Dog clothes are sized by the dog's measurements, not by breed. Two Frenchies can wear different sizes, and a size M from one supplier is not a size M from another. Five minutes with a soft tape saves a return.
What you need
A soft measuring tape, treats, and a dog standing up on all four legs. A fabric tape is easiest. If you only have a hard tape, use a piece of string and then measure the string.
The three measurements
1. Neck
Measure around the base of the neck, where a collar sits, low against the shoulders rather than high up under the jaw. Keep two fingers under the tape.
2. Chest, also called girth
Measure around the widest part of the ribcage, usually just behind the front legs. This is the number that decides the size on most items. If a coat fits the chest, everything else can be adjusted.
3. Back length
From the base of the neck, where the collar sits, to the base of the tail. Not to the tip of the tail. This decides how far a coat or hoodie reaches.
Write all three down in centimetres and in inches, since charts differ.
Reading a size chart
- Chest first. It is the hardest measurement to work around.
- Back length second, for coats and pajamas.
- Neck third, and usually adjustable.
- Between sizes: size up. Loose is wearable, tight is not.
- Deep-chested breeds like greyhounds and whippets often need a size up from what the weight column suggests.
- Ignore the weight column when it disagrees with your tape. Weight says nothing about shape.
Fit checks once it arrives
- Two fingers under the neckline and under the chest strap.
- Front legs move freely, with no rubbing in the armpit.
- Nothing covers the eyes, ears or the base of the tail.
- Your dog can sit, lie down and squat to pee without the garment pulling.
- Your dog still walks normally. Freezing or refusing to move is a fit problem, or a training problem, and neither is solved by leaving it on.
Special cases
Puppies grow out of clothes in weeks. Buy cheap and buy the size they are now, not the size they will be.
Growing coats. If you measure a puppy, re-measure every few weeks.
Thick fur. Measure after a groom, and do not pull the tape tight through the coat.
Pet carrier hoodies are sized to the human, not the dog. Buy your own usual size.
Which of our items need which measurement
Hoodies and sweaters such as the pocket hoodie and the knit sweater use chest and back length. Raincoats like the double-layer raincoat use all three. Collars use neck only, covered in how to measure a dog for a collar. Life jackets use chest and weight, covered in the life jacket size guide.
FAQ
Which measurement matters most?
Chest. It decides the size on nearly every garment.
My dog is between two sizes.
Go up. You can tighten straps, but you cannot add fabric.
Can I go by breed?
No. Use the tape. Breed averages hide huge variation.
How tight should clothes be?
Two fingers should slide under any strap or neckline, and your dog should move exactly as they do without it.
