Knitting a Dog Sweater: An Easy Guide

Stitch an adorable coat so your dog looks fetching while they fetch

Co-authored by Finn Kobler

Last Updated: March 21, 2023 References Approved

Measurements

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Knitting the Back Piece

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Knitting the Underpiece

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Assembly

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Q&A

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Things You'll Need

If your dog gets chilly on its daily walks, try knitting them a sweater! Not only will a pup-sized pullover provide your pooch with a stylish new fit to keep cozy during colder months, a DIY stitching project is also a great way to keep yourself creative. Keep reading and we’ll walk you through a step-by-step sweater pattern that any beginner can stitch together in no time. Your furry friend will be thankful when you’re finished.

Things You Should Know

Begin knitting your dog’s sweater by casting 25-43 stitches of yarn around a 9 mm needle.
Use a normal garter-stitching pattern for most of your dog’s sweater and decrease the number of stitches every 3-5 rows depending on the piece you’re knitting.
Stitch the back piece of your dog’s sweater first. Then the belly piece. Then, sew the pieces together, leaving room for leg holes.
Check the length of your dog’s chest and belly before stitching, so you knit a sweater that’ll fit them snugly.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Measuring Your Dog & Checking Your Gauge

1
Use a measuring tape to measure your dog's chest and length. Before you start knitting, take your pooch’s measurements so you know how big their sweater should be. To measure your dog’s chest, wrap your measuring tape around the widest part of your dog's rib cage. To measure your dog's length, hold the end of the measuring tape at the neck near the collar and pull it to the base of the tail. Write down both measurements.^{[1]
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- To get your dog to stand still, give them a yummy treat.
2
Decide what size sweater will fit your dog. Determine the size of your pup’s pullover beforehand so you know how many stitches to cast for the back and under piece. Look at your dog's measurements and see which size matches your dog the closest. For a finished size guide:^{[2]
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- Small sweater: 18 in (46 cm) width and 12 in (30 cm) length
- Medium sweater: 22 in (56 cm) width and 17 in (43 cm) length
- Large sweater: 26 in (66 cm) width and 20 in (51 cm) length
- Extra-large sweater: 30 in (76 cm) width and 24 in (61 cm) length
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3
Buy enough yarn for your sweater. Look for super chunky or super bulky yarn in a color that you like. To make a small, medium, or large sweater, get 1 to 2 skeins that are about 6 ounces (170 g) each. If your dog is an extra large breed (like a Great Dane or Cane Corso), buy 2 to 3 skeins just in case.^{[3]
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- If you want to knit a multicolored sweater, purchase 2 or 3 different colored skeins that you think your dog will like cute in. Then, alternate these colors as you knit each row.
4
Choose size 13 US (9 mm) needles for the project. Use a 9 mm (0.35 in) needle to ensure the gauges in your dog’s sweater fit nice and snugly. The material of your needle doesn’t matter; pick whatever needles feel the most comfortable to you (bamboo, metal, plastic, wooden). Use a large-eyed blunt needle for assembling the back and underpiece of your dog’s sweater.^{[4]
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5
Knit a swatch to gauge your sweater size. Before you begin making the real piece your doggo will wear, create a small knit sample (called a swatch). Use this swatch to measure the sweater’s knit gauge (gauge refers to the number of stitches per inch) and confirm it’s the right size. Cast yarn on 8 stitches and knit 16 rows to make a square swatch. Use a ruler to measure this swatch. The gauge of your sweater should be about 4 inches (10 cm).^{[5]
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- Adjust the size of your needles if necessary. If your gauge is too big, use needles that are smaller. If your gauge is too small, use larger needles.
- Discard your gauge once you've finished measuring it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Knitting the Back Piece

1
Put your yarn and stitches onto your knitting needle. Begin casting on the stitches for the sweater you're making. Start by making a slipknot and sliding it onto your 9 mm knitting needle. Then, hold the needle in your hand and wrap the yarn around the working yarn around your thumb. Finally, pull the needle through the loop in your thumb and tug both strands of yarn. Adjust the number of stitches you use based on the size of your sweater:^{[6]
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- Small sweater: 25 stitches
- Medium sweater: 31 stitches
- Large sweater: 37 stitches
- Extra-large sweater: 43 stitches
- If you want an easy-access hole to feed a leash through, cast on an additional 4 stitches to the back piece.^{[7]
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2
Work the next 7–16 inches (18–41 cm) of your sweater in garter stitch. Once you've cast on your stitches, create the next few rows of your doggie’s sweater using the garter stitch method. Continue the garter stitch until you have a stretchy, flat back piece of fabric for your sweater that measures:^{[8]
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- Small: 7 inches (18 cm)
- Medium: 12 inches (30 cm)
- Large: 14 inches (36 cm)
- Extra-large: 16 inches (41 cm)
3
Decrease the number of stitches on your needle. Once the back piece is the right size for your dog, decrease the stitches you use so your backpiece piece narrows and you have a space for your dog’s collar. Knit 1 stitch. Then, stitch together the next 2 stitches. This will combine them into a single stitch so the row decreases a little. Continue knitting like this until you have the following number of stitches remaining for each size:^{[9]
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- Small: 23 stitches left
- Medium: 29 stitches left
- Large: 35 stitches left
- Extra-large: 41 stitches left
4
Garter stitch the next 3 rows. Once you’ve created a decreased row and have 23/29/35/41 stitches remaining, resume garter stitching. Continue to knit every stitch for the next 3 rows before alternating once again.^{[10]
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5
Work another decreasing row. To gradually make the back piece smaller again, knit a decrease every 4th row. Stitch the first stitch and then stitch together the next 2. Continue to knit until you reach the last 3 stitches on the needle. Combine 2 stitches to make 1 and then knit the final stitch on the needle.^{[11]
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6
Alternate garter stitch rows with decreasing rows. Knit 3 more rows and then work another decreasing row. Repeat this 3 more times if you're making a small or medium sweater. If you're making a large sweater, you'll need to repeat this 4 times, and if you're knitting an extra-large sweater, repeat it 6 times. Once you've finished the decreasing rows, you should have this many stitches on your needles:^{[12]
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- Small: 15 stitches
- Medium: 21 stitches
- Large: 25 stitches
- Extra-large: 27 stitches
7
Bind off the back piece. To cast off and remove the finished back piece from your needles, knit the first 2 stitches. Insert the tip of the left needle into the stitch that's closer to you on the right needle. Pull that stitch over so that it's in front of the second stitch. Drop it off the right needle. Keep knitting 1 stitch from the left needle onto the right and then lifting the stitch over the stitch in front of it until you have just 1 stitch left on the left needle.^{[13]
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8
Cut your yarn and knot the last stitch. Once you’ve bound off the back piece, use scissors to slice your yarn so you have a 5 in (13 cm) tail remaining. Loosen the last stitch on your needle to enlarge the hole. Loop the tail through the hole; then, remove the knitting needle. Finally, pull the yarn nice and tight to knot it.^{[14]
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- When you’re done, you’ll have a finished back piece that's fully off of the needles.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Knitting the Underpiece

1
Cast on enough stitches for the sweater size you're making. To make the underpiece of your pupper’s sweater, use your needles to cast on the beginning stitches, just as you did for the back piece. Because the underpiece will cover your dog’s belly (which is smaller), it’ll require a little less material. Stitch the following amounts based on the size of your dog’s sweater:^{[15]
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- Small sweater: 11 stitches
- Medium sweater: 13 stitches
- Large sweater: 15 stitches
- Extra-large sweater: 17 stitches
2
Use a garter stitch for the next 4.5–10.75 inches (11.4–27.3 cm). After you’ve cast on your stitches for the belly piece, use a garter stitch for the next 4 rows or until the underpiece of your dog’s sweater measures:^{[16]
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- Small: 4.5 inches (11 cm)
- Medium: 7.25 inches (18.4 cm)
- Large: 10.25 inches (26.0 cm)
- Extra-large: 10.75 inches (27.3 cm)
3
Stitch another decrease row. Knit the first stitch. Then, knit the next 2 stitches together to make just 1 stitch. Keep knitting the rest of the stitches until there are only 3 stitches remaining on the left needle. Knit 2 of the stitches together to decrease a stitch and then knit the last stitch.^{[17]
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4
Garter stitch the next 4 rows. After you’ve successfully made your belly piece’s first decreasing row, continue knitting every stitch for the next 4 rows.
5
Work another decreasing row. To make the underpiece narrow near the collar, knit the first stitch and stitch together the next 2 to make 1 stitch. Keep knitting until you reach the last 3 stitches on the needle. Knit together 2 stitches to make 1 and then knit the last stitch on the needle.^{[18]
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6
Alternate garter stitch rows with decreasing rows. Knit 5 more rows, working a decrease stitch into every 5th row. Repeat this 2-5 more times depending on the size of the sweater you’re making. (Small sweaters only require 2 more times, while pieces for extra-large dogs require 5.)^{[19]
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7
Bind off the underpiece. Remove the finished underpiece from your needles by knitting the first 2 stitches. Insert the tip of the left needle into the stitch that's closer to you on the right needle. Lift that stitch over so it's in front of the 2nd stitch. Drop the stitch off the right needle.^{[20]
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8
Finish casting off the final stitch. Continue to knit 1 stitch from the left needle onto the right. Then, lift each stitch over the stitch in front of it. Keep doing this until you have just 1 more stitch remaining on your left needle.^{[21]
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9
Cut the yarn and knot the last stitch. Cut the yarn to make a 5-inch (12-cm) tail. Pull the last stitch on the needle a little to make the hole bigger. Loop the yarn tail through the hole and slide out the knitting needle. Pull the yarn tight to knot it.^{[22]
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- You should now have a finished underpiece that's a little smaller and narrower than the back piece.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Assembling the Dog Sweater

1
Thread the large-eyed blunt needle. Now it’s time to begin stitching the individual pieces of your dog’s sweater together. Gather about 18 inches (46 cm) of yarn and thread it through your large-eyed blunt needle. Use the same thread that you used to knit the pieces of the sweater.^{[23]
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2
Line up the back piece and underpiece of your dog’s sweater. Lay the sweater’s back piece directly on top of the belly piece so the right (front) sides are facing each other. Line up the edges evenly.^{[24]
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3
Sew together the back and underpiece. Insert the large-eyed blunt needle into the narrow side of your sweater that you cast off earlier. Sew both sides together in the front and back of the sweater. To ensure that you leave room for the dog's front legs, keep sewing the pieces together for:^{[25]
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- Small sweater: 2 inches (5.1 cm)
- Medium sweater: 2.5 inches (6.4 cm)
- Large sweater: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
- Extra-large sweater: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)
4
Leave an open space for your dog’s legs. Stop sewing once you’ve meshed the front and back sides of the sweater. To ensure that your dog has enough room for each of their legs, leave the next several inches of yarn open. Depending on the size of your pup and sweater, leave:^{[26]
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- Small: 3 inches (7.6 cm)
- Medium: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)
- Large: 4 inches (10 cm)
- Extra-large: 4.5 inches (11 cm)
5
Sew the remaining length of the sweater on both sides. To seam the back and underpiece together, finish sewing the pieces until you reach the end. Tie off the last stitch and cut the thread. Turn the sweater inside out to hide the seams. Once you’re done, place your sweater on your dog and enjoy how cozy and adorable they look!^{[27]
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6
Add embellishments, if desired. If you'd like to add buttons or stitch a collar onto this basic dog sweater, determine the look you're going for. Choose decorative buttons to stitch onto the side or underpiece of the sweater. You can also sew felt flowers, pom poms, or small bells onto the sweater.^{[28]
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- If you want to make a sweater that has a hood or uses functional buttons to open and close, look for a more challenging dog sweater pattern.

Community Q&A

Question

How would I add a turtleneck to the medium size?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

To create a turtleneck for your dog's sweater, stitch a neck piece that fits snugly around your dog's neck. Then, attach this neck piece after you've sewn together the back and underpieces.
Question

Regarding the gauge, how do you get 4 inches from 8 stitches? It's not working for me and I'm at a loss.

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If you don't have enough stitches, consider switching to a more light weight yarn. If you have too many stitches, use a larger knitting needle.
Question

At what point can a button hole be added on the top piece for the purpose of harness?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

If you wish to add a leash/harness hole for your dog's sweater, cast an additional 4 stitches before you finish binding off the back piece.