Fido wants a new dress
March 22, 2006 12:10 PM   Subscribe

DogsInClothesFilter: Help me design a line of pooch clothing that will fit a wide variety of dog body types.

I'm in the process of designing a line of clothing for dogs and having some issues around fit. I currently have the measurements for about 50 dogs, and I'm trying to come up with some ratios to mathematically describe patterns and sizing for dogs ranging from very small (toy) to medium large (boxer, lab type dogs).

I'm specifically looking to get measurements around the neck, length (bottom of neck to base of tail), girth (measured from just behind the front legs around the body) and distance between the two front legs from "armpit" to "armpit" (do dogs have armpits?).

If anyone has a tape measure, a dog, and a desire to help me, I appreciate it greatly.

Thanks!
posted by discokitty to Pets & Animals (13 answers total)
 
I will measure my dog when I get home (I have a somewhat fat chihuahua).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:47 PM on March 22, 2006 [1 favorite]


Yes, dogs have armpits:

The most common sign of food allergy is inflamed, itchy skin, usually around a pet's feet, face, ears, armpits, and groin. The scratching and biting can lead to secondary bacterial skin infections and ear canal infections.

from About.com
posted by Izzmeister at 12:53 PM on March 22, 2006


and here is a site that will tell you what measurements their doggie clothes are made to...

Size ~ Weight Chest Back
X-Small Under 2 Lbs. 8.0" - 9.5" 6.5"-8.0"
Small 2-4 Lbs. 9.5"-11.5" 8.0"-10.0"
Medium 4-7.5 Lbs. 11.5"-13.5" 10.0"-12.0"
Large 7.5-8.5 Lbs. 13.5"-15.5" 12.0"-14.0"
X-Large 8.5-12 Lbs. 15.5"-17.5" 14.0"-16.0"
XX-Large 12-14 Lbs. 17.5" - 19.5" 16.0"-18.0"
posted by Izzmeister at 12:54 PM on March 22, 2006


My dog may be the statistical outlier for your group, but here goes:

neck: 21 inches
length: 36 inches
girth: 40 inches
distance betwen "armpits": 8 inches

Your profile doesn't say where you are, so I hope inches are okay, rather than metric.

On preview, Izzmeister's measurements made me do a double-take. 12 pounds gets an XXL? Discokitty calls a lab "medium-large" (which sounds about right, in my book.) The only pooch clothing my dog is happy to wear is his GlowDog vest.
posted by ambrosia at 1:08 PM on March 22, 2006


Here are my greyhound's measurements, though he is a little above medium-large:

Neck circumference: 18 inches
Length: 26 inches
Girth: 32 inches
Armpit-to-armpit: 4 inches

Most large dogs don't wear clothes, but greyhounds who live in cold climates actually need them to stay warm because they have so little body fat. Plus, a giant dog taking a crap whilst wearing a sweatshirt is hilarious.
posted by purplemonkie at 1:16 PM on March 22, 2006


hmm...

how about a product 'deoderant for dogs'??

here!
posted by Izzmeister at 1:28 PM on March 22, 2006


My Boxer is a bit small for her breed, but she's rather muscular and stocky.

Neck: 16"
Length: 23.5"
Girth: 28"
Armpit distance: 5"

She was very confused by this measuring business and spent five minutes tasting the tape.
posted by cmyk at 2:26 PM on March 22, 2006


Have a mutt, wish I could help.

Would be interested in seeing your products though!
posted by jerseygirl at 2:31 PM on March 22, 2006


12 pounds gets an XXL?

That's for that particular item only. That site seems to specialize in clothing for small dogs.

I'll measure my dog (45lb Border Collie/Lab mix) sometime in the next day or so when my girlfriend's around, as I assume I'll need an extra set of hands.
posted by Ufez Jones at 2:35 PM on March 22, 2006


Two springer spaniels, in inches:
necks: 16, 14
lengths: 20, 19
girths: 26, 24
chests: 4, 4
posted by Alylex at 2:45 PM on March 22, 2006


I have a 100 lb. yellow lab, and I would love to buy clothes for him, but I haven't found any that would even come close to fitting. I think it's an under-served market.

neck: 19.5 in.
length: 30 in.
girth: 36 in.
armpits: 6 in.
posted by gokart4xmas at 4:35 PM on March 22, 2006


Sorry, no answer, but some encouragement; when you get this done, will you please post it on projects? I've been looking for sweaters and stuff for my dog for a while but most of what's out there is just too damn "cute"!
posted by snsranch at 4:43 PM on March 22, 2006


Response by poster: Thanks everyone - you guys rock
posted by discokitty at 8:06 AM on March 23, 2006


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