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Training Your Pup to Wear TopKnots and Bows

So straight up front, I gotta tell you that I had to go consult some friends who do a lot of grooming to find out these secrets, seeing as how I don’t have any personal experience with wearing bows on my head.

What I learned was that in order to bow train your new puppy, you should start by using a small lightweight bow.  The lightest bow you can find is the best even if it’s not your fave color. The reason for this is because the puppy will feel the bow on top of his or her head and try to get it out. This is a totally natural response from us dogs, therefore, the lighter weight the bow is, the less your puppy will feel it up there.  Try single loop bows in 3/8 in or 5/8 in to start.

Have Bow, Have Pup…Now What?

So you have the bow in one hand and a squirming pup in the other…What do you do?  Start out by just getting your puppy used to having her/his hair pulled into a topknot.  Take a small band and wrap it several times around a small patch of hair being careful not to pull it so tight that the eyes are pulled up into a slant. If you see the dogs eyes are slanted after putting the band in, loosen the topknot up a bit. Let your puppy wear just the band maybe even without a bow for 5 to 7 days.  You may need to re-do the topknot every day to pull loose hairs back up into the topknot. When you re-do the topknot, use a new band and snip the old one out with some scissors that have a small point on the end. This will prevent pulling hair out when you pull the band off.  Re-doing the topknot every day will also get your puppy used to you touching and fixing the topknot so when you start putting bows in, he/she won't be wiggling around as much.  Stop smirking, really, the folks in the know say these daily touches really could help with the squirming.

I suggest putting the band from the bow over the topknot band and wrapping about 3 times for a secure hold.  If you plan on using a bow with a barrette added, you might also want to put a banded topknot in place and then clip the barrette through the topknot. Place the barrette in front of the band in the hair next to the scalp. If you place the barrette in the hair on top of the band, it will slip out.  If you are not familiar with using bows on puppies, you might want to get a bow with bands and a bow with a barrette, just to see which one is easier for you to work with.

And just a little tip from my sister, Delilah.  You don’t have to have long silky hair or thick curls to wear a bow.  A full-figured pug who is fond of her occasional outfits and girly accessories, Delilah is often seen sporting a small bow to match her collar.  She suggests using bows with either a baby snap or gator clip attachment.  Our mom lightly slides the bottom of the clip under a few short hairs just above Delilah’s ear and atop her head.  She then lets the clip close and voila!  Delilah has a snazzy bow that remains in for several hours at a time (mom usually takes the clip out after work or going out.  She says its force of habit as she always takes her own hairclips out at night…BOL…)

Ok…that’s all I know about hairbows for you.  Here is a link to Delilah’s favorite hairbows and hairclips.  With our flat-rate shipping, you can stock up on all the different styles.

Diligently at work for you,

Wilbur