Belly bands are a useful band that you wrap around a male dog’s lower belly to private urine leaks. Some dogs may urinate for a variety of reasons such as: separation anxiety issues, leaky bladder, marking, fear, nervous dogs, submissiveness, incontinence due to youth or older age. They are made to hold urine in so it doesn’t get on your furniture, walls, floors ECT… There are a variety of brands out there, some are washable & some are disposable, some have elastic & some are straight. I personally found the ones with a light elastic help hold urine in, so no side leakage. Of course if your dog is 15 lbs or under they don’t urinate as much as a 40-60 lb dog would so the elastic wouldn’t be as important. I have tried them on a variety for different dogs I have had or fostered & found the ones that fit too loose around a dog’s penis don’t seem to deter a dog from trying to mark in the home as much. The Paw Legend bands shown above are the ones my dog Hunter is currently wearing. His issue is separation anxiety & it happens when I am home if he can’t get to me when he feels the need to be near me. He is crated when no one is home. I have birds in my living room & lots of plants so I don’t let the dogs in there. Echo can be like a bull in a China shop & he sheds so much, so for these reasons this is a dog free room. My TV is in there so when I want to relax & watch sometimes Hunter goes thru fazes where he will pee even though we were outside an hour or two before. I am keeping a belly band on him currently & I also leave the Living room approx every 15-25 mins if he isn’t napping to help his stress level lessen. He is a sweet dog & very sensitive & very attached to me.
I have accidentally let him outside with it on, so when using a belly band on your dog is new to you put a note by (or on)the door to go outside so you don’t forget to take it off. I have friends that have two male dogs & one marks so then the other one started marking over the one. They both now wear belly bands & I asked her if she has forgotten to take them off when letting them out into their fenced yard & she said ‘oh yeah’. You don’t want to do this as it can confuse the dog & they won’t understand not to urine in the band. Accidents will happen, but I found the note helps me.
Belly bands come in a variety of colors & sizes, also are available online & through many major retailers & I always recommend you have enough so if don’t do laundry often & there are accidents you will have more to use. I like ones with 3 bands of Velcro to keep them closed. I know some have snaps, but if your dog moves a lot or tries to get it off the snaps might come open easier than strong Velcro closures. Or you can look at having disposable ones if this works better for you & your dog. Of course if you have a chewer I wouldn’t recommend disposable ones, as they could chew & swallow the material it’s made of. If you don’t have a washer & dryer in your home these may be a good option.
Some people may find using a belly band helpful when they add a new male dog to their home as some will try & mark a new area or an area a previous or current pet marked or had an accident at. Fostering dogs for years I found this to be repeated even when I thought I had thoroughly cleaned a spot. I also took a previous dog on vacation to visit my sister & he tried to mark her furniture, but I was grateful I had a belly band on him. He only tried it once, I kept him close after that, but he didn’t try it again. I take a couple belly bands on vacation now because we rent places that allow dogs & previous dogs may have marked an area. Thank goodness my one dog only did it in a house that was a split level, so I learned & we only rent single story homes now. I have a feeling he may previously have been kept in a basement & got scared & went to the bathroom. Since I have had him the basement & by the back door are the only places he has ever gone potty in our home.
If you were not familiar with belly bands or didn’t realize their uses I hope this brief description has educated you. I always recommend if your dog suddenly starts to urine & this is not normal, see your Veterinarian to eliminate that he could have an infection. If it is a behavior issue, then try & figure out why & see what you can do to help your dog. I hope you’re enjoying my blog & your learning. If you have a blog topic you’d like to see me write about feel free to email me. My goal of this blog is to get the word out about a variety of pet care topics to as many pet parents as possible & you can help by: Liking posts, commenting on posts, Subscribing, Visiting often, telling others on your social media platforms, sending blog link to your pet loving family & friends. This is my 84th post I have published & you can find a list of all the others on my home page under the 3 lines in the upper left corner. From the home page you can scroll to the # of the posts you want to read. Those who love their pets want to do what is best for them & are open to learning new ways to help their pets Thrive & not just survive. My email is echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com Thanks & hope to see you back soon, Debbie
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