How to tie a dog bandana

How do I measure before tying?

1. Stand the dog square. Use a soft tape where a flat collar sits, on the skin, not over the coat.
2. Snug the tape, then leave room for two fingers. That reading is the neck.
3. Add about 8 inches on the long edge for the knot. Pick the smallest square that covers it.
4. Fold corner to corner. The point rests on the chest, and the knot sits at the side or the back.

How should the knot and point sit?

A tied triangle bandana is a square folded once on the diagonal. The long edge becomes the collar line. The two short corners meet at the knot. If you start with a rectangle or a pre-sewn loop, this chart does not apply.

After you cut the square from the neck plus about 8 inches of knot room, fold corner to corner so the point is clean and the fold is flat. Place the fold under the chin or at the side of the neck, wrap the long edge, and finish with a flat reef knot—not a bulky bow that rolls into a skin fold.

The point belongs on the chest. If it rides up toward the eyes, the square is too large or the knot was pulled toward the throat. Untie, check the tape on the skin, and recut smaller instead of cinching harder. Two fingers should still slide under the knot when the chin is down.

Wet fabric stretches. If the dog drinks or plays outside, check the knot again. A bandana that was safe dry can slip once the cotton takes water.

Measure where a flat collar sits and leave room for two fingers, as in common dog-apparel measuring guidance from the American Kennel Club. Then use this site's square chart rather than a clothing size label.