I am ordering Ren a custom coat from Etsy and the seller asked for some measurements. I used a piece of string (making it snug but not tight around him) which I then held up to a ruler. The thing is, the measurements seem off to me somehow. If I post them here, can anyone comment on whether these sound right?

He weighs 5 1/2 pounds and these are the measurements I got:

Base of neck to base of tail: 11 inches
Circumference of lower neck: 8 1/2 inches (which sounds right based on his collar size)
Circumference of chest behind front legs: 13 inches

Does that chest circumference seem way off? Granted, I am trying to get him to lose a few ounces, which is my fault from too many bully sticks, but he's not especially overweight. I did have some difficulty getting the string around him - he's normally good with sit/down and stay, but he thought the string was a great toy and kept trying to chew it. I measured each of these several times to ensure that these were all correct, and I kept getting about the same numbers.

If it helps, he currently wears an XS in the Susan Lanci step-through harness, which is labeled for 10.5-12 inch chest. Although it has been a bit snug lately, and if I wasn't trying to get him to lose some ounces he'd probably be going up to the next size soon. So maybe my measurements are accurate after all? Somehow 13 just sounds big to me.

Any thoughts?

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Toby is 5.4 lbs and nearly the exact same measurements. 8 in neck, 10 in length, 12.5 in girth (chest). Sounds right to me.


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Thanks! For some reason, 13 inches seemed huge when I looked at the ruler - I couldn't imagine this little guy's chest being that size.

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Jaclyn, my Chanel is a very big(not fat, but tall and long) Chihuahua, she is
8.5lbs, and her chest is 13.5 inches. So based on that I agree with you that
13 inches sounds a bit big for your boy. Maybe measure once more, just to be
100% sure? But who knows, maybe you are right, Chihuahuas come in so many
shapes and sizes, it's hard to tell.

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It always does look to big when u look at the ruler like that, imagine if the ruler could bend it would wrap all the way around him, then it would fit him if u know what i mean? when i measure Charchie i always measure a couple of times because i look at him and think, he cant possibly be that big, but he is,even if i use a tape measure and that bends all the way round, when i straighten it up to read it, samr thing looks huge, he he.

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Some chihuahuas i have noticed are more deep chested than others. And yes they look tiny but when that goes all the way around thats what gives you size.

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A rescue is never to old to learn to be a real dog.

13" chest sounds right on for his weight.

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