Why should we humans be the only ones who get to dress in support of our favorite teams on game day? These days, there’s really no excuse — a dog owner can buy a snazzy matching football jersey for his pooch, so that both of you can watch the game from your favorite recliner, in style (just keep those jalapeno-studded nachos and beers out of his reach, please).


It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Colts fan or a Broncos fan — or even crazy for the Michigan State Spartans. You likely to find a football jersey for dogs in virtually any size and style, any NFL team, and even many of your college football favorites. You’ll find jerseys with short sleeves or long. All come adorned with the name of your team or city, and best of all, with that sporty player number blazing from the back.

With football jerseys, as with any other kind of canine clothes, you want to carefully measure your dog’s back, neck and chest to ensure a proper fit before you order. Figuring out the proper chest size is probably the most important measurement when it comes to getting the right jersey size. What you’re really measuring here is your dog’s girth, or the size of his rib cage. Measure your dog from the spot behind his front legs, where his chest is the deepest, to the area on his back directly above at the nape of his neck. You can do this with either a fabric measuring tape, like professional tailors use, or you can just use a piece of string and then measure the string with a ruler when you’re done.

You also want to measure your dog’s back from the base of his neck to the base of his tail. Now you have an official measurement of your dog’s “length.”
(Wasn’t that easy?) Finally, you’ll want to measure the circumference of your dog’s neck, using the same string or fabric measuring tape. These three measurements should get you started when it comes to getting the perfect fit for your canine companion. Now that you have these figures, why not scribble them on an index card and stick them in your wallet so you always have them on hand?


Now it’s time for the fun part — the actual shopping. As you’re sure to learn, football jerseys for dogs are usually easy to care for. Most come in 100% polyester, are machine washable, and typically fit dogs up to 70 pounds (though some selections will fit bigger dogs). They should stay bright and attractive for years.


So the next time you squeeze into your favorite football jersey and grab your remote, toss your dog a bone or similar nacho equivalent, and let him sit in style next to you, all dressed up in a matching jersey designed just for him.