Doggie Diapers

My younger brother Arrr! and his lovely fiancé S adopted a beagle (named Baxter, of course) around Thanksgiving. He’s the sweetest little dog—curls up in your lap in the evenings, whines pathetically whenever Arrr! isn’t in the room, and spends the rest of his time with his nose to the floor smelling anything he can get a whiff of. The only problem is that B has a bit of a marking problem—he was around 3 when they got him, and arrived with all his bits intact. That was quickly remedied, but the marking continues on. Outside this isn’t a problem at all, but it becomes a bit awkward in my mom’s dining room. Or the kitchen. Or pretty much anywhere in the house. So, during Baxter and Arrr!’s visit to my parents’ house over the break, I sewed up a little doggie diaper so that B didn’t have to wear an ignominious ace bandage wrapped around a dish tower. Instead he got a snazzy ninja themed jock strap.

Unfortunately, the first effort wasn’t perfect—I didn’t use any elastic so the band was a bit tight whenever B sat down, and after about a week the fabric bunched up and had a tendency to slid off his tender bits. He seemed to be learning, though, as he wouldn’t mark when he was wearing the diaper, regardless of whether or not it was actually in place.

I’ve spent the last week or so brainstorming some ideas for how to improve the diaper. A few changes: A.) it needs a little pocket to hold the “diaper” (or, in Arrr!’s case a cut up old t-shirt—very absorbent and much softer than a dishtowel), so that you can remove it easily in case of accidents. B.) Elastic side bands to make it more comfortable when B sits down. I think this will also help with the bunching problem. C.) Shaping for greater wearing ease in between B’s hips.

Of course, I don’t have a doggie around to use as a model anymore. Maybe I’ll try to manufacture one out of cardboard, or something. That might be interesting.