Homemade Dog Carts

Many dog owners are faced with the problem of their beloved pet becoming handicapped. This could be due to old age, an accident or some type of medical problem. When this happens, your dog will be completely dependent on you to care for it and help it get around. However, homemade dog carts can help you give your pet a little more freedom without breaking your budget. You can build your pet a dog cart using items around your home and with a few things that can be purchased from the hardware and pet stores.

Things You'll Need

  • PVC, aluminum or stainless steel pipe
  • Elbow fittings
  • Glue
  • Wheels
  • Harness or two straps
  • Saw
  • Velcro
  • Nuts and bolts
  • Wrench
  • Drill
  • Sewing machine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Get measurements to ensure the homemade dog cart fits your pet perfectly. Measure the length of its back (from inside the front legs to inside the back legs) and around its stomach to see what size harness will be needed. Start measuring from the middle of the back legs to the middle of its front legs for the length of the side rails. Measure the distance of it legs (from its feet to the middle of its hip) to see how tall the cart should be.

    • 2
      Dog carts should be sized to your pet.

      Gather together all of your supplies. For small dogs you can use PVC pipe to make the frame, but if you have a large dog, it would be better to use a more sturdy material such as stainless steel or aluminum. The wheels can be taken from items you have around the home such as wheels from a kid's bicycle, an old tow dolly, baby strollers, kid's wagon or similar items. Match the size of the wheels to the size of your pet.

    • 3

      Choose between using a body harness that covers the pet's entire back or two straps that will be placed in front of the back legs and behind the front legs. Whichever option you choose, make sure it's padded for comfort and that it fits snugly around your pet's body to prevent it from sliding out of place. These can be purchased at most any pet store. You can alter the sides of the harness or straps by sewing a strip of Velcro to all four sides that will be used to hold the side rails in place.

    • 4

      Cut out four sections of the pipe based on the measurements you took. Take the two sections of pipe cut for the length of the legs and drill a hole about an inch above the end of both pipes and use nuts and bolts to attach each pipe to a wheel. Attaching the pipe to the wheels changes the length, so double-check the height. The top of the pipe should fall around the top part of its hips, so adjust the length if needed.

    • 5

      Use the elbow fittings and glue to attach the top of these two pipes to the ones cut for the length of your pet. The side rails should run at a slight angle from the top part of its hips to about the middle or top half of its side when it reaches the front legs. Check the length of the side rails to make sure they will extend past the strap so they won't slide out of the Velcro, but not too far where it will interfere with movement.

    • 6

      Place the harness or straps around your dog's midsection and run the side rails through the Velcro and secure. You pet is now ready to venture out on its own.