How to Make Doggy T-Shirts

Doggy clothes are more than just a fashion statement; they can improve the overall health of your dog. Doggy t-shirts protect against sunburns, cooler indoor and outdoor temperatures as well as fleas. Reuse infant clothes to make doggy t-shirts, and keep a few extra on hand to make outings less stressful on your dog̵7;s skin and coat. Simply use the U.S. infant sizing chart to find your dog̵7;s size according to his weight and the length of his back from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, and transform an infant t-shirt to doggy t-shirt.

Things You'll Need

  • Low-fat dog treats
  • Appropriate size infant t-shirt
  • Flexible measuring tape
  • Permanent marker
  • Scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the dog from the back of the neck to the base of the tail and make an educated guess of his weight.

    • 2

      Find your dog̵7;s clothing size on the U.S. infant size chart according to your findings.

    • 3

      Put the infant t-shirt on the dog to determine if any adjustments are necessary.

    • 4

      Check to make sure the t-shirt fits comfortably without tugging on the neckline and fits loosely around the armpits.

    • 5

      Check to make sure the t-shirt comes far enough up in the front to allow the dog to do its business.

    • 6

      Measure how much of the front of the t-shirt needs to be removed if you believe re-sizing is required.

    • 7

      Make a dotted line with the permanent marker beginning on the front middle of the t-shirt about one inch above the genitalia to the base of the dog̵7;s tail in a diagonal direction.

    • 8

      Check to make sure that the dotted line is at an angle, marking off a triangular piece of material on the bottom half of the infant t-shirt.

    • 9

      Remove the t-shirt and use the scissors to cut along the dotted line to remove the bottom triangle of the t-shirt, removing only enough to allow the dog to urinate without soiling the shirt. Males will need more material removed than females.

    • 10

      Wash and dry doggy t-shirts once a week in unscented laundry detergent to kill odor and bacteria.