How to Make a Belly Band for a Male Dog That "Marks"

Co-authored by Haley Yates and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 11, 2023 References

Sometimes dogs need a little help when you're housetraining them. To discourage your dog from marking inside the house, measure your dog for a band that you can wrap around its belly. Cut a soft fabric according to the measurements and sew a few pieces of velcro onto the ends. Then wrap the band around your dog. You'll have less mess to clean up and your dog will soon learn that marking inside while wearing the band feels uncomfortable.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Measuring the Dog

1
Find the measurement for your dog's belly near its ribcage. Take a tape measure and wrap it around your dog's belly so it's directly behind your dog's rib cage. Keep the tape measure loose so you're not pulling tightly on your dog's belly. Once you've brought the tape around and it's touching the end, write down the measurement.^{[1]
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- For example, a medium-sized dog might have a measurement of 16 inches (41 cm).
2
Measure your dog's belly near its hind legs. Move the tape measure so it's still around your dog's belly but so it's positioned right in front of its hind legs. Keep the measuring tape secure as it goes over your dog's back and write down the measurement where the tape meets at your dog's spine.^{[2]
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- Don't be surprised if the second measurement is smaller than the first. For example, the second measurement might be 14 inches (36 cm) for a medium-sized dog.
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3
Add the 2 measurements together and divide the answer by 2. Look at the 2 measurements you wrote down for your dog's belly and add them together. Then take the answer and divide it by 2. This will give you an average that you'll add 2 inches (5.1 cm) to in order to get the belly band length.^{[3]
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- For example, add 16 inches (41 cm) plus 14 inches (36 cm) in order to get 30 inches (76 cm). Then divide 30 inches (76 cm) by 2 to get 15. Add 2 in order to get a belly band length of 17 inches (43 cm).
Tip: If you're making the belly band for a puppy, add another 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the length so your puppy can continue to use the band as it grows.
4
Determine how wide to make the band by measuring the belly length. Now take the tape measure and wrap it right behind the middle of your dog's ribcage. Feel your dog's ribcage so you can find where its waist starts to narrow near the belly. Extend the tape down until it's 1 inch (2.5 cm) beyond its penis.^{[4]
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- If your dog has a 15 in (38 cm) waist with a belly band that's 17 inches (43 cm) long, the belly band will probably be around 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) wide.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Cutting the Fabric and Batting

1
Cut a piece of tracing paper according to your measurements. Lay a piece of tracing paper over a cutting mat and use a roller cutter or scissors to cut the measurements of the belly band.^{[5]
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- Although you can skip this step, it will save you from wasting fabric if your measurements are off.
2
Wrap the tracing paper around your dog to check the size. Take the piece of tracing paper and wrap it around your dog's belly. Pay attention to how well it fits and make a note of any size adjustments you need to make. The band should fit snugly so it' won't fall off when your dog walks.^{[6]
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- For example, if the paper looks too tight around the belly, add another 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the width measurement.
3
Pin the tracing paper to your fabric. Once you're happy with the belly band measurements, get out your fabric. Fold the fabric in half and lay the tracing paper on the fabric so 1 narrow end of the paper lines up with the fold.^{[7]
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- By cutting the rectangle of fabric out along the fold, you'll end up with a very long rectangle. You'll fold this over so you have a double-layered belly band.
Fabric Options:
Flannel
Cotton
Terrycloth
Avoid polished cotton and polyester
4
Cut out the fabric according to your measurements and turn the fabric. Use a rotary cutter or sharp scissors to carefully cut the 2 long sides of the rectangle. Cut the short end of the fabric, but avoid cutting the short end that's folded. Then fold the fabric so it's inside out.^{[8]
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- If you accidentally cut the folded end of the fabric, you'll still be able to stack and use the pieces.
5
Cut a piece of batting and pin it to the folded belly band. Place a piece of batting on your cutting surface and place the piece of tracing paper or the folded belly band fabric on the batting. Carefully use the scissors or rotary cutter to cut the batting to size. Then place it under the folded belly band and pin it in place.^{[9]
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- The batting will provide padding for the belly band. This will make it more comfortable for your dog to wear.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Sewing the Belly Band

1
Sew around the perimeter of the fabric and leave a 3 in (7.6 cm) gap. Take your belly band over to your sewing machine and start sewing near the center of 1 of the long sides. Leave a ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) allowance and continue to sew around the corner and remaining sides of the belly band. Stop sewing when you're about 3 inches (7.6 cm) from where you started.
- You'll need the gap in the fabric in order to turn the fabric so it's right-side out.
2
Turn the belly band so the right side of the fabric faces up. Insert your fingers into the gap and pull the fabric so you can pull it out through the gap. Remember to reach into the corners to grab all of the fabric.^{[10]
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- The belly band fabric should now be right-side out.
3
Sew around the perimeter and the center of the band. Return the belly band to the sewing machine and sew around the entire perimeter again. Ensure that you sew the gap closed. Then sew across the middle of the belly band.^{[11]
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- Sewing across the center of the belly band will hold the batting in place.
4
Sew a patch of velcro onto each end of the belly band. Get out a package of 1 in × 3 in (2.5 cm × 7.6 cm) velcro fasteners. Place the soft loop velcro piece on the inside of the belly band about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) from the end. Use the sewing machine to sew the perimeter of the velcro so it stays in place. Then sew the rougher velcro piece to the top of the belly band on the opposite end.^{[12]
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- When you bring the ends of the belly band together, you should be able to stick the velcro pieces together.
Did You Know? It's important to put the soft velcro piece on the inside of the band since this will come into contact with your dog's hair.
5
Put the belly band on your dog. Once you've attached the velcro fasteners, bring the inside of the belly band so the center is under your dog's belly. Wrap the ends up and over your dog's back and press the velcro fasteners in place. You can leave the belly band on your dog throughout the day and remove it when your dog needs to toilet outside.
- Ensure that the band isn't too tight or it will be uncomfortable. You should be able to slide 2 of your fingers comfortably under the band.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you get a dog to stop marking?

Haley Yates
Dog Behavior & Training Expert
Haley Yates is a Dog Behavior & Training Expert and the Founder of Petra K9 Dog Training in San Jose, California. With several years of experience, she specializes in behavior modification as well as obedience training. She is an in-home dog trainer and teaches owners how to train their own dogs. She’s previously worked at several dog training facilities and taken classes to perfect her techniques.

Haley Yates

Dog Behavior & Training Expert

Expert Answer

If your dog is marking in the house, make sure that you're using the right type of urine cleaner for your dog. There's a lot of pheromones in dog pee and poop, and if you don't clean up those pheromones, the dog is going to continue going in the house, because they can smell what humans can't. So, even if you're using a nice lavender scented cleaner, that's not going to matter to the dogs, the dogs are still gonna go. So you want to make sure to use a dog urine cleaner that has enzymes in it.
Question

WI'll the belly band hurt the puppy?

DuckLord

Community Answer

Only if it's too tight.
Question

We have a 4-week-old puppy. Is it safe to use a belly band on him?

Madalynluvspigs

Community Answer

Wait a couple more weeks, then do it.

Warnings

If your dog seems to urinate excessively, consult your veterinarian. Some dogs have kidney or bladder infections or other diseases, which can contribute to house training problems.

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If your dog is marking in the house, make sure that you're using the right type of dog urine cleaner that contains enzymes.

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