DIY Dog Diaper—3 Cheap And Easy Ways to make your own reusable diapers, no sewing required

Let’s face it, potty training can be hard with the best of dogs. I myself have had even supposedly well-trained dogs can have “accidents”, seemingly out of nowhere. When potty training ultimately breaks down, you’re left to pick up the mess, and worse yet, have to deal with the embarrassment of having to do so if your dog chooses a very inappropriate place to do his or her business.

Having your dog wear a dog diaper is a great insurance against this unfortunate eventuality, but they can be quite pricey if you need to use them long-term. The solution? DIY dog diapers. Constantly buying dog diaper packs are going to be quite the moneysink, but a well-designed reusable diaper is a one-time purchase that can last your dog a lifetime. You do have to restock on lining material (most often sanitary pads), but these are far and away more affordable than most disposable dog diaper brands I’ve seen. Better still, you don’t even have to know how to sew to make them. All you really need are some ordinary articles of clothing, some lining, scissors, and adhesive.

Why Would Your Dog Need a DIY Diaper?

Even the most well-behaved, house-trained dogs can potentially decide to relieve themselves or mark their territories in inconvenient places. If they had washable dog diapers, you’d be able to save yourself the trouble of coming home to a nasty mess. If you’re still in the process of house training, a DIY diaper can be a great way to ensure that even if your dog doesn’t have it down quite yet, they won’t make any “mistakes” when you’re not there to supervise.

This is especially important for those who like to go out with their dogs a lot. It’s bad enough for a dog to poop in the living room, but you really wouldn’t want your pup making a mess while you’re at a restaurant or in the car. It can also save you from falling out of favor with your homeowner’s association or landlord too. Dog owners who have potty trained more than one dog will know that accidents happen during the process, and it can be a while before the training takes hold on your pup.

On the other hand, you may be taking care of an older dog, a sick dog, or one that’s recovering from illness. Senior pets can suffer from a number of issues that can make them incontinent. Although it’s not all that prevalent, it is possible for your aged dog to suddenly go potty wherever it is they may be, much like with humans. The same goes for dogs dealing with a medical condition. Dog diapers can also prevent the dog from licking areas that should have been covered because of illness or injury.

Another reason could be having a female dog that’s been spayed. Both neutered and spayed dogs can become incontinent due to the hormone impact that their procedure creates, but this is far more common in female dogs than in males^[1]. If your female dog has been experiencing full or partial incontinence, DIY dog diapers can be your most cost-effective way to keep things sanitary around the house.

But perhaps the most important reason is that a DIY dog diaper saves money, especially when you go through multiple doggy diapers a day. Learning how to make homemade dog diapers yourself lets you prevent messes without putting a strain on your budget, allowing you to direct the funds that would’ve otherwise been spent on dog diapers towards more important things.

DIY boxer diapers

This type of DIY dog diaper is the simplest to make. They use supplies already available within the house, or if not, can be found and purchased virtually anywhere. Plus, as the name suggests, there’s no need to sew anything. All you need to make one is one pair of children’s boxer brief-style underwear and a sanitary pad. Make sure to get the extra-absorbent kind. You would also need some tape or other adhesive and a pair of scissors.

Try to purchase children’s underwear that would fit your dog. Make sure they’re the proper diaper length for your dog’s body size and that the garter fits snugly around your dog’s waist. Once you have these on hand, cut out a tail hole and then secure the sanitary pad inside with a piece of tape. The downside to this easy process is that it’s only really effective for urine. A sanitary pad can take on the average amount of pee, but it isn’t going to be enough to withstand feces.

But if you’re taking care of a pet that has particular difficulty keeping their urine in, such as female dogs in heat or a male with territory marking issues, these diapers are great for catching their messes.

It can serve you in regular use too, as long as you’re watchful of when your dog is about to go number two. You can modify these and line them with other materials to deal with poop if you’d like, but it can be difficult to pull off unless you find the right material.

Baby Onesie Diaper

The baby onesie diaper is similar to the above boxer-based one, but has the advantage of being better at catching number twos. Just do the same thing with the sanitary pad, but with a baby onesie that’s just tight enough for your dog to wear comfortably. Remember to cut out a hole for your dog’s tail. Many pet parents also choose to cut out the sleeves to make more room for their dogs’ arms.

However, there’s no guarantee that there will be no mess if your dog has an accident while wearing this DIY diaper. So be sure to line the baby onesie with sufficiently absorbent material to prevent leaks. It’s usually inadvisable to get baby onesies or one-piece pajamas that are too thick, as once these become stained, they can be very hard to fully clean.

DIY Sock Diaper

This is perhaps the trickiest and most inelegant-looking among DIY doggy diapers, but if done right, it’s potentially the cleanest and most effective too. It works best for small dogs, but can work for any size as long as you can find the right sock or similar article of clothing.

As you may have guessed, this method entails securing a sock over your dog’s butt to catch the number twos as they come out. You may need more than one sanitary pad to line the interior of the sock to ensure that there’s no leakage.

To make this DIY dog diaper, all you have to do is take a sock with the right size and thickness, and cut it from the ankle to the heel. This will create two ends that you will loop under and around their hind legs, and then tied up to secure the sock in place. Cut out a hole near the sock’s toe for your dog’s tail as well.

The ideal setup is your dog wears one doggy diaper, while you carry a spare and a baggy to carry the other when it’s been soiled. Once your dog does his business in the one he’s wearing, take your dog’s diaper off and slip it into the baggy, then put on the other one just in case he has to go potty again.

Important tips to follow

Making a homemade diaper at home is economical, of course, but you may need to spend a bit more to make sure that everything is safe and works properly. The first thing to consider is whether the materials you use are both secure and dog friendly.

To ensure that you have the best absorbent material inside your DIY dog diaper, you may want to invest in dog pee pad packs instead of sanitary napkins. These are specifically designed to absorb both dog urine and feces, so you’ll find more success lining your DIY dog diaper with these. You might also want to choose eco or biodegradable materials for the diapers.

Remember to precisely measure your dog’s body, especially the waist and tail, so that you can buy the right articles of clothing to use as a dog diaper. If you can’t find any onesies, you can consider alternatives such as an old t shirt or children’s shorts, as long as they’re made of suitable material and fit your dog properly.

You should also be careful about where you place your adhesive. Tape and other sticky substances can be painful to remove if it gets stuck on your dog’s skin or fur. Even if it’s just the non-adhesive side making contact with them, they can still cause skin irritation or even skin issues, so be sure to place them well. If your dog’s diaper is too uncomfortable, he may try to remove it at every opportunity, potentially creating an even bigger mess.

Remember, however, that crate training a dog is still a far better option than relying on a dog diaper, as it teaches him to go potty where he should. Utilizing a good dog crate will also help you and your dog, especially if you’re trying to train them to go on potty pads.

FAQs

Can I use my baby’s diapers on the dog?

Yes, it is possible to use a baby diaper as a dog diaper. However, you would need some leeway for the dog’s tail in the baby diaper, though. Before proceeding, measure the diameter of your dog’s tail. Then, make a hole in the baby diaper that’s just a little bigger than that diameter, so that your pup can easily move the tail. It also needs to be the right-sized baby diaper for the dog.

What can I use as DIY reusable dog diapers?

There are very many items that can be used as a dog diaper. Purchasing disposable diapers at home may prove expensive, mainly because you want to change them all of the time. It is possible to use socks, underwear, sanitary pads, and towels, as well as men’s briefs for a homemade dog diaper.

Can you use pull-ups for dog diapers?

It is possible to use children’s pull-ups for dogs even though they may not have tabs. Face backward and straddle the dog. Then put the back legs in the holes before pulling them up.