Knit Your Own Dachshund Hot Dog: A Complete Knitting Pattern for an Adorable Puppy Plush Toy

If you’ve been searching for the perfect knitted amigurumi project that doubles as a charming children’s gift, look no further. This dachshund hot dog knitting pattern is everything a knitter could want: it’s playful, it’s satisfying to make, it references everyone’s favourite long-bodied dog breed, and the finished stuffie is soft enough to become a child’s most treasured companion. Whether you’re a seasoned knitter looking for your next weekend project or an intermediate crafter ready to tackle something with a little more personality than a plain dishcloth, this tutorial will walk you through every stitch.

The finished toy measures approximately 10 inches long and 4 inches tall — the perfect palm-sized plush for little hands. It’s worked mostly in the round on double-pointed needles, with a few flat-knitted details sewn on at the end. No crochet hook required. No complicated charts to decipher. Just clear, row-by-row instructions and a healthy love of sausage-shaped dogs.

Why a Dachshund Hot Dog?

The dachshund — affectionately known as a sausage dog, wiener dog, or hot dog — has one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the canine world. Those short stubby legs, that magnificently elongated body, and those floppy velvet ears make them a natural for translation into a knitted plush toy. The hot dog concept takes the joke one step further: your finished dachshund nestles inside a soft knitted bun, complete with yellow and red “condiment” stripes of yarn. It’s a gift that makes adults laugh and children absolutely lose their minds with glee.

This pattern makes a wonderful handmade children’s gift for birthdays, baby showers, holidays, or just because. It’s also sized and constructed to be baby-safe if you use safety eyes with locking backs and ensure all stuffing is firmly packed and seams are securely sewn. As with any knitted toy, always supervise very young children during play.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cast on a single stitch, gather your materials. Having everything within arm’s reach makes the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.

Yarn: You’ll need a worsted weight yarn (approximately 200g total) in the following colours — warm tan or golden brown for the bun (approximately 80g), a medium or dark brown for the dachshund body (approximately 60g), a pale cream or off-white for the dachshund’s belly (approximately 15g), yellow for mustard detail (approximately 10g), and red or tomato for ketchup detail (approximately 10g). Choose a smooth yarn rather than a fuzzy or boucle yarn so your stitches are easy to count and your stuffie holds its shape.

Needles: A set of US Size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed needles (DPNs), four or five in the set. You can also use a short circular needle for magic loop if you prefer that method.

Other supplies: Polyester fiberfill stuffing (approximately one standard bag), two 9mm or 12mm black safety eyes with locking backs, black or very dark brown yarn or embroidery floss for the nose and mouth, a yarn needle or tapestry needle for seaming and finishing, stitch markers, scissors, and small pieces of cardboard or a ruler for measuring.

Gauge: Approximately 22 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Gauge is not critical for this toy, but a tighter gauge will produce a firmer fabric that holds its shape better and prevents stuffing from showing through.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

CO — cast on
BO — bind off
K — knit
P — purl
Kfb — knit front and back (increase)
K2tog — knit two together (decrease)
SSK — slip, slip, knit (decrease)
PM — place marker
SM — slip marker
St(s) — stitch(es)
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
MC — main colour (brown for the dachshund)
CC1 — contrasting colour 1 (tan/golden for the bun)
CC2 — contrasting colour 2 (cream for belly)

Part One: Knitting the Dachshund

The Body

The dachshund’s body is worked in the round from the nose end toward the tail. Begin with MC (brown).

CO 6 sts onto your DPNs, distributing 2 sts per needle if using three DPNs, or as you prefer. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Round 1: Kfb in each stitch — 12 sts.
Round 2: (K1, Kfb) repeat to end — 18 sts.
Round 3: (K2, Kfb) repeat to end — 24 sts.
Round 4: Knit all sts.
Round 5: (K3, Kfb) repeat to end — 30 sts.
Rounds 6–8: Knit all sts.

You now have the rounded nose section of the head. This is where you’ll place your safety eyes before the piece closes up too far, so do it now. Position them on either side of the head, roughly 4–5 sts apart horizontally and 2 rounds back from the tip of the nose. Secure the locking backs firmly from the inside.

Continue:

Round 9: (K4, Kfb) repeat to end — 36 sts.
Rounds 10–12: Knit all sts.
Round 13: (K5, Kfb) repeat to end — 42 sts.
Rounds 14–22: Knit all sts (9 rounds even, this forms the middle section of the long body).

Begin decreasing for the tail end:

Round 23: (K5, K2tog) repeat to end — 36 sts.
Rounds 24–26: Knit all sts.
Round 27: (K4, K2tog) repeat to end — 30 sts.
Rounds 28–29: Knit all sts.
Round 30: (K3, K2tog) repeat to end — 24 sts.
Round 31: Knit all sts.

Before you continue decreasing, stuff the body firmly with polyester fiberfill. Push it well into the nose end and pack it so the body holds a nicely rounded, elongated shape.

Round 32: (K2, K2tog) repeat to end — 18 sts.
Round 33: (K1, K2tog) repeat to end — 12 sts.
Round 34: K2tog to end — 6 sts.

Cut yarn, thread through remaining 6 sts, pull tight, and fasten off. Weave in ends.

The Belly Stripe

Using CC2 (cream), pick up 18–20 stitches along the underside of the body, roughly along the centre line from below the head to roughly ¾ of the way toward the tail. Work in stockinette (knitting every row on flat pieces) for 4–5 rows, keeping the strip approximately 5 sts wide. You want a slightly raised, pale stripe down the belly to add a little character. Bind off and sew down the edges with your tapestry needle, or simply embroider a few straight stitches in cream along the belly for a simpler variation.

The Legs (Make Four)

Each leg is a small, stubby tube — very simple and very satisfying to knock out one after another.

CO 8 sts. Join to work in the round.
Rounds 1–8: Knit all sts.
Round 9: K2tog to end — 4 sts.

Stuff lightly with a tiny pinch of fiberfill, pull the 4 remaining sts tight, and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

The front legs should be attached approximately 4 rounds back from the nose, one on either side of the body. The back legs attach approximately 4 rounds forward from the tail end. Take time to position them symmetrically before you commit to sewing — pin them in place if needed. Sew them on securely using the long tail and a tapestry needle, going through the body fabric several times and then back through the leg before fastening off.

The Ears (Make Two)

The ears are flat, worked back and forth in rows.

CO 6 sts.
Rows 1–8: Knit every row (garter stitch gives the ears a nice floppy texture).
Row 9: K2tog, K2, K2tog — 4 sts.
Row 10: Knit.
Row 11: K2tog, K2tog — 2 sts.
Row 12: K2tog. Fasten off.

Fold the top edge of each ear slightly toward the centre to give it that characteristic folded dachshund ear shape, and pin it just behind the safety eyes, on either side of the head. Sew firmly in place. These ears will flop forward beautifully once attached.

The Tail

CO 4 sts. Work in I-cord for 6 rounds (or until the tail is about an inch long). K2tog, K2tog, pull tight and fasten off. Sew onto the rear end of the body, angling it slightly upward for a jaunty look.

Facial Details

Using black yarn or embroidery floss and a tapestry needle, embroider a small triangle or oval nose at the very tip of the snout, and add a tiny curved stitch beneath for a smile. Keep it simple — less really is more on a small plush face, and a minimal expression allows children to project their own emotions onto the toy.

Part Two: Knitting the Bun

The bun is worked in two halves — a top bun and a bottom bun — which sandwich the dachshund between them.

Bottom Bun

Using CC1 (tan/golden), CO 10 sts onto DPNs or a short circular.

Round 1: Kfb in each st — 20 sts.
Round 2: (K1, Kfb) repeat to end — 30 sts.
Round 3: (K2, Kfb) repeat to end — 40 sts.
Round 4: (K3, Kfb) repeat to end — 50 sts.
Rounds 5–10: Knit all sts (6 rounds even).
Round 11: (K3, K2tog) repeat to end — 40 sts.
Round 12: Knit all sts.
Round 13: (K2, K2tog) repeat to end — 30 sts.

At this point, stuff the bottom bun lightly — you want it to have a gentle, bread-like puffiness without being rock hard.

Round 14: (K1, K2tog) repeat to end — 20 sts.
Round 15: K2tog to end — 10 sts.

Pull tight, fasten off, and shape the bun into a slightly flattened oval by hand before the stuffing sets.

Top Bun

Repeat the bottom bun instructions exactly. The two pieces should be roughly mirror images of each other.

The Condiment Stripes

This is the detail that really ties the whole hot dog concept together. Using yellow yarn (mustard) and red yarn (ketchup), cut approximately 30-inch lengths of each. Thread one colour at a time onto your tapestry needle and weave a long, slightly wavy line across the top surface of the top bun. Work from one end to the other in a gentle S-curve to mimic the look of condiments squirted from a bottle. Repeat with the second colour slightly overlapping the first. Secure both ends by weaving them into the interior of the bun piece.

Part Three: Assembling the Hot Dog

This is the most exciting moment of the whole project — watching all the pieces come together.

Lay the bottom bun flat with its more rounded surface facing down. Place the dachshund on top of it, centred, so that the dog’s underside rests naturally in the slight hollow of the bun. Using CC1 yarn and your tapestry needle, tack the underside of the dog to the top surface of the bottom bun at several points along its length to keep it from sliding around.

Now take the top bun and position it over the dog, sandwiching the little pup between the two buns. The dog’s head and tail end should peek out from either end of the bun, just as a hot dog sausage extends beyond the bread. Sew the top and bottom buns together along their long edges on both sides, leaving the two short ends open where the dog’s head and tail protrude.

The finished hot dog should hold together firmly and look immediately recognisable as a hot dog. If you feel the connection between the bun halves needs reinforcing, run a couple of extra stitches along each seam.

Finishing Touches and Tips

Take a few minutes at the end to give your finished stuffie a thorough once-over. Weave in all loose ends securely — there’s nothing more dispiriting than a gift that starts unravelling on the first day. Tug gently on the ears, legs, and tail to confirm everything is well attached. Give the safety eyes a firm press to make sure the locking backs are fully seated.

If you’re giving this as a gift for a very young child (under three years), consider skipping the safety eyes entirely and embroidering the eyes instead using French knots in black yarn. This removes any choking hazard and is honestly just as charming.

A light steam block (hover a steam iron above the finished toy without touching it) can help even out any lumpy stitches and give the whole piece a more polished, plush appearance. Let it dry completely before gifting.

Sizing Variations

The pattern as written produces a toy approximately 10 inches long. If you want a smaller version for a baby or to hang as an ornament, simply go down a needle size (to US 3 or 3.25mm) and use a DK weight yarn instead of worsted. The proportions will remain the same, and the finished toy will come out roughly 30% smaller.

For a jumbo version — always a crowd-pleaser — go up to a bulky yarn on US Size 8 or 9 needles. The giant hot dog dachshund makes a spectacular gift for older children or a novelty display item.

Gifting Ideas

The finished knitted hot dog dachshund plush is extraordinarily giftable. Tuck it into a small cardboard box lined with tissue paper in red and yellow (ketchup and mustard colours, naturally). Add a little handwritten tag that reads “One wiener, lovingly hand-knitted.” For a baby shower, pair it with a dachshund-themed board book. For a birthday, bundle it with a small bag of gummy worms and a note that says “No actual hot dogs were harmed.”

If you’re selling this pattern as a PDF download, the finished toy photographs beautifully against a plain white background or a wooden cutting board styled with a checkered cloth — the kind of cheerful food-adjacent aesthetic that performs well on social media and in marketplaces like Etsy or Ravelry.

A Note on the PDF Pattern

If you’ve purchased the downloadable PDF version of this pattern, you’ll find it includes a full materials list, all written instructions formatted for easy printing, a schematic diagram of the finished toy with measurements, a quick-reference abbreviations guide, and close-up photography of each construction stage. The PDF is formatted to print cleanly on both US Letter and A4 paper.

The pattern is written for intermediate knitters who are comfortable working in the round on DPNs, increasing, decreasing, and seaming. If you’re a confident beginner who has already knitted a hat or a sock, you will very likely be able to work through this pattern with patience and a good cup of tea nearby.

Final Thoughts

There is something deeply satisfying about knitting a toy from scratch — watching a skein of yarn transform stitch by stitch into something a child will carry everywhere, sleep with, name, and love. The dachshund hot dog is one of those projects that strikes a perfect balance between silly and sweet, between technically interesting and genuinely achievable. It’s the kind of make that strangers stop you to ask about, and the kind of gift that gets photographed and shared and remembered.

So cast on, work through it at your own pace, and don’t stress over the perfectly even stitches. A bit of handmade imperfection is part of the charm. Your dachshund will have character, personality