Douglas the Dog Crochet Pattern (Free!)

Bring the joy of a loyal companion to your home with an adorable crochet dog pattern! Douglas the Dog is the perfect cuddly and realistic amigurumi dog. Plus, he has the most adorable puppy-dog eyes that will melt your heart!

Scroll down for the free pattern, or purchase a print-optimized PDF pattern here

I have to be honest…I have always been a cat person, not a dog person.

I’ve never liked the way dogs jump on me, lick me, etc. But, Douglas here might just have the potential to change my mind!

Isn’t he adorable? When I was designing him, I wanted to make sure he turned out like a realistic looking dog (not cartoon-y with unreal dog colors).

I’m so excited to share the free pattern with you today. If you start this project, you’ll be able to create a perfect companion for any true dog-lover. 🙂

How Do You Crochet A Stuffed Dog?

This dog is made in the amigurumi style. We will make all the body parts separately, stuff them with poly-fil, and then sew them together at the end.

Everything is made from single crochet stitches, plus a few half double crochets to assist with shaping.

You will also need to know a few amigurumi techniques, like the invisible decrease (see a video tutorial for this farther down!)

Save this pattern for later by pinning to Pinterest

Love downloading and printing out your patterns? You can get this dog pattern as a PDF, or it will soon be apart of an Amigurumi Ebook! Keep an eye out for that coming soon.

And while you’re at it, check out my other amigurumi crochet patterns, Felicity the Frog, Chloe the Cat, Elsie the Elephant, Levi the Lion, Hannah the Hippo, Giana the Giraffe, Paige the Panda, Dolly the Deer, Kaley the Koala, Piper the Penguin, and Walter the Whale!

Douglas Crochet Dog Pattern (Realistic!)

Without further ado, let’s start making this cute amigurumi dog for your stuffed animal collection!

• pin this pattern to your pinterest boards here
• Buy a PDF download of this pattern here
• subscribe to my YouTube channel here

Explanation: Meet Douglas the Dog! Douglas is sure to be a dedicated pal to any little girl or boy. He is a fun amigurumi project that only requires DK or worsted weight yarn—and he would definitely be appreciated by any dog lover!

Materials:

• DK weight yarn: approx. 100 grams cream/light brown, or desired color
• 3.5mm crochet hook
• You can also try using worsted weight yarn & a 4 or 4.5mm hook, but the plushie size will vary depending on your tension.
• 10-mm black safety eyes (or embroider the eyes for children under 3)
• Black safety nose
• Fiber filling
• Yarn needle & stitch marker

Gauge and Tension:

Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern. Keep tension normal—do not work with a loose tension. You can always adjust your hook size if need be. For example, if you crochet loosely and you find the amigurumi is looking holey, go down a hook size. 

Notes:

1. All body parts are crocheted separately and then sewn together according to the finishing instructions.
2. All parts are made in continuous rounds. Do not join at the end of each round unless otherwise specified. 
3. Turning chain does not count as a stitch. 
4. Place a stitch marker at the end of each round and move it up as you go.
5. When a number is placed after a stitch it means that you should single crochet in each of the next number of stitches. (i.e. sc 7 means single crochet in each of next 7 sts)

Measurements/Sizing: 

Height: 8-9”

 Abbreviations/Stitches Used (U.S.) 

Chain – ch

Slip stitch – sl st

Single crochet – sc

Half double crochet – hdc

Repeat – rep

Stitch(es) – st(s)

Single crochet increase – inc

Single crochet 2 together – sc2tog

Invisible decrease – inv dec 

Invisible half double crochet decrease – inv hdc dec

Round – rnd

Special Stitches:

Invisible single crochet decrease (inv dec): video tutorial here or watch below

Insert hook into front loop of first stitch, insert hook into front loop of the next stitch, yarn over, pull through both sts (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all loops on hook to complete stitch. 

Invisible half double crochet decrease (inv hdc dec):

YO, insert hook into front loop of first stitch, insert hook into front loop of the next stitch, yarn over, pull through both sts (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull through all 3 loops on hook to complete stitch. 

Single Crochet Increase (inc):

Make 2 sc in indicated stitch. 

Cute Amigurumi Dog Instructions (With Tutorial):

Purchase & Print this Crochet Pattern Right Here!

Legs – Make 2 

Make a magic ring.                                                              

Rnd 1: 6 sc into ring. (6)       

Rnd 2: (Inc) x6. (12) 

Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) x6. (18)

Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) x6. (24)

Chart for the first 4 rnds of the leg:

First 4 rnds of leg finished:

Rnds 5-6: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 7: (Hdc 2, inv hdc dec) x4. Sc 8. (20)

Rnd 8: (Hdc 1, inv hdc dec) x4. Sc 8. (16)

Rnds 9-14: Sc in each st around. (16)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not sew opening closed.

Finished legs:

Arms – Make 2

Make a magic ring.                                                              

Rnd 1: 6 sc into ring. (6) 

Rnd 2: (Inc) x6. (12) 

Rnd 3: (Inc, sc 1) x6. (18)

Rnd 4: (Inc, sc 2) x6. (24)

Rnds 5-6: Sc in each st around. (24)

Rnd 7: (Hdc 2, inv hdc dec) x4. Sc 8. (20)

Rnd 8: (Hdc 1, inv hdc dec) x4. Sc 8. (16)

First 8 rnds of arms:

Rnds 9-15: Sc in each st around. (16)

Rnds 16-18: Sl st 3, hdc 8, sl st 5. (16)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not sew opening closed.

Last 3 rnds shape the arms like so:

Finished arms:

Body                                           

Make a magic ring.                                                                

Rnd 1: 8 sc into ring. (8)

Rnd 2: (Inc) x8. (16) 

Rnd 3: (Inc, sc 1) x8. (24)

Rnd 4: (Inc, sc 2) x8. (32)

Rnd 5: (Inc, sc 3) x8. (40)

Rnds 6-7: Sc in each st around. (40)

Rnd 8: (Sc 4, inc) x8. (48)

Rnds 9-10: Sc in each st around. (48)

Rnd 11: (Sc 5, inc) x8. (56)

Rnds 12-13: Sc in each st around. (56)

Rnd 14: (Sc 5, inv dec) x3. Sc 14, (sc 5, inv dec) x3. (50)

Rnd 15: Sc in each st around. (50)

Rnd 16: (Sc 4, inv dec) x3. Sc 14, (sc 4, inv dec) x3. (44)

Rnd 17: Sc in each st around. (44)

Rnd 18: (Sc 3, inv dec) x3. Sc 14, (sc 3, inv dec) x3. (38)

Rnd 19: (Sc 17, inv dec) x2. (36)

Rnd 20: Sc in each st around. (36)

Rnd 21: (Sc 4, inv dec) x6. (30)

Rnds 22-23: Sc in each st around. (30)

Rnd 24: (Sc 3, inv dec) x6. (24)

Rnd 25: Sc in each st around. (24)

Fasten off. Fill with stuffing. Do not sew opening closed. 

Finished Body:

Muzzle

Ch 5. 

Rnd 1: Inc in second ch from hook, sc 2. 4 sc in next st. Turn to work along other side of ch. Sc 2, inc. (12)

Rnd 2: (Inc) x2. Sc 2. (Inc) x4, sc 2. (Inc) x2. (20)

Rnd 3: (Inc, sc 1) x2. Sc 2. (Sc 1, inc) x2. (Inc, sc 1) x2. Sc 2. (Sc 1, inc) x2. (28)

Chart for the first 3 rnds of the muzzle:

Rnds 4-6: Sc in each st around. (28)

Attach the safety nose between rnds 1 and 4.

Fasten off. Do not sew closed. Fill with stuffing.

Finished muzzle:

Ears – Make 2                                                                       

Ch 6. 

Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and each ch across. Ch 1, turn. (5)

Row 2: (Inc) 5x. Ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 3: Sc 10. Ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 4: Inc, sc 8, inc. Ch 1, turn. (12)

Row 5-8: Sc 12. Ch 1, turn (12)

Row 9: Inv dec, sc 8, inv dec. Ch 1, turn. (10)

Row 10: (Sc2tog) x5. Ch 1, turn. (5)

Row 11: Sc across. (5)

Row 12: Sl st around the whole ear (make 1 sl st in each st and 1 sl st in each row). Fasten off.

Finished ears:

Head

Make a magic ring.                                                                

Rnd 1: 8 sc into ring. (8) 

Rnd 2: (Inc) x8. (16) 

Rnd 3: (Inc, sc 1) x8. (24)

Chart for first 3 rounds:

Rnd 4: (Inc, sc 2) x8. (32)

Rnd 5: (Inc, sc 3) x8. (40)

Rnd 6: Sc in each st around. (40)

Rnd 7: (Sc 4, inc) x5. Sc 15. (45)

Attach eyes between round 3 and 4, with 8 sts in between.

Rnds 8-12: Sc in each st around. (45)

Rnd 13: (Sc 7, inv dec) x5. (40)

Rnd 14: (Sc 6, inv dec) x5. (35)

Rnd 15: (Sc 5, inv dec) x5. (30)                         

Rnd 16: (Sc 4, inv dec) x5. (25)

Rnd 17: (Sc 3, inv dec) x5. (20)

Rnd 18: (Sc 2, inv dec) x5. (15)

Fill with stuffing.

Rnd 19: (Sc 1, inv dec) x5. (10)

Rnd 20: (Inv dec) x5. (5)

Fasten off. Sew opening closed.

Finished Head:

Finishing:

• Attach Muzzle and ears onto the head.
• Attach arms and legs to body.                                                               
• Join head and body together.

FAQ

Can I make this into a small crochet dog?

Yes, you can make douglas smaller by using a smaller yarn and hook size! For example, some people like to make amigurumi with sport weight or fingering weight yarn. Doing that will result in a mini crochet dog!

Using DK or worsted weight creates a pretty standard size stuffy, about 8-9″ (but can vary based on your gauge).

For a LARGE crochet dog, use a fluffy or “blanket” style yarn, like Bernat Blanket or Bernat Velvet. This will make the finished dog much bigger, and also more cuddly!

Is this pattern toddler friendly?

Yes, this pattern works great for toddlers! The only thing to keep in mind is the eyes and nose. If you’re giving this dog to a young child, you can use yarn or embroidery thread to make the facial features instead.

Can I make this into a fluffy crochet dog?

If you want your dog to look even more realistic by mimicking real fur, there are a few techniques you can use.

First, you can use a fluffy yarn, like a sherpa or fur yarn. This is harder to work with because it can be difficult to see your stitches.

Another option is to brush the dog once it is all done. This method works best while using a wool or natural fiber yarn.

Watch this video if you want to know all the tips about making amigurumi fluffy:

Conclusion

Making a crochet dog is so much fun, don’t you think? Douglas the Dog would be the perfect addition to any stuffed animal collection, and he’s sure to be a hit with children and adults alike. I hope you have fun creating your own loyal companion today!