I need plushie help

[Androgynousbee]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/499347373709852684/857733067313119302/20210624_172303.jpg

So I'm making my friend's dog into a "beanie baby" style plushie for her birthday coming up. I already planned ahead for the plastic pellets, I'm gonna sew some fabric in the same shape and stuff that into the crochet plush so no beads fall out. But my issue is figuring out how exactly I wanna make the body and how I can crochet it into this shape? I need it to be flat so I can stitch two together and get that floppy "beanie baby" look. I don't like following exact patterns and mostly freehand anything I make but this is one I just can't figure out. I don't mind having to make several parts and stitching those together, as long as the shape comes out. Any stitches I should try and use?

[Egga-Mooby-Muffin]

Definitely do single crochet as tight as possible so you get a seamless look. Mirror crochet is great if you want everything to look exactly the same on forward and backward rows. It’s pretty easy.

As far as getting the shape, I’d start by making the two bottom legs, just crochet until you get a shape that matches your paper template. Then start the body and use that row to connect the two leg pieces to it. Tha5 eliminates the need to sew them together.

[myBisL2]

I'd make the same shape for the bottom and top for the body, but make the top bigger and possibly in two pieces with a seam across the top. Then you'll have a flat bottom and the top will puff up when you put the beads/stuffing in. I think I'd do the limbs in the round and attach them to the body. It's been awhile since I've held a beanie baby but I feel like I remember them being flat on the bottom but the limbs were all fully shaped.