Sizing and fit

Go by the chest, measured around the deepest part of the chest just behind the front legs. That's the measurement that decides the size. Length matters much less, and weight is only ever a rough guide.

The size finder on our size chart page does the matching for you: pick your hound's fit, pop in the chest and length and it will suggest a size. If the chest and length point to different sizes, go with the chest. Our guide to measuring your hound explains where to put the tape.

As a rule of thumb, a medium fits a greyhound of around 28 kg with a chest of 71 to 76 cm (28 to 30 in). Most female greyhounds take a medium.

If you're still not sure, email aroo@houndtees.com.au with the chest measurement and a side-on photo and we'll tell you which size to get.

Often, yes. Hound-Tees are made for dogs with a deep chest and a slim body, and our three fits suit plenty of breeds beyond greyhounds and whippets. These are the ones we've fitted:

• Greyhound sizes: larger Galgos, Lurchers, Dobermans, Pointers, Weimaraners, Vizslas and Great Danes.
• Whippet sizes: smaller Galgos, Basenjis, standard Xolos (Mexican Hairless), Salukis, Sloughis, Azawakhs and Miniature Poodles.
• Italian greyhound (Iggy Fit) sizes: Dachshunds, miniature breeds, small terriers, Chinese Cresteds and smaller Xolos.

Whatever the breed or mix, measure the chest and use the size finder on our size chart page. Galgos often land between a whippet XL and a greyhound small, so if that's your hound, or you're unsure, email aroo@houndtees.com.au with the breed and measurements and we'll help you choose.

Our necklines are cut for skinny sighthound necks, so if your dog has a chunkier neck, start with a crew neck rather than a skivvy. And if nothing in the range fits, we take a limited number of custom orders each month.

A tee, a Tweater and a sweater are our three weights, from lightest to warmest, and your size doesn't change: order your usual size in all three.

• Tee: lightweight stretch jersey, cut snug like activewear.
• Tweater: our midweight, in French terry. A cross between a tee and a sweater, also cut snug, with less stretch than jersey.
• Sweater: fleecy and the warmest, and cut deliberately looser so it layers over a tee.

Sweaters are about 5 cm (2 in) bigger in the chest on purpose, so don't size down for a sweater, and don't size up to layer. Every product page shows a Warmth Factor if you want to compare.

The one wrinkle: a hound right on the border between two sizes can end up a size apart in a sweater versus a Tweater. If that's your dog, email aroo@houndtees.com.au and we'll work it out together. For which weight to wear when, read our tee, Tweater or sweater warmth guide.

You can check it yourself: sign in to your account with the email address you ordered with, then go to Orders and open the order, where each item shows the size you bought.

There's no password to remember. Enter your email and you'll be sent a one-time code to sign in with.

If you'd rather we looked it up, email aroo@houndtees.com.au with your name and order number (if you have it) and we'll let you know.

Before you reorder, if last time's size felt snug or roomy, measure your hound again rather than going by the old tee, because a tee that has relaxed with wear isn't a reliable guide. The size finder on our size chart page will match the new numbers to a size.

Go up. Size on the chest, and if the chest measurement sits right on the line between two sizes, the bigger one is the safer bet.

It's worth measuring a second time first, snugly around the deepest part of the chest just behind the front legs, and checking the numbers against our size chart. If the chest and length point to different sizes, go with the chest.

One thing to watch: an older tee that has relaxed with wear isn't a reliable guide to what to order next. Measure the dog, not the tee.

Sweaters are cut about 5 cm (2 in) roomier for layering, so a hound right on the border can end up a size apart in a sweater versus a Tweater. If that sounds like yours, email aroo@houndtees.com.au with the measurements and we'll help you choose.

Mostly it's the fabric and the cut. Across our tee styles the fit should be much the same, give or take, but our three weights are made to feel different.

• Tees are stretch jersey and sit snug, like activewear.
• Tweaters are French terry, a thicker loopback knit with less stretch than jersey, so the same size has a different give.
• Sweaters are fleecy and cut about 5 cm (2 in) roomier in the chest, so they layer over a tee.

Long Johns fit differently again. They cover all four legs and won't suit every hound's shape, so check the measurements carefully before ordering.

If something feels wrong rather than just different, send a photo to aroo@houndtees.com.au. Once in a while we've found a garment that was mislabelled, and we'd rather know.

Snug, like activewear, but not tight. Our tees are stretch cotton jersey cut slim and close on purpose, because loose clothing can tangle on a sleeping hound.

The test: if you can slide two fingers comfortably under the neck and leg bands, the size is right. The tee should sit just above the tail, and it will give a little with wear.

Fleece and sweater styles are cut looser on purpose, so they can layer over a tee. A garment that's too big tends to make itself known: it slips down, and hounds work their legs out of it.

If you're not sure, email a photo to aroo@houndtees.com.au and we'll happily take a look.

Take two measurements: the chest, around the deepest part just behind the front legs, and the length, from the crook of the neck to the start of the tail. The chest is the one that decides the size.

Measure the chest snugly, because our garments are fitted and stretch to sit neatly on your hound. For the length, have your hound's head raised and measure along the back to an imaginary line at their backside, where the tail starts.

Measure the dog, not an old tee. A tee that has relaxed with wear isn't a reliable guide.

Then pop both numbers into the size finder on our size chart page. If the chest and length point to different sizes, go with the chest, and if the chest sits right between two sizes, go up.

Yes. Our Italian greyhound range is called Iggy Fit, cut for a very small neck, a long, tall chest and a rounded back.

We make Iggy Fit in small runs, so what's on the site is what we have, and if your iggy's size is there, that's the moment. To hear about new drops, join our email list, or email aroo@houndtees.com.au with your hound's breed and size.

Iggy Fit sizes suit more than iggies: Dachshunds, miniature breeds, small terriers, Chinese Cresteds and smaller Xolos wear them too. Measure the chest and use the size finder on our size chart page to find the size.

If your hound sits between our biggest iggy size and the smallest whippet size, email us the chest measurement and a side-on photo and we'll help you choose. For more about the breed, read all about Italian greyhounds.