How to Make a Hoodie for a Dog

Dog owners love to dress their pets, and fortunately for us, most dogs tolerate the sweaters, jackets, hoodies and hats pretty well.

For some dogs, though, clothes are not just a fashion statement or sign of an indulgent owner. For the thinner breeds with short fur, i.e. greyhounds, whippets, and some pit bulls, a warm sweater or coat is a necessity in cold weather. And whatever the breed or length of fur, dogs just look adorable in hoodies.

With a little time and basic alterations, your dog can soon be the cutest, most fashionable mutt on the block.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine Scissors Thread Tape measure New or used hoodie Hoodie pattern Fleecy sweatshirt fabric Cuff and waist ribbing Hood string

Instructions

1. Measure your dog. The two measurements most needed to ensure a comfortably-fitting hoodie are around the rib cage and length from shoulder blades to the length of the tail. You don't want the hoodie to be too long; it might get soiled when your dog wears it on a "business" walk.

2. Go shopping. The current Simplicity, Butterick, and McCall's pattern books include patterns for dog legwarmers, coats, sweaters, blankets, carriers, and beds---but no hoodies. However, there are plenty of patterns in these books for people hoodies, from size infant to adult. These patterns can be tweaked to fit your dog, so take your dog's measurements with you when you go pattern shopping in order to find the right size. Make sure to buy enough sweatshirt fabric as per the back of the pattern, and any notions the hoodie may require, like hood string and cuff and waist ribbing.

3. Modify your own. If you'd rather not start from scratch, or if you want your dog to sport your favorite team logo on his hoodie, you can purchase a hoodie from the store or thrift shop and modify it somewhat to fit your best friend.

   The primary modification that will need to be made whether you use a people pattern or alter an already-made hoodie is the length of the sleeves. Most beagles, for instance, fit into a six-month to twenty-four month baby hoodie depending on the size of the dog and the size of the sweatshirt, but the sleeves are longer than the beagle's legs and need to be shortened. If this is something you actually want your dog to wear outside, rolling up the sleeves won't work. They come unrolled, the dog can trip over them, they get muddy and wet---better to alter them slightly. However, if your dog's hoodie is primarily to show team spirit on game day, roll up the sleeves and don't worry about them.

   Another possible modification is waist circumference. Again, a sewing pattern may be altered to fit your dog more snugly. If you're reconfiguring a pre-made hoodie and the waistband nearly drags on the floor, two darts at each side seam should make the waistband much tighter against your pooch's ribcage or waist.

4. Measure your dog's legs. If you're sewing from a pattern, shorten the sleeve pattern piece so that the cuff ribbing ends just at the dewclaw, and sew as directed. If you're modifying a hoodie, you need to make a decision. You can remove the cuff and any sleeve necessary for it to end at the dewclaw, or you can keep the cuff intact, cut from the middle of the sleeve the length you need to shorten, and then reattach the cuff end to the part still attached to the body.

   Or, if you want the "power athlete" look more than you need the hoodie to keep your dog warm, you can remove the sleeves completely. A sleeveless hoodie is very macho.

5. Make earholes. If you want your dog to actually wear the hood, you will need to make earholes. Put the otherwise completed hoodie on your dog, put the hood on his head, and mark where you feel the base of the ears to be. Remove the hood. Use the buttonhole-making feature on your sewing machine to make some extra long buttonholes for the ears, and open them as you normally would a buttonhole. If your sewing machine does not have a buttonhole-making feature, carefully slit the fabric where you marked the ear bases, and hem the fabric. You could use bias tape in a matching or contrasting color, or just fold over slightly and hem. Sweatshirt fabric doesn't tend to unravel, so one fold will likely be enough.

   Ear holes in the hood are really only feasible for dogs with upright ears. Don't try this if you have a basset hound or cocker spaniel. Just tuck the floppy ears into the hood. They'll look just as cute!