How to Make a Chihuahua Jacket

Chihuahuas have short coats and small, lean frames, both of which leave them vulnerable to chilly weather. During the autumn and winter months, Chihuahuas need a jacket or sweater to keep them warm during their daily walks. If dog jackets at the pet store fail to fit your budget or tastes, you can make a quick jacket for your pet out of fleece.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Fleece
  • Needle and thread or sewing machine
  • Lycra
  • Hook and loop tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take your pet's measurements with a measuring tape. Measure around its neck where it meets the shoulders, around the waist where you want the jacket to stop, the chest girth, the length of the body from the collar to the tail, the width of the chest from shoulder to shoulder and the circumference of a leg at the top. Then measure the angle down from the tail to where you want the jacket to stop on the dog's belly, and measure down from the front of the neck to the dog's underarm.

    • 2

      Fold a piece of fleece lengthwise. The fleece should be at least a few inches longer than your dog's body length.

    • 3

      Measure and mark your dog's body length along the fold. The right end will rest on the neck, and the left end will rest right above the tail. Measure and mark your fleece from the right "tail" end down to the belly location, plus 1 inch, then measure and mark from the left "neck" end down at an angle to the underarm location, plus 1 inch. Check that the measurement from the folded end down to the belly marking is half as long as the chest girth plus 1 inch, and the length of the folded end straight down to the belly marking is as long as the waist girth plus 1 inch.

    • 4

      Cut out the jacket along these markings.

    • 5

      Measure up from the bottom edge of the jacket at the point where your dog's legs will go. Make a marking at a length equal to half the dog's chest girth, plus 1 inch. Draw and cut out a leg hole as large as the dog's leg circumference and repeat on the other side.

    • 6

      Place the jacket around your dog to test the fit. Make additional cuts as necessary.

    • 7

      Measure the length around the dog jacket and around the leg holes and cut lengths of 1/4-inch lycra trim, if desired. Sew the trim around the edges of the jacket for a finished look.

    • 8

      Cut a slit at the top of the dog jacket for the leash loop to fit through. Sew around the edges of this slit to reinforce it.

    • 9

      Sew hook and loop tape to the bottom edges of the jacket, so you can close and secure it around the dog's chest and belly. Sew the loop tape on the outside edge of the right side and the hook tape on the inside edge of the left side.