Small Dog Clothes

These days it's not only the humans in the family that can make a fashion statement. There are plenty of couture items to make sure you have a well dressed dog, too.

It used to be that dog clothes were just a novelty t-shirt that you could pick up and try to put on your pooch, but not anymore. With more and more people paying more attention to their pets, and treating them like children, it's no surprise the variety of pet accessories and clothes have also expanded. Now, no matter the event, you and your dog can both be trend setters.

The idea of dog clothes, for a while, was focused around Halloween. People were dressing up for the holiday, so why not their pets? Then it seemed sad that Fido only had a costume to wear one day a year. While a bandana or hair bow is nice, there was a void when it came to everyday attire for a pet.

Some of the clothing items were born out of necessity. For those who keep their dogs groomed short all year long, but have cold winters, clothes were a way to give their pet an extra layer of insulation and avoid a shivering pup when it came time to go outside.

Then other all-weather items came to life such as rain coats and boots and even sun hats to keep too much of those UV rays from getting in the dogs face. Now, no matter the weather, or day, there is something for your pet to wear. But before you start shopping and buying all the dog clothes in sight, you need to find out if you have a dog that is willing to play dress up.

The best way to train a dog to wear clothes is to start early. Introducing clothes to an older dog is like trying to 'teach an old dog new tricks'. It rarely works. They are already set in their ways.

When you start with a pup, try to make the first experience with clothes as positive as possible. Chances are the pup is not going to be overly accommodating. After all, you are doing something that seems weird. But, don't get mad. They will hear it in your voice and equate the dog clothes to something bad.

Instead, treat it like a game. Start with something simple, like a shirt, and once it's on, praise and pet the pup and make a big fuss over how pretty he is. After the pup gets used to the shirt, you can add another piece of clothing, and so on, until he's ready to go out on the town.

You should also prepare yourself for the fact that some dogs will not wear clothes. They will fight, pull, tug and chew on the clothing items every time. It may be that the materials are irritating their skin, too tight, too loose, or maybe they just don't like it and never will.

Author Jennifer Akre, owner of many sites dedicated to indoor and outdoor home decor products and more, provides online consumers with advice on purchasing soft and plush dog beds, the right size dog houses and unique dog furniture.