Dovetail joints are commonly seen in a furniture frame construction because of their unique configuration and strength. The tensile strength of dovetail joints was experimentally and analytically investigated using fracture mechanics method in this study. Experimental results of the investigation of effects of geometry factors on the tensile strength of dovetail joints in southern yellow pine and red oak indicated that the tensile strength of red oak joints was about 2 times higher than the one of southern yellow pine joints. Statistical analysis results indicated that the tail angle and tenon length of dovetail joints had significant influences on their tensile strength, and the tenon width was not a significant factor on the joint tensile strength. The fracture behaviors of southern yellow pine and red oak materials were investigated in the radial-longitudinal crack propagation system using a compact tension test method. Effects of wood specific gravity on fracture toughness for two wood species were studied in terms of their three growth ring combinations; earlywood, earlywood and latewood interface, and latewood. Regression analysis results indicated that the fracture toughness of two evaluated wood species can be predicted based on their specific gravity values. Statistical analyses indicated that the latewood yielded the significantly higher fracture toughness value, followed by earlywood and latewood interface, then earlywood for both wood species. Proposed prediction equations for tensile strengths of dovetail joints based on fracture toughness values of wooden materials used for frame construction were validated experimentally.