Super handsome sweater! Spot is a mix of a million or so different types of dog. He is 29 pounds and has a Beagle like neck and head with a Dachshund-ish long body and short stocky legs. He has a barrel chest like a basset hound and enjoys being warm and looking regal on couches. He loves having a sweater that fits his unique self!

I cast on for a size 5 to fit a 15.5 inch neck (measured where his collar sits. ) I then stopped my increases when I hit a size 4 for a 23.5inch chest (measured just past the front legs). I knit two extra inches as a size 4 for his barrel chest and to have the sweater come up a bit higher on the neck. After dividing for the legs, I then followed the optional decrease instructions to go down to a size 3 for the body. (This was negative ease-he has short legs and this kept the sweater clean during walks and bathroom business without making it hard to pull over his head.) The pattern stops and reminds you where to increase or decrease if you are switching sizes, which is very helpful. You won’t forget.

Stocky/short leg tip- I did not add legs, just cast off with a very stretchy bind off instead of the
i-cord, it kept his stocky legs from popping out of the sweater when he did stairs. I knit the garter short rows with a needle one size down to help keep the sweater from catching on the snow/grass, he has low clearance from his bit of Dachshund heritage.

It took a few tries with a soft measuring tape to check his neck circumference and his tummy right behind his front legs and then I was ready to go. Brioche is stretchy, you have room for error! I had him try it on so I could check the placement of the leg holes by running waste yarn through my stitches. He tried to eat my long circulars when I tried getting the sweater on that way.