How to Make Homemade Dog Wheel Chair

While creating a wheelchair for your dog does not have to be difficult, it should be done with the utmost care to ensure your pet's comfort. Take the time to measure your dog's legs to find a comfortable height for the wheels. Be certain the dog is placed so that no part of him will become tangled in the wheels; this may require you to shave your dog's fur on the nonfunctional legs, depending on how you modify the cart design. A cushioned seat is optional, but may make the chair more bearable for your pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Wheels
  • Straps
  • Lightweight board
  • Wood cutting supplies (or precut wood from stores like Home Depot)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Measure your dog. To measure the legs hold the dog in a standing position. You may need one person to hold the dog while the other measures the height. Do not stretch the legs as far as you can, simply let it "stand" on its back legs while you support the weight. In this same position measure the length from about 1 inch behind the front legs, if your dog is tiny, to approximately 4 to 5 inches behind the front legs of a large dog, to slightly before its rear. The goal is for your dog to go to the bathroom independently, so leave enough space for its rear to stick out over the seat without getting waste matter on the seat.

    • 2

      Buy two wheels and a wooden board to lay your dog on. The wheels should ideally be twice as high as your dogs legs are long, so that when the wheel is attached to the board it should be exactly tall enough to suit your dog. The "seat" area can be a slim piece of ply board, wood, or thick, lightweight plastic for a tiny breed. It should be wide enough for you to cut a hole for his legs to dangle through or for a padded seat if he has amputated limbs.

    • 3

      Cut two slots onto either side of the wood. These slots are for the straps that will hold your dog into its new seat. Many supply stores have a service to precut the wood, which you can use if you do not have cutting supplies. You can also use a router to cut out a slot or simply gauge one out using a hand held wood carving tool, if the wood is soft enough (most light weight woods will be). You can use a dremel to cut slots in plastic.

    • 4

      Assemble the chair by attaching the wheels to the board, then slipping straps through the slots. Add a soft cushion if you want. Depending on type of wheels you buy, you may drill the wheels directly into your board. If your wheels come with an axle (similar to what is used on skateboards) you will need to drill the axle into the bottom of the board. Using axle-based wheels is ideal, since they are less restrictive when turning corners. Remember to use appropriately sized screws that won't stick out of the other side of the board.

    • 5

      Slip the dog into its seat and watch it run around. It may be clumsy at first, but should improve with practice. If it doesn't improve you may need to adjust the height or weight of the seat.