4 Free Crochet Dog Sweater Patterns (Linked to Each Designer)

Each of these free crochet dog sweater patterns is a real published pattern with written instructions, linked to the designer who wrote it. Three are sized, and one is written as a made-to-measure method — useful, because most dogs fall between standard sizes.

Before you choose a pattern, measure the dog. Chest girth is the number that decides the fit; everything else can be adjusted afterwards.

Measuring

Take all three measurements with the dog standing. Measure snugly against the coat and add about an inch of ease — a sweater that is too tight across the chest restricts the front legs and the dog will refuse to wear it.

1. Chewy’s Crochet Dog Sweater

Worked in one piece from the neck down, so there is no seaming and no assembly — the only dog sweater here that avoids both. Jennifer Renaud uses an extended moss stitch with chains that leave openwork sections through the body, which keeps it from being too warm for a dog that already has a coat. Four sizes by neck circumference from 8 to 15.5 inches, in worsted on a 5 mm hook, 100 to 200 yards. Rated easy. Free pattern: Chewy’s Crochet Dog Sweater.

2. Beginner Dog Sweater

Not sized at all — built to your dog’s measurements. Three sections: a turtleneck in single crochet as long as you want it, a body in half double crochet with increases and decreases worked out from the dog’s own numbers, and leg holes made by chaining across rather than binding off. If your dog is between standard sizes, which most dogs are, this is the approach that fits. Worsted on a 5.5 mm hook. Free pattern: Beginner Dog Sweater.

3. Crochet Pullover Dog Sweater

Maria Weaber starts with a collar worked in short rows of back-loop-only single crochet, folded and seamed before the body begins in half double crochet — the fold is what makes the collar stay turned over instead of flopping down. Five sizes, XS to XL, in worsted on a 6 mm hook. It pulls over the head, so measure the neck before choosing a size. Free pattern: Crochet Pullover Dog Sweater.

4. Quick and Easy Small Dog Sweater

Two flat panels — back and chest — seamed with the leg openings left unjoined, which makes it the easiest construction to understand and the easiest to adjust. RaeLynn Endicott writes it in one small-dog size: 9.5-inch neck, 15.5-inch chest, 9.5 inches down the back. Worsted on a 6 mm hook. Rated advanced beginner. Free pattern: Quick and Easy Small Dog Crochet Sweater.

The 4 patterns compared

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I measure a dog for a sweater?

Three numbers: neck circumference at the collar, chest girth at the widest point just behind the front legs, and back length from the base of the neck to the base of the tail. Chest girth is the one that decides the size — get that wrong and nothing else helps. Measure snugly and add an inch.

What yarn should I use for a dog sweater?

Machine washable acrylic. A dog sweater gets muddy, and no one hand-washes one twice. All four patterns here use worsted acrylic for that reason. Avoid wool unless the dog lives somewhere genuinely cold and you are prepared for the care.

Should the sweater cover the belly?

Partly. A panel that reaches the chest keeps the warmth where it matters, but it should stop short of the back legs on a male dog for obvious practical reasons. The two-panel constructions here make that easy to adjust: shorten the chest panel and leave the back one.

My dog is between sizes — what do I do?

Use the made-to-measure pattern. The Beginner Dog Sweater is written as a method rather than a size, with the increases and decreases worked out from your dog’s own measurements. Most dogs are between standard sizes, which is why sweaters bought off a size chart so often fit badly.

If your dog measures close to a standard size, Chewy’s one-piece construction is the least work. If not — and most dogs do not — the made-to-measure Beginner Dog Sweater will fit properly. Each link goes to the designer’s own page.