What measurements you need before buying clothes for your dog

Why measure before buying (and not after)

Buying dog clothes "by eye" or by weight alone is the number-one cause of returns. And we say that from experience: we've measured a huge number of dogs to build our size guide, and one of the most common mistakes is trusting weight alone. An 18 kg Border Collie and an 18 kg French Bulldog may need different sizes, because chest girth varies enormously from breed to breed. Same number on the scale, completely different bodies.

In fact, in our experience with orders, most sizing questions are solved simply by measuring the chest girth properly. It's the measurement that weighs most in getting it right, which is why we stress it so much.

Measuring first changes the game. With your measurements noted down you choose with confidence, compare models without hesitation and avoid the parade of boxes going back. Best of all, you get the important thing right: that your dog is comfortable from day one. Badly fitted clothing doesn't just look wrong, it restricts movement and bothers the dog, so this prep step is about comfort as much as about buying right.

What measurements do I need to buy dog clothes: the checklist

This is the heart of it. If you're wondering what measurements you need to buy dog clothes, there are two essential measurements and two that fine-tune the choice. Before the detail, here's the at-a-glance summary:

With the first two you can already pick a size; the last two help you fine-tune specific garments and confirm you're on track. Note them in your phone before buying and you'll always have them handy.

1. Chest girth (essential)

It's the most important measurement, the one that decides whether the garment fits at all. Take it by wrapping around the widest part of the chest, just behind the front legs. If you keep only one number, make it this one: the chest outranks everything else.

2. Back length (essential)

It sets how far the garment reaches. Measure from the base of the neck, where the collar would sit, to the base of the tail. This figure avoids the classic mistake of buying a garment that covers the toilet area or stops halfway down the back.

3. Neck girth (fine-tunes)

Useful above all for closed-neck garments like hoodies. For broad-headed or thick-necked breeds (bulldogs, for example) it's worth noting to make sure the garment goes over the head comfortably and doesn't pinch.

4. Weight (fine-tunes and confirms)

Weight helps confirm but never replaces the measurements. It's useful to cross-check and spot inconsistencies, but the real size comes from the chest and back. Remember: two 20 kg dogs can wear different sizes depending on their shape. Weight guides; the tape decides.

How to take these measurements properly

A quick note so the numbers are reliable: always measure with the dog standing and relaxed, and on the body, against the fur (never over the harness). The full step by step, with the technique for each measurement, tricks for wriggly dogs and photos, is in our guide How to measure your dog. This article focuses on what to note down; the how-to is nailed there.

Mistakes we see every week

After solving sizing questions almost daily, the errors always repeat in the same short list. If you've got them flagged, you're already halfway there:

• Measuring over the harness or another garment instead of on the body. It skews the girth.
• Measuring with the dog sitting, which completely alters the back length.
• Pulling the tape too tight, giving a small size the dog then complains about.
• Trusting weight alone, the classic that puts the 18 kg border collie and French bulldog in the same size when they aren't.

Almost every return we've seen comes from one of these four mistakes. Avoiding them is, literally, avoiding the problem.

From paper to size: how to use your measurements

With your measurements noted, the last step is translating them into a specific size. This is where our size guide comes in: you enter the chest girth and the back length and it returns the exact size for each garment, no guessing.

Two criteria worth keeping in mind when choosing. First, when the chest falls in one size and the length in another, the chest always wins: a few extra centimetres of length are easier to tolerate than a compressed chest. Second, what to do if your dog lands right between two sizes; the general rule is to size up, because a garment with a finger of slack is comfortable and a tight one rubs and restricts. We cover it in depth in our guide on what to do if your dog is between two sizes.

💡 FARA 961 tip: save your dog's measurements in a phone note. That way you can buy future garments without measuring again, unless it's a puppy or its weight changes a lot.

Conclusion: measure, note and buy with peace of mind

Taking your dog's measurements before buying clothes is the cheapest return-proof insurance there is: two minutes, a tape measure and the measurements noted in your phone. With the chest and back you can already pick a size; the neck and weight help you fine-tune. With that you check out without doubts, compare models sensibly and, above all, give your dog a garment that genuinely fits.

Got your measurements already? Take them to our size guide to find the exact size and, once you're clear, pick the next garment: a hoodie for the cold or a raincoat for rainy days. Comfort first, attitude second.