes put on over the head. Just wearing clothes is not a problem for them. However, they immediately hide in the darkest corner of the house at the thought of having to wear them over their head.
So if your dog doesn’t want to put on his clothes, then maybe the problem is not in wearing them but in how they put them on. In such a situation, replace the sweater with a sweatshirt or dog jacket.
I recommend the SPIRIT dog jacket from Bowl&Bone Republic, fastened with comfortable press studs. It is straightforward to put on, and what’s more, it does not slip over the pet’s head.
Check; perhaps your dog’s negative attitude to clothes is due to the discomfort that your dog feels when putting them on.
Dog jacket |SPIRIT red
– the smell of clothes
Dogs have a very well-developed sense of smell. Therefore, they are susceptible to smells. When washing your dog’s accessories, you should never use fabric softener. It is almost certain that its fragrance will irritate your pet.
Perhaps your dog doesn’t want to wear his clothes because he doesn’t like the smell. That may be due, among other things, to making a mistake during washing.
Maybe your dog’s clothes have smelled of another pet with whom your dog had contact during the last walk. What’s more, it may be that the smell got on the pet’s clothes not directly from another dog but by rubbing against a fragment of the place he marked.
Try washing your pet’s clothes and see if he still clearly protests when you put them on.
How to convince your dog to wear clothes
First, if you take a puppy under your care, from the beginning of your mutual relationship, try to get used to what clothes are. In this period of his life, the dog is the most receptive to new experiences.
So, if he already knows what clothes are and how to wear them, you may be able to avoid his aversion to sweaters or jackets.
However, if you have a dog under your care who has already lived his life, taming it by wearing clothes will require patience.
Follow the small-steps method. First, let your pet get acquainted with the smell of the clothes. Give him 2-3 days to sniff them.
Then show the dog how to put the clothes through its paws. Just enough. If he accepts this moment while putting on the clothes, you can move on to the next, much more difficult step. Namely, putting the clothes over the head.
It would help if you held the garment in such a way as to minimize the time it takes to put it on. So that the dog does not get tangled, it is best to roll the garment in a loop.
Put the prepared clothes over the dog’s head and then put them on the paws. Be sure to give the dog a reward, e.g., a favourite treat. Then remove the garment. Letting your dog put on his clothes is a success at this stage.
Put the dog’s clothes on for a few moments longer each time. Try to match your pace to him. If you notice that your pet has already accepted the clothes, go for the first walk together.
It is good to start learning to wear clothes before the start of the cold season. As you can see, the dog will need time to get used to the clothes calmly.
Does your dog refuse to wear clothes?
And what is your approach to wearing your pet’s clothes? He does it without much problem, or can you see the anger in his eyes? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Dogs are often afraid of the unknown. I am sure that sooner or later, your four-legged friend will understand that there is nothing to be scared of. The clothes give him a pleasant warmth during walks on cold days.
If you have any questions or want me to discuss a topic in the next post, share it in the comments section.
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