How Do You Measure For Dog Coat Patterns?
If your dog is between sizes, how do you measure for dog coat patterns?
One thing I have learned from making dog coats for so many years is that no two dogs are alike. And as I said in my last post “What Size is Your Dog?” no two size charts are the same. So how do you measure for dog coat patterns if your dog is between sizes? Well, you will find that there are three key measurements that pretty much every chart asks for: Neck, Chest Girth (Circumference), and Back Length. And you want to pick the size that is closest to the Chest Size.
But what do you do if your dog is in between chest sizes?
How do you decide which size to go with if your dog's chest is between sizes? Well, the general rule is to go with the bigger size. This will ensure the coat will come down far enough on your dog’s sides to provide good coverage.
And if you are making a T-Shirt or Hoodie choosing the larger size will ensure you have enough room around the chest and belly to fit your dog.
Let's Look at An Example
Let's say you have a dog that has a BACK of 17" (43cm), a CHEST of 24" (61cm) and a NECK of 16" (41cm).
The Chest is right between a Medium and a Large.
The NECK and BACK measurements are also in between a Medium and a Large so you should go with the general rule and go up to the Large size. This will ensure you have enough coverage on the sides and around the belly. You will need to customize the pattern in the NECK and BACK areas.
Example Two
Now let's say you have a dog that has a BACK of 15" (41cm), a CHEST of 24" (61cm) and a NECK of 16" (37cm).
The Chest is right between a Medium and a Large.
But the NECK and BACK measurements are much closer to a Medium so you should go down to the Medium size. This will ensure that the coat isn't too big overall. You will need to customize the CHEST area to fit.
Example Three
OK, let's look at a final example where the BACK is 17" (43cm), the CHEST is 23" (58cm) and the NECK is 16" (41cm).
The Chest is slightly closer to the Medium size.
However, because the NECK and BACK measurements are closer to a Large you should go up to the Large size. This will ensure you have enough coverage on the sides and belly. You will need to customize the pattern in the NECK and BACK areas but those are typically easier to adjust than the CHEST.
General Rules For Customizing Patterns
In general you should be able to customize most patterns in the three key areas: (Neck, Chest and Back Length). Find a spot in each of these zones where the pattern is flat (i.e. no curves) and add or remove space.
Over the next few weeks, I will be talking about the key instructions for customizing dog coat patterns. So, be sure to link back to the blog to find out how to do this.
Get a Step-By-Step Guide and Workbook
Do you need help measuring your dog? Download my 4 Steps to Fit Your Dog Guide and Workbook and I’ll walk you through the step by step process to take all the measurements you need to make a simple dog coat your dog will love!
There's even a video you can watch that shows you exactly how to do it!
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My Vision for Transformation
My vision is not only to teach you the steps to making a dog coat but, more importantly, provide the opportunity for you to experience the creativity and pride that comes from making dog wear from scratch. It's not about the fabric or the needles or threads. It’s about magically transforming those components into functional dog wear.
My hope is to inspire and encourage you on your transformational journey so that you can master the art of dog wear design.
I'd love to hear what size you dog fits into or if you have any questions I can help you with. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions about deciding how to pick your dog coat pattern size.