How to Measure a Dog for a Shirt With a Raiders Dog Tee

Biscuit has the chest of a dog who thinks he's a linebacker. He's a 27-pound French Bulldog with a broad barrel chest and a short neck, and most off-the-rack pet shirts are cut for narrow dogs. They ride up, pinch at the armpits, or hang like a tent. I learned that the hard way before I figured out how to measure a dog for a shirt the right way.

The method that finally worked came from the Pets First size chart on the Raiders dog tee I bought late last summer. The listing says to measure your pet from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail, then check the size chart in image #2. That sounds simple, but a few details make the difference between a shirt Biscuit wears all afternoon and one he shakes off in the first five minutes. Here's the exact process I use now.

Why Fit Matters More Than the Size Tag

A dog shirt that fits poorly is not just an aesthetic problem. If it is too tight across the chest, it can rub under the front legs and make your dog miserable. If it is too long, it can bunch up and catch on things. If it is too loose around the neck, your dog can step out of it in two seconds. The size tag on a shirt is a starting point, not a promise.

Biscuit is the reason I stopped trusting size tags. He has the build of a tiny bodybuilder: broad chest, thick neck, short back. A Medium in one brand fits him like a glove, and a Medium in another brand is a tent. The only way to know which one you are getting is to measure your dog and compare those numbers to the chart on the listing you are actually buying.

Measuring takes less time than returning a shirt. The whole process is about five minutes, and it saves you the hassle of a return, the wait for a replacement, and the look on your dog's face when you try to stuff him into something that does not fit. I would rather measure twice and order once.

Step 1: Gather a Cloth Tape Measure, a Treat, and a Helper

You need a soft cloth tape measure, the kind used for sewing. A metal ruler or a piece of string can work in a pinch, but cloth is easier to wrap around a wiggly dog. You also need something high-value to keep Biscuit still. For him, that's a small piece of chicken. A helper is nice but not required; I've done this solo by luring him into a stand with the treat in one hand and the tape in the other.

Pick a moment when your dog is calm, not right before a walk or after a meal. I usually do it in the kitchen where the floor is flat and the light is good. Have your phone or a notebook ready to write down the numbers, because you will not remember them thirty seconds later, and you do not want to re-measure because you trusted your memory.

One more thing: measure the dog, not the shirt. The Pets First size chart is built around the dog's back length, so the only numbers that matter are the ones you take off your dog's body. If your dog will not stand still, have your helper hold a treat at nose level while you run the tape. That keeps the spine straight and the measurement honest.

Step 2: Measure the Back Length From the Nape of the Neck to the Base of the Tail

This is the measurement the Pets First listing actually asks for. Find the nape of the neck, the bony spot right where the neck meets the shoulders. Place the end of the tape measure there and run it along the spine to the base of the tail, where the tail meets the body. Keep the tape flat against the back, not curved over the spine, and let your dog stand in a natural position.

Do not stretch the tape or pull it tight. You want the number that matches how your dog stands, not how he looks when he's straining toward the treat. Biscuit's back length lands squarely in the Medium range for this Pets First Raiders tee. If your dog is between sizes, the listing notes that individual fit may vary, so round up rather than down.

The most common mistake I see is measuring from the collar instead of the nape, or measuring while the dog is sitting. A sitting dog has a curved spine, and that curve adds an inch or two that will not be there when the shirt is on. Stand your dog up, run the tape in a straight line, and take the measurement twice. If the two numbers differ, go with the longer one.

Step 3: Check the Chest Girth, the Step Most People Skip

The official size chart uses back length, but I always measure chest girth as well, because Biscuit's barrel chest is the reason most Mediums are snug on him. To measure chest girth, wrap the tape around the widest part of the chest, just behind the front legs. The tape should be snug but not tight, with room for one finger underneath.

This is where the Pets First Raiders tee gets interesting. The Medium fits Biscuit, but it is snug across his chest. If your dog is built like him, with a broad chest and a short neck, I would size up even if the back length says Medium. A shirt that fits the back but pinches the chest will ride up the moment your dog moves.

Write down the chest girth next to the back length. You may not need it for every brand, but you will be glad you have it when you compare two sizes or two different shirts. For a pull-on tee like this one, the chest opening is what your dog's head and shoulders have to clear, so the girth number tells you whether the neck hole will be a fight.

Step 4: Weigh Your Dog and Write Down the Numbers

Weight is a helpful backup number on most pet clothing size charts. I weigh Biscuit at home by stepping on the scale with him, then subtracting my weight. He's 27 pounds, which puts him in the range for the Medium, but the back length and chest girth tell me more about fit than the scale ever will.

Write the weight down with the other two numbers. If you are ordering online and the size chart has a weight column, you will have it ready. If your dog is between sizes, the back length should win, because a shirt that is too long will drag and a shirt that is too short will ride up.

Do not weigh your dog right after a big meal or a long drink. Weigh him at the same time of day you plan to measure him, so the numbers stay consistent. And if your dog is a puppy, re-measure every few weeks, because the size you order today may not fit by the first game of the season.

Step 5: Compare With the Size Chart, Then Try It On

Now take your back length, chest girth, and weight, and compare them to the size chart in the Pets First listing. The listing for this Raiders tee says to measure from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail and then refer to the size chart located in image #2. That chart is the authority, not the size name on the tag.

When the shirt arrives, try it on your dog before you remove the tags. The Pets First Raiders tee has a round neck and a pull-on closure, so it goes over the head. Slip it on gently, then check the armpits. You should be able to slide two fingers between the fabric and your dog's chest. If you cannot, size up. If the shirt hangs past the base of the tail, size down.

Biscuit's Medium fits him, but it is snug across the chest, so I keep this tee for shorter wear and I would order a Large if I bought it again. That is the honest takeaway from a season of wearing it to watch parties and pre-game walks. The shirt itself is soft and breathable, with a letter print pattern that still looks sharp after multiple cold washes.

What to Do If You're Between Sizes

If your dog's back length falls between two sizes on the Pets First chart, go with the larger size. A slightly roomy shirt is easier to wear than a slightly tight one, especially for a barrel-chested dog. You can always take a shirt in, but you cannot add fabric to a shirt that is too small.

The one exception is if the larger size also has a much wider chest. Then the decision depends on your dog's build. For Biscuit, the Medium is snug in the chest but fine in the back. If I had to choose between a shirt that is a little long and one that is tight across the shoulders, I would take the long one every time.

And if you are ordering for a puppy, remember that they grow fast. Measure again right before you order, not two weeks before. A shirt that fits at the start of the month can be a struggle by game day.

The Short Version

Here is the short version for your phone: measure from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail, wrap the tape around the widest part of the chest, weigh your dog, compare all three to the size chart, and try the shirt on before you remove the tags. Do that, and you will not be guessing. Keep the numbers in your phone so you have them the next time a new shirt catches your eye.

That's the whole process. It takes about five minutes once you know what you're doing, and it turns ordering a dog shirt from a guessing game into a simple checklist. Measure the back, check the chest, weigh the dog, compare to the chart, and try it on before you commit. And if you are ordering for a gift, measure the dog before you buy, not after.

What Else Helps

Beyond the measuring tape, a few things make game-day gear easier. I wash Biscuit's shirts on the cold cycle and hang them to dry, and they hold up well. The Pets First Raiders tee has been in my rotation since late last summer, and it still looks right after a season of cold washes. I also put the shirt on him for ten minutes a day for a few days before a big game, so he remembers it is not a chew toy. And I always keep a second shirt ready, because the first one will end up with drool on it before kickoff.

One more tip: keep the measuring tape with the dog gear. I keep mine in the same drawer as Biscuit's shirts, so I do not have to hunt for it when a new team shirt shows up. The tape was a small investment and it has saved me from at least two bad purchases.

The listing says to measure from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail. That one number has saved me from more returns than anything else I do.

That process has worked for every shirt I have bought since, not just the Raiders tee. It works for hoodies, jerseys, and any pull-on pet shirt with a size chart. The measurements are the same; only the chart changes. I have used this same method for every team shirt in Biscuit's drawer, and it has not failed me yet.