Measure Dogs for Coats

You've probably spotted a cute dog coat before and wondered how practical a coat is on a dog. In addition to being fashion statements, dog coats can offer protection against wind, cold, and water, especially for short-haired breeds that don't have much body fat. Coats can also provide safety features, like reflective tape, for added visibility at night, or they can protect incisions on the body after surgery. Since there are coats for every size and breed of dog, it's important to measure correctly and choose the right coat so the straps don't chafe your dog.

Steps

Taking Your Dog's Measurements

  1. Gather your supplies. Since you'll be measuring the dog's girth and length, you'll need a measuring tape, pencil, and paper. It may also help to have someone assist you in holding the dog steady while you take the measurements.
    • Have plenty of treats available that you can use to reward your dog and encourage him to hold still.
  2. Locate where to measure your dog's girth. Get your dog to stand up so that you can measure the circumference around his ribcage (the girth). Try to measure the widest part of the dog's chest, which is generally located just behind the points of the elbows.
    • Ask a friend to feed your dog treats by holding the treat just above your dog's nose. This will get your dog standing as tall as possible.
  3. Measure your dog's girth. Hold one end of the measuring tape on your dog's spine, just behind his shoulders. Roll the free end of the tape down along his side until it reaches the bottom of the widest point of the ribcage. Wrap the tape underneath the rib cage and back over the opposite side of the body to join the tape where you started. Make sure the tape is snug, but not tight against the skin.[1]
    • The widest point of the rib cage is just behind the front legs behind the points of the elbows. This is equivalent to the part of the elbow a person leans on, when resting her elbows on a desk.
  4. Write down the measurement. Once you've wrapped the measuring tape accurately around your dog's girth, write down the final measurement. Use the measurement you see at the point where the free end of the measuring tape touches the beginning edge.
  5. Locate where to measure your dog's length. Get your dog to stand upright in order to measure the length of your dog's body between the base of the neck and beginning of the tail.
    • Your friend may want to feed treats to your dog to encourage him to stand upright.
  6. Measure your dog's length. Place the beginning edge of the measuring tape at the base of the neck, where it joins the shoulders (the nape of the neck). Extend the free end of the measuring tape along the length of the spine until it reaches the base of the tail.[1]
    • If you are not certain where this is, it helps to visualise where you want the coat to sit around the dog's neck and measure from that point to the base of the tail, since this is the length of coat you wish to purchase.
  7. Write down the measurement. Once you've extended the measuring tape across your dog's spine, use the number you see where the free end of the measuring tape touches the base of the tail. This is your dog's length measurement.

Choosing the Right Sized Coat

  1. Select the right material. You should already know why you're buying the coat: to keep your dog warm, to keep him dry, or for stylish reasons. For example, if you're looking to keep your dog warm, you might want to buy a coat made of wool and cotton or acrylic. If you're trying to keep him dry, look for a slick rainproof material that will keep the moisture away from your dog's skin.[2]
    • If you're getting a coat for purely fashionable reasons, remember to check for any zippers, buttons, or laces that could trip or snag your dog. Don't sacrifice your dog's safety in the name of style.
  2. Compare measurements and coat size. Once you've found a coat you like, look at the sizing guidelines on the package of the coat. You should be able to find a range of measurements that corresponds to a specific size. Check their sizes against the girth and length measurements you took of your dog. Some coats will even include sizing charts that list breeds that are typically that size.[3]
    • Since all dogs are individuals, the actual measurements are probably more reliable than simply going by breed. For example, if you have an unusually large border collie, then you would do better to choose a coat for a small Labrador rather than a standard sized border collie.
  3. Consider how you want the coat to fit. If your dog is between sizes, you'll need to choose a size up or down. If the coat is simply a fashion accessory, you should probably choose the smaller size, but keep the fastenings loose. But, if you want to protect your dog against the weather, choose a larger size up so you can completely fasten your dog.[3]
    • As a rule of thumb, if your dog is broad and chunky, such as a well-padded Staffie, then go a size up. If the dog is slender and slim, such as a whippet, then go a size down.
    • If your dog has short legs, you might need to size down so that the coat doesn't drag on the ground. You may even need to look for coats specifically designed for long, low dogs, so that the coat clears the ground.



Tips

  • When you measure for dog coats, a cloth seamstress' measuring tape is easiest to use because it's flexible and can wrap around the dog's body.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs?page=2
  2. ↑ http://www.petmd.com/dog/seasonal/evr_dg_sweaters_for_dogs
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.truefitdogcoats.com/Coat-Sizing-Tips.html

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