Why Do Dogs Wear Bandanas? It Will Surprise You
It’s a fair question to ask really and one that has answers that may surprise you as there is both practical and fashionable reasons why its done. So why do dogs wear bandanas?
For the most part people put bandanas on their dogs as fashion to show off their personality. Typically a cute or funny design. But there is also a lot of very practical reasons for dogs to wear bandanas. They can provide warmth, cold, calming effects and even inform another dog owner of important information. A few examples would be to warn others they have an anxious dog, a deaf dog, a dog in training, a blind dog, etc. Also bandanas are great to make a scary dog look less scary by wearing something playful.
Because most dogs don’t have any medical or behaviour type issues by far the most reason is for fashion. But the unexpected reasons such as to warn people off, look less scary and to warm up/cool down are explained below.
Easy To Apply-
Possibly the best part about dog bandanas and why people buy them is because almost all dogs are comfortable wearing them. Because it’s normal for owners to get their dogs used to dog collars it’t not a stretch to get a bandana on there. After all the bandana wraps around the dogs neck in the same place the collar normally would.
To get the bandana on the dog you have a few different options-
1) Tie Up
This is the most common type of bandana as you just tie a knot at the back of the dogs neck with the excess fabric.
2) Velcro
What’s great about this is it’s quick and neat. Once the bandana is wrapped around the dogs neck you just push the 2 sides together and they stick. Downside of Velcro is it can get dirty and lose its stick without being cleaned.
3) Snaps
The last option for applying a dog bandana is plastic or metal snaps. These are like buttons on either side of the bandana you push together until you feel them “snap.” It’s the cleanest method to apply the bandanas because there is no excess fabric behind the dogs neck.
Fashion
When it comes to fashion it’s easy to see why dogs wear bandanas. To make them fashionable and show off either the dogs or owners personality.
Typically we see dogs wear their fashion bandanas at home, doggy events, markets, birthdays, walks, parks and also at photoshoots for their instagram and facebook followers.
There are literally endless designs to chose from out there! From your favourite tv show characters all the way to naughty play on words bandanas with text like “Bitches Love Me.”
It’s a great product to start off with doggy fashion! Be careful though because they are a lot of fun and many owners we find start a collection. Like human clothes you can swap them out for different events and days of the week to keep it fresh.
Because you can also buy custom dog bandanas literally anything is possible these days. We even do printed dog bandanas where you can put a photo printed on to the fabric. For a bit more bling consider adding a Swarovski Crystal or some glittery vinyl to reflect the light.
Warning
Possibly the most important role a dog bandana can be used for is to warn other owners. After all sometimes it can be uncomfortable to talk to strangers and tell them what condition your dog has. Other times you might find you are near multiple people at once and it’s next to impossible to speak with them all at the same time.
That’s where wearing dog bandana is fantastic as you can display it on the dogs chest or the back of their neck. A clear text written on there will be sure to attract the attention of the other owners sending a clear message without the need for talking.
The best way to make a warning style dog bandana stand out is with strong colours together. Like red on black or yellow on black. This way you can read the text a long way off.
The most common types of warning dog bandanas we have made and seen are-
1) Deaf- When the dog is deaf it cannot hear what humans, dogs and other sounds are around it. You need to be especially careful not to scare the dog as it can only see if you are coming. Often people have “Stay Away” or “Do Not Pat” on them as it’s very easy for a deaf dog to get overwhelmed.
2) Vicious- Sometimes dogs don’t like new dogs or humans. This can be because of bad past experiences, heavy anxieties, etc. Either way a bandana with very clear “My Dog Bites,” “Stay Away” or “Aggressive Dog” will do a great job at warning others to keep clear.
3) Blind- Quite simply the dog has limited or no vision at all. It will be relying on the handler heavily for guidance. This dog could also be easily scared and also easily lost. We find owners with blind dogs often get ” Blind Dog” written on the bandana to help strangers understand. Best to give them more space when walking past.
4) Anxious- This one is not as obvious as others. Some dogs look normal but are easily scared. An anxious dog is more prone to run away from its owner or be involved in a fight if it gets overwhelmed or scared. “Anxious Dog” is probably the best warning to put on this bandana.
5) In Training- This is great because having a warning on the dog bandana will let everyone know why you may be stopping lots or acting strange. To people that do not understand dog training and dog behaviour this will help them make sense of it. Very simply “In Training” and “Do Not Pat At Work” will do great.
There are far more types of warning dog bandanas out there these are just the most common.
Looking Less Scary
It’s very common for humans to be scared of dogs and there is lots of possible reasons why. Many of these cannot be helped with a bandana but one which can is when the dog itself looks big and scary.
Sometimes a dog that looks very scary with it’s teeth out or big frame is actually very friendly. This is where the cute bandana comes in to help the way we look at the scary dog. Like putting a bow tie on a bear it may still look scary but at the very least it’s a little less scary.
Often we find once you add a bandana with a funny saying or cute figurines on it people look at the dog differently as it will look more friendly dressed up. It also shows the type of owner the dog has. If the owner puts a scary looking spiked collar on the dog it’s going to look much worse than the same dog wearing a cute fluffy chicken on it’s bandana.
Warmth & Cold
It’s as simple as it sounds. To have a bandana wrapped around the dogs neck and covering the chest is an extra layer to add warmth! What’s also great is the reverse is true. On a hot day if you want to cool the dog down you can wet the bandana before applying it. How great is that.
Calming
This idea is great! You can use the bandana to calm the dog if they’re anxious or worked up. Simply use the stress relief spray (Provided by a vet) across the bandana under the chin and because it’s near the dogs nose it will assist with the dog staying calm.
