How to Crochet a Dog Blanket

Choose your materials. Since you are crocheting for an animal, your yarn should be machine washable and dryable. Try an acrylic yarn in a worsted weight or bulky weight, so that your finished blanket will be thick, warm and easy to care for. For worsted weight yarn, use a size US-I crochet hook; move up to a K or an L for bulky weight yarn. Since dogs are color blind and generally not that picky, you can use any color for this project. Choose a yarn color from the clearance rack at your craft store, or use up scraps from several other projects to make a rainbow blanket. If this is a gift for your own pet or a friend's new puppy, consider using colors to match your home decor or the friend's favorite sports team.

Begin with a starting chain that is approximately 24 inches long for a small dog or 36 inches long for a larger dog. Use a small stitch, such as single crochet or half double crochet, to crochet the entire blanket. Using larger, lacy stitches would be inappropriate for this type of project because the dog's claws and toes could easily get caught in the holes. The idea here is to make a blanket that is solid and warm, so a small stitch pattern will accomplish this best.

Crochet a border when your blanket reaches 24 or 36 inches square. Make one single crochet stitch in every stitch around the blanket, working one stitch per row on the sides and putting a total of three stitches in every corner. Cut your working yarn and tie your loose ends with double knots, then weave the ends securely through the stitches using a needle. In most projects you might not want knots, but for this type of blanket it will be sturdier if you knot the ends before weaving them in.

Keep your blanket, give it to a friend or donate it to a local animal shelter. The organization known as Hugs for Homeless Animals also accepts donations of snuggle blankets for dogs and cats, so you can send your blanket to it if your local shelter does not want it or if you don't have a shelter in your area.