What is a belly band or male dog wrap? A belly band is essentially a male dog diaper for inappropriate/incontinent urination. No one wants to have to use a male dog diaper, but stuff happens and these little wonders can make an inconvenient situation much better.
Inappropriate urination can happen for a variety of reasons:
- Potty training that is in process but needs a little tweak
- Adolescent male dogs who like to mark
- Senior dogs can have incontinence issues
- Excitement pee
- Illness
Way back during my Doberman rescue life, I had a 125-lb Doberman who was fond of marking indoor areas. Obviously, I strongly disapproved of this action. So that beautiful but not terribly bright boy wore the biggest male dog wrap on the planet. It had a lovely pattern of colorful bones all over it. He looked very silly, but it did the job. I was happy. He figured it out and was able to go commando very quickly.
Using a belly band is saving yourself from a huge amount of clean up and it’s saving your household belongings from urine damage. These little miracles can literally be a sanity saver. (CAVEAT: Using these items for potty training without an actual potty-training protocol is not appropriate.)
What Makes a Good Dog Belly Band?
A good belly band keeps the moisture inside, fits your dog comfortably, is easy to care for, and affordable. Unlike doggy diapers, which contain excrement as well, belly bands have one specific purpose and that is to simply wrap around a male dog’s penis to prevent urine from getting outside of the band. They allow normal movement. Nothing is restricted but the urine flow.
Many belly bands are used with an absorbent sanitary pad inserted inside to staunch the urine flow. There is one brand that I found that comes with a reusable absorbent pad. Otherwise, purchasing simple sanitary napkins is the way to go.
What Size Dog Diaper?
You may be wondering how to best measure your dog for a belly band. Get help if needed with keeping your dog in a stationary position on a flat surface. Think “stacking in dog shows” positioning. Use a flexible (sewing style) measuring tape around the narrowest part of your dog’s waist, closest to the rear legs. Make sure that you do not tighten it. Take note of that measurement and compare it to the measurements of the individual size ranges.
Don’t forget that there are Velcro closures on all these brands that will help you get the best fit. If your dog is between sizes, it’s important to go one size up rather than down. A tight belly band will not help you or your dog and can cause chafing. No one likes chafing, least of all the dog. Extra veterinary bills won’t improve the situation!
When to Change the Belly Band
How often should you change a belly band? Well, they are the dog equivalent of a baby’s diapers. The ideal time frame is immediately upon use to prevent skin irritation. Check frequently for incontinent dogs.
With dogs who are learning to not mark all the things, this is a similar process to potty training basically. Note their behavior and check if they have left the room. Personally, what I would expect with marking behavior is that marking inside of the belly band once or twice will usually have the positive effect of preventing this behavior moving forward.
It’s the same with simply polishing up potty training. They learn to come to you to ask to go outside. It sounds like common sense but please do remember to take the belly band off when you take them outside for pottying/walking purposes! It will send mixed messages if you forget.
Ideally, it would best to spend some time conditioning your dog to wearing a belly band before just placing it on him out of the blue. This can easily be done with treats, both when placing it on him initially and to help him feel more comfortable about walking around while wearing it.
Act naturally and use plenty of verbal reinforcement when he starts moving around naturally. This is an important part of this process. The more normal that you act and the more that he associates this process with rewards, the easier it will be.
How to Choose a Dog Belly Band
What I looked for in a belly band:
- Affordability
- Adequate size range
- Easy fit
- Quality of construction
- Ease of care
- Style
I tested the small-dog versions, and I stayed with the washable versions. There are disposable male dog diapers, but that can get expensive quickly. Some of these have different features depending on the size of the dog. These are all available on Amazon, and some are available on Chewy. Several brands listed below are also available at Walmart. Not all brands have their own website, but those that do are noted.
CuteBone Dog Belly Band
The CuteBone Dog Belly Band comes in nice patterns inside of a zip-closed reusable bag. It has an opening inside that one can fit an extra pad in, which is super handy. This brand was the most absorbent of all five that I tested. The elastic was snug without feeling tight. I was concerned about the look of the Velcro, but it held tight and has a wide coverage. It is machine washable but requires air drying.
Price: From $8.99 – $23.38, package of three
Size range: X-small, small, medium, large, X-large
Whole Dog Journal Rating: Four paws
Teamoy Male Dog Diaper Wrap
The Teamoy Male Dog Diaper belly bands come in two types, with and without an extra pad inside. I tested the kind with the extra pad. This brand was very absorbent, especially with the extra pad. The elastic is snug but not tight, with no leakage. The Velcro is cheap looking, though, and although it held just fine, the coverage is less than the other brands. It’s very plain compared to other brands if one is concerned with style. Machine wash but air dry.
Price: $15.99 – $24.99, package of three
Size range: small, medium, and L1
Price: Without the extra pad $10.99 through $28.99, package of three
Size range: X-small, small, medium, large L2, X-large, and 2XL-large
Whole Dog Journal Rating: Three paws
Wegreeco Washable Male Dog Belly Band
The Wegreeco Belly Bands come in a very nice distressed blue jeans pattern. The elastic is snug but not tight. It has nice-quality Velcro with wide coverage. Machine washable and tumble dry.
Price: $9.95 – $28.99, package of three
Size range: x-small, small, medium, large, x-large, and xx-large
Whole Dog Journal Rating: Three paws
Langsprit Male Dog Belly Bands
The Langsprit Male Dog Belly Band is from a small family-owned business, which I always like to support. It has very nice patterns and feels like quality material unlike some others I tested. The bands were very absorbent, and there was no leakage. However, the elastic does not seem as tight as the others. The Velcro is quality with a wide coverage. Machine wash and tumble dry. Comes with a bit of extra Velcro.
Price: $9.95 – $28.99, package of three
Size range: X-small, small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large
Whole Dog Journal Rating: Three paws
Paw Legend Washable Dog Belly Band for Male Dogs
The Paw Legend Belly Bands were the only ones that I tried that felt silky inside rather than absorbent. I believe that silkiness caused leakage. The elastic of this brand was also not as snug as the others, which likely also contributed to the leakage. The Velcro on the other hand, was super tight, which made them difficult to remove and would potentially cause some anxiety for some dogs. The band comes in plain colors. No care instructions came with them the product, but the listing states machine washable with normal laundry. It makes no mention of drying.
Price: $8.99 through $25.99
Size range: X-small, small, medium, large, X-large, and XX-large
Whole Dog Journal Rating: Two paws
Best Male Dog Diaper: Cute Bone
The clear winner was the Cute Bone brand, with both absorbency and style topping that list. No one’s dog would be embarrassed to be seen in these belly bands. Adding to the winning assets was the handy reusable storage bag as well as the ability to add an additional absorbent pad inside. That is generally how belly bands are expected to be used but I found no other brands that had that opening, aside from the brand that offers an extra pad, but in such limited sizes.
Overall, this is the one that I would choose if I ever need to have my boy dogs limit their marking ability while learning to make better choices. Additionally, I felt that this brand had the best moisture wicking properties, while holding a good bit of liquid. No need to cause skin rashes on one’s dog when they are incontinent.
Second choice was less clear between the Teamoy, the Wegreeco, and the Langsprit brands. I loved the style of the Wegreeco and the Langsprit bands as well as the quality Velcro in the Wegreeco and the Langsprit bands, but it’s tough to ignore the extra pad insert that Teamoy offers, albeit in only the three sizes.
Overall, it all will depend on what is most important to you that they all offer individually. Style over the extra pad, if indeed you have a dog in need who fits into those three sizes. All these brands had good moisture wicking abilities as well as the ability to hold a decent amount of moisture, with the Langsprit slightly lagging behind in moisture wicking.
Unfortunately, the Paw Legend brand was the only belly band with silkiness inside as well as a less secure elastic, and both contributed to leakage. Not good. The last thing any dog parent with a leaky dog needs is an unreliable belly band.
