Last updated: August 2026

Ordering dog clothes wholesale means commissioning a bulk run of custom pet apparel in your brand colors, with your logo, for resale or for a campaign. Apparel is the hardest pet category to buy well, for one reason: the minimum order quantity applies per size and per design, and apparel needs more sizes than any other pet product. Get the size curve decided before you get the quote, and everything else follows.

This is a buyer's guide. If your specification is already settled, you can start a project and get a free mockup instead.

Why apparel is different from every other pet product

A collar comes in a few sizes. A toy comes in one. Dog apparel has to fit a chihuahua and a great dane and everything between, across breeds with completely different chest to length ratios. That is a real merchandising problem, and it is the reason apparel programs go over budget more often than any other pet category.

Here is the mechanic that catches buyers out. At PrideBites the MOQ applies per size and per design, and sizes cannot be mixed to reach a minimum. Each size is cut differently and is produced as its own run, so the factory needs volume on each one. A five size range in two colorways is ten production lines, not one order.

Quantity price breaks do apply, at thresholds that vary by product. But they apply within a size. Scale on your best selling size does not subsidize the size you sold three of.

Decide the size curve before you ask for a price

There are two defensible strategies and one expensive mistake.

Narrow and deep, the right call for a first program. Pick the two or three sizes that cover the majority of your customer base, order confidently on each, and add sizes when you have sell through data telling you which ones to add. You will disappoint a few customers at the edges of the range. You will also find out whether pet apparel is a category for you without committing to ten lines.

Full range, the right call for an established pet assortment. If your customer already expects to find their dog's size with you, a partial range reads as a gap rather than as a test. Commit to the full curve, price it properly, and plan the inventory.

The mistake is promising a full range internally, budgeting it as a single minimum, and discovering the per size rule after the merchandising plan has been signed off. Ask for MOQ per size in the first conversation, in writing.

Publish sizing guidance either way. The how to measure page is there to point your own customers at, and on apparel it does real work reducing returns.

What PrideBites actually makes

The apparel range covers full zip hoodies, sleeveless hoodies, t shirts, jerseys, winter coats, ugly Christmas sweaters, and towels. Which one you choose should follow your season and your channel rather than the other way round.

• Full zip hoodies are the workhorse. Largest branding area of anything in the range, obvious retail appeal, strong for both resale and gifting.
• Sleeveless hoodies fit brands whose customers are in warmer climates, and they suit breeds that struggle with full sleeves.
• T shirts are the lowest friction entry point and the easiest to photograph for social.
• Jerseys work for sports, teams, and anything with a numbering or naming convention.
• Winter coats are a seasonal buy with a hard deadline, which makes lead time planning the deciding factor.
• Ugly Christmas sweaters are the clearest example of a short run seasonal item that earns attention out of proportion to its volume.

Fabric, print, and where branding survives a wash

On apparel the brand mark has to survive wear and laundering, which narrows the sensible options. Specify whether the logo is printed, embroidered, or applied, and specify it per garment type, because what works on a hoodie panel does not necessarily work on a jersey mesh.

Send vector artwork with colors called out, and say where the mark sits: back panel, chest, or both. A back panel is the most visible surface a dog carries, and it is usually where a branded garment earns its keep. Get this resolved on a mockup rather than in a specification document, because apparel is the category where the gap between the two is widest.

Safety, compliance, and logistics

PrideBites products are safe for dogs and cats and are Prop 65 compliant after safety testing. Retail buyers and compliance teams ask for this in writing, so surface it during the brief rather than at the purchase order stage.

Production is in China and India. Shipping is via UPS and DHL, and for international orders the customer is responsible for duties and taxes. Free samples are available through an account executive, which on apparel is worth using: fit is the one thing a flat mockup cannot fully answer.

Lead time and seasonal deadlines

Standard production is 6 to 8 weeks, and that is production only. It does not include shipping.

Apparel is where this matters most, because so much of the category is seasonal. A winter coat program that starts its conversation in October has already missed. Plan backwards: the date product must be in hand, your freight method and transit time, the 6 to 8 week production window, then mockup approval and a sample round on your side. For a holiday item, that puts the first conversation in spring or early summer, not autumn.

The free custom mockup comes back typically within about 48 hours, at no cost and no commitment, so there is no reason for the first step to wait on a budget approval.

Private label and exclusive short runs

Private label is available, so the garment can carry your brand alone with no co branding. For a brand putting apparel into its own retail assortment, that is usually the requirement rather than a preference.

Short runs are worth taking seriously in apparel specifically. A limited seasonal garment, a location exclusive, or an anniversary piece gives your marketing team something to talk about, keeps the size commitment small, and tests demand before you scale. See resell tips for how partners structure this and resell with PrideBites for how the motion works end to end.

Which motion are you running?

Resell. Apparel joins your assortment and you sell it. You need a size range your customer believes in, retail ready presentation, and a specification you can reorder against without re deciding everything.

Engage. Apparel is the gift, the prize, or the influencer send. Here you can narrow to one or two sizes and one design, spend the saving on fabric and finish, and pick the configuration that photographs best. Branded pet apparel is among the most shared formats there is, because the owner dresses the dog, takes the picture, and tags the brand without being asked. Why market with PrideBites covers this side.

The audience behind both: 95 million U.S. households own a pet, and Americans spent $158 billion on pets in 2024, with $165 billion projected for 2026 (APPA). Pet parents do not just buy products, they buy belonging, and dressing the dog in your brand is about as direct an expression of that as the category offers.

What to specify alongside apparel

Apparel is rarely bought alone. Brands building a full branded range usually pair it with walk gear, where the size question is smaller and the everyday visibility is higher. The companion guides cover wholesale dog collars and wholesale dog leashes. The full apparel range is in the apparel collection.

Working with PrideBites

PrideBites has made custom pet products since 2013 for more than 500 brand partners, with over a million products shipped and 12 years in the category. Featured on Shark Tank in 2016, ranked number 88 in Manufacturing on the 2024 Inc. 5000, rated 4.9 stars on Google. The model is turnkey: one partner handles design, production, and fulfillment, and no pet industry experience is required on your side. The case studies show how brands in brewing, hospitality, coffee, and spirits have used the products.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum order for dog clothes wholesale?

The minimum applies per size and per design, not per order, and the figure varies by garment. Sizes cannot be mixed to reach a minimum, because each size is cut and produced separately. Decide your size curve first, then ask for the MOQ per size, because the number of sizes drives the total commitment.

How many sizes should a first apparel program carry?

Two or three sizes covering the bulk of your customer base is the usual recommendation for a first run. It keeps the commitment to a few production lines instead of ten, and sell through data then tells you which sizes to add rather than you guessing at the outset.

How long does custom dog apparel take to produce?

Standard production is 6 to 8 weeks, covering manufacturing only and excluding shipping. For seasonal items such as winter coats or holiday sweaters, work backwards from the on shelf date and add freight, mockup approval, and a sample round. Seasonal apparel conversations should start months ahead.

Can I order dog clothes with only my own branding?

Yes. Private label is available, so garments can carry your brand alone with no co branding. That is the normal choice for apparel entering your own retail assortment. Co branding is more common when the apparel is used as a gift or campaign item rather than sold.

Can I get a sample before ordering a full apparel run?

Yes, and on apparel it is worth doing. Free samples are available through an account executive, and a free custom mockup typically comes back within about 48 hours at no cost and no commitment. Fit and fabric feel are the two things only a physical sample settles.

Start your apparel program

Tell us the garment, the sizes you want to carry, and the date you need product in hand, and we will come back with a free mockup in about 48 hours. Start a project, or read the FAQ first.