How to Put a Bow on a Dog

Bath and clean your dog thoroughly. Comb their hair to remove any knots and tangles. Choosing to put a bow on the top of the head of a dog with longer hair, such as a Yorkie, takes some care. Use a comb to part the hair on top by the ears, comb straight up and then comb the front of the hair straight back. Use a grooming band to make a tiny "pony tail" and wrap the grooming band around the hair to hold it firmly. You can run a ribbon through one of the loops of the band and tie a bow or already have the bow tied onto the grooming band prior to making the pony tail.

Place a barrette with a bow in your dog's hair. Of course, your dog has to have hair long enough to be able to clip the barrette to the hair. For best results, make a pony tail with a latex grooming band first. Then, clip the barrette with the bow just below the band loops. This will hold the barrette in place without slipping off the fine hair. For best results use a small lightweight plastic hair barrette.

Use some "bow gel" on the top of the head around the ears to secure a bow in place on your dog. First, try to make a small pony tail and then add the bow gel when you loop the ribbon through the bands to hold the bow in place. The bow gel can be used for breeds that do not have enough hair to make a pony tail. The bow gel is sticky and holds a small lightweight cloth bow on your dog's head.

Tie a bow onto a dog's collar, not their neck. This works well for larger breed dogs. You can be very festive this way by decorating your dog's collar with a bow to match the season.