Often, a male dog will mark its territory in the house. Or worse, when you go visit someone else’s house. This can be quite embarrassing to say the least. And this is why belly bands for male dogs are often used.
Belly bands wrap around a male dog’s body to cover his penis. It acts as physical barrier between his urine and your furniture. And essentially functions as a dog diaper.
However, dogs should not wear belly bands all the time. They should only have the bands on to help keep them in check.
This is so you don’t have to constantly keep an eye on your dog to make sure he doesn’t pee on your furniture. But outdoors, you should remove the belly band so your dog can relieve himself.
Older dogs often become incontinent. And a belly band is a great method to prevent urine dribbles on your floor and carpet.
Adjust Behavior at the Moment
Your dog is a Zen master, and by that, I mean they live in the moment. You can’t reprimand your dog for something they did half an hour ago; they simply won’t understand what you’re scolding them for. This only causes them confusion, and it wont solve anything.
You’ve got to keep a close eye on your dog, follow them around if you have to (as pet parents, sometimes we have to do silly things to get to the root of an issue) so that you can catch them in the act and show them at that moment that No! marking inside the house is not acceptable. If your dog is a quick learner, this may be one of the easiest ways how to stop a dog from marking in the house.
Ideally, a fabric tape measure is the most accurate way to measure your dog. Don’t have a tape measure? A flexible, non-stretchy, long object like a phone charger (unplugged) will do the job. Yarn or a shoelace is too stretchy to get an accurate measurement. Wrap it around your dog’s waist and mark where the points meet. Then simply measure the phone charger with a rigid tape measure or ruler. I have plugged our video on measuring our dog, Riley, below.
Okay, now that we’ve gone through the basics of belly bands and how to pick the best size, the question is, “When do I use them?” and that depends on what you need them for. Perhaps your doggy only loses control of his bladder at night time. Make sure he has his band on before bed. If they only pee when you aren’t home, put one on before you leave the house. Lastly, for dogs who go whenever and where ever, welcome to full-time belly bands! Depending on your situation, having multiple belly bands may come in handy!
As far as washing your Coddled Canine belly bands go, I always throw the used belly bands in with my normal laundry. Use regular laundry detergent without fabric softener and run them on cold or warm. Then dry them in the dryer on a normal cycle. To lengthen the life of your belly bands, close the velcro parts together before washing. This way the hook velcro will not stick to the absorbent material and pull on the fibers.
Belly Bands are not intended to be left on after your dog for an extended period of time when it is soiled. Make sure to take off the soiled belly band as soon as you realize it is wet and give him a change to go potty outside. Dogs with long belly hair may get a little bit wet. If your dog’s fur gets wet often, make sure to let his fur air dry before putting on a new belly band and bathe his hind-end once a week or so!
That is mostly everything on belly bands, however, I want to urge you to remember one thing. Take off the belly band before you take your dog outside!! I know that sounds silly, but every single person in my family has forgotten to do so at least once while taking Riley outside. Poor baby will pee outside, with his belly band on! Don’t do what I do and take it off before going outside!
Do belly bands for male dogs work?
A belly band will not stop your dog from urine-marking it’s territory, especially a small one.
But it serves as a physical barrier between dog urine and any surface. Therefore, it will save your furniture, carpets and floors from the damage of dog urine.
Furthermore, belly bands can also save you a lot of frustration from getting rid of urine odors.
FAQ
Do belly bands work for marking dogs?
Do belly bands stop dogs from marking? Yes! If cleanups are too much for you, have your dog wear a dog belly band. These are made with absorbent, comfortable fabric meant to hold urine, and will stop dogs from marking your furniture and getting urine around your house.
Do belly bands stop dogs from peeing?
How long can you leave a belly band on a dog?
How do you discipline a dog for marking?
Never punish your dog for markings that you find later. If your dog is about to mark, interrupt the behavior with a short, sharp vocal noise. Immediately redirect them to something more positive, or take him outside and reward them for the desired behavior.