More and more people are purchasing more than clothes and collars for their dogs. It's important to know how to properly measure your dog for these items so that they can be comfortable and stylish. You will need a tape measure, preferably a 'dressmaker/fabric' tape measure as used for sewing projects, and your dog.
There are three main areas to measure on your dog: chest girth, neck girth, and top line back.
To get an accurate measurement for your dog's top line back, while they are standing, measure from where your dog's neck meets his shoulders (oftentimes where the collar rests) to the base of the tail. If your dog happens to be male, be cognizant of the design of coats and sweaters. If there isn't a cut out or cut away in the area that would be covering their belly, you may need to size down so that your dog doesn't accidentally urinate on his new clothes. If your dog happens to be between sizes, choose the larger size.