How to Make DIY Dog Diapers

There comes a time in many parent’s lives when they need a diaper for their baby — their fur baby, that is.

Dog diapers are the answer to a lot of four-legged problems, but unfortunately, buying ready-made dog diapers isn’t always cheap. Some owners are conquering this cost by making diapers at home. 

Below, we’ll check out some homemade dog diaper plans. Give ’em a look and see if any would be a good solution for you and your pooch.

Why Would a Dog Need a Diaper?

While it sounds a little odd at first, your dog may need a diaper for various reasons, including: 

• Marking Behavior — Some males are prone to leg-lifting in improper places. A diaper or wrap (often called a “belly band”) prevents damage around the home or when you’re out and about.
• Incontinence — Whether it’s due to illness or age, some dogs struggle with “holding it.” A doggy diaper is a way to contain the mess and prevent damage or soiling of surrounding surfaces. Just be sure to consult with your veterinarian, if your dog is experiencing incontinence.
• House Training Issues — As you’re working on house training and teaching your pooch where to poop and pee, doggy diapers can be a miracle. This is especially true for owners with full-grown pups who’re adjusting to indoor life. 
• Heat Cycles — Intact females need a covering to contain the mess during heat cycles, allowing them to be part of the family rather than tucked away in a crate or pen.
• Infection or Injury — Dog diapers aren’t only for catching messes; they can also prevent your pooch from licking at areas that may need to be covered due to illness or injury. They allow your pup to lay down comfortably rather than being forced to wear an e-collar.

Best DIY Dog Diaper Designs

With doggy diapers, simplicity is key. You don’t want something that’s hard to slip on and off, and since it will contain unpleasantries, you don’t want to break the bank to make it. Here are some of our favorite DIY dog diaper ideas.

1. No-Sew DIY Dog Diaper

Top Dog Tips’ DIY dog diaper pattern is simple, as it uses supplies you likely already have lying around the house. There are no complicated cuts or sewing, making it ideal for those new to DIY projects.

Simply take a pair of children’s underwear that fit your pup’s physique, cut a hole where her tail will go, line with a sanitary pad, and tada — a DIY doggy diaper.

This design works best for a female dog in heat or for males that struggle with marking behavior. Unfortunately, a sanitary pad can’t absorb a lot of urine, and it won’t withstand feces.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• 1 pair children’s underwear (boxer brief style works best)
• Sanitary pad

2. Simple DIY Doggy Diaper

Many may wonder: “‘Gee, can I use regular diapers on my dog?” Well, the answer is yes!

Not only are they convenient, but they expertly contain messes and the quick-absorb material locks in moisture to prevent skin irritation between changes.

The DIY dog diaper by eHow is as easy as it comes. There is no sewing involved, and no need to worry about slippage like you may encounter with a sanitary pad.

Select a baby diaper or pull-up that is close in size to your pup’s waistline and weight. Cut a hole where her tail would go, and you instantly have a doggy diaper.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• Baby diaper or pull-up (disposable is fine, but reusable cloth diapers are more eco-friendly)

3. DIY Diaper for Female Dogs

Erns World’s DIY diaper transforms a regular baby diaper into a pup-friendly covering that’s comfy and clean. This is a simple adjustment without any sewing.

This design starts by slightly widening the leg holes of the diaper with scissors, allowing your pup to have more range of motion than the traditional design.

You then cut out a hole for your pup’s tail, though you can make it a little wider to allow poo to escape as well if you’re using it during your pup’s heat. Use small pieces of fabric tape to seal where you cut the tail hole, ensuring a water-tight seal that keeps the absorbent material inside. 

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• Baby diaper
• Fabric tape

4. Easy Pee Pad Diaper

Dogsaholic’s pee pad diaper is not only disposable — but easy too! The size is better suited for large dogs than traditional human diaper designs are, too. 

Cut an hourglass shape from a dog pee pad that is big enough to cover your doggo’s rear and puppy bits. Then snip a section that for your pup’s tail to fit through and wag comfortably.

Once you have the pattern on your dog, secure with tape, but be careful that none makes contact with your pup’s fur or skin. While this is a nifty design, it’s likely not the most secure option for those with active pooches.   

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• Pee pad
• Tape

You can see a similar DIY diaper being made in the video below.

5. DIY Sock Diaper

This free dog diaper pattern posted on Imgur makes use of something everyone has lying around — an old sock. Easy and innovative, it’s a washable solution that works best for small breeds.

First, you want to cut a hole about an inch from the toe for your pupper’s tail in both the top and bottom of the sock. Then cut the ankle portion almost to the heel. Loop the hole over your pup’s tail and pull each side of the split ankle portion under and around each hind leg.

Once adjusted comfortably into place, tie each side securely yet loose enough that you can slip two fingers beneath comfortably. Tada! A diaper! A sanitary pad can be used inside for absorption. 

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• 1 adult sock
• Sanitary pad (optional)

6. No-Sew T-Shirt Diaper

This DIY dog diaper pattern by Pop Your Pup makes a dog diaper out of a T-shirt. There is no sewing needed, though you will have to practice some shirt folding finesse. Cotton is pretty absorbent, but you’ll probably want to add a sanitary pad to the design.  

After laying the shirt flat, fold one side and line its sleeve seam with the center of the collar or roughly a third of the way. Fold the other side over, mimicking the first fold, and then fold the top portion down to create a “T” shape.

You then want to fold the bottom of the shirt up to meet the bottom of the sleeves to shorten for proper diaper length. You place it on your dog by putting the shirt upside down on his underside, and then secure it by looping the sleeves up and either tying or pinning in place.   

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• A size appropriate shirt for your pooch (a Lab or pittie mix would probably require a medium or large, while a toy poodle or Chihuahua would need a small)
• Sanitary pad optional

Unfortunately, Pop Your Pup doesn’t provide any photos of the T-shirt diaper, but you can get an idea of what it should look like via the photo below from MSPCA.org.

7. Baby Onesie Diaper

The Nest has a healthy crop of reusable dog diaper options with a standout for small fries being the baby onesie. The snaps keep it secure while the fit is generally more comfortable than a baby diaper. 

It doesn’t get any easier — just cut out a hole for your doggo’s tail and put it on. You can also cut the armholes for a little more wiggle room if necessary.

Similarly, you can also use one-piece zipper pajamas and cut the legs and arms. The zipper is more secure and faster to work with than snaps. For best results, do not use a heavy fleece. This option is best for small dogs.

Difficulty Level: Easy

Tools Needed:

• Scissors

Supplies Needed:

• Baby onesie
• Sanitary pad optional

The Nest doesn’t provide an image of the onesie dog diaper, but WikiHow has a photo of a similar concept that you can see below.

Other Options to Consider

Due to their relatively straightforward design, DIY dog diapers can be made from a number of household items. Best of all, most of these items are washable, saving you money in the long-run.

Additional DIY doggie diaper options include: 

• Bikini bottoms — Have an extra woman’s swimsuit bottom? For larger dogs, the string-tie variety makes an excellent DIY cloth dog diaper. All you have to do is cut a hole for your dog’s tail.
• A towel diaper — Figuring out how to make a diaper out of a towel isn’t that hard — just cut into an appropriate hourglass size, make a hole for your pup’s tail, and secure with pins or thread a string through the top and bottom sections and tie at the waist. 
• Scrap fabric — For a quick dog diaper wrap, tie extra fabric around his belly, ensuring his sprinkler is tucked away to prevent improper piddling.
• Men’s briefs (“whitey tighties”) — Because of the built-in fly, which will allow your dog’s tail to pass right through, men’s briefs can make a great diaper in a pinch. Just put them on backwards and pass your dog’s tail through the fly.

DIY Dog Diaper FAQs

If you’re new to diapering a pup, you might have some questions from how to put a baby diaper on a dog to how to make dog diapers stay on.

Luckily, many pawrents have crossed this hurdle before, so never fear, the answers are here: 

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Have you used any of these homemade dog diapers? Have you used another design that’s not listed? Let us know in the comments.