How to Make Dog Pants

Dog owners dress their dogs in "human" clothes for a variety of reasons: as a costume, to keep the dog warm or just for fun. Most dog clothes consist of shirts and sweaters, but some people choose to slip a pair of pants on their dog. Aside from dog owners who want their pets to look cute, some dog owners have a more serious reason for putting pants on a dog. Illness, injury or old age can cause incontinence in a dog, resulting in the need to diaper the dog. Pants can help keep the diaper in place.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Fabric scissors or good sharp scissors
  • Material
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Elastic banding
  • Safety pin
  • Needle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the dog from its stomach to its kneepads. Use a flexible tape measure to measure the curve of the dog's hind area. Add 3 inches to that measurement to account for the pants' hem and stomach band.
      This is the measurement of the length of the dog's pants.

    • 2

      Measure the circumference of the dog's hind area, around the area of the dog's crotch and tail (include a few inches where the tail juts out of the dog's body). This is the widest area of the dog's backside and the pants must fit over this area comfortably to pull the pants up on the dog. Add 2 inches for the side seams.
      This is the measurement of the width of the dog's pants.

    • 3

      Cut out two pieces of material that match the measured length and width of the dog pants. Place them together, pattern side facing pattern side. Sew the sides together lengthwise.

    • 4

      Turn one of the width ends underneath 1/4 of an inch and sew it closed. Turn that end underneath 2 inches and sew it closed, leaving a 1-inch gap open along one of the seams. This will serve as the pants' top band.

    • 5

      Cut a "V" shape in the material from the bottom of the material length, opposite the top band. Cut out the "V" from both the front and back pieces of the material. Sew the front and back pieces of fabric together at the "V" to create the pants' legs.

    • 6

      Measure the circumference of the dog's stomach.

    • 7

      Cut a piece of 1 1/2 inch elastic banding to match the measurement of the dog's stomach. Put a safety pin on one end of the elastic banding.

    • 8

      Thread the elastic banding through the closed seam, starting and ending at the open gap. As the side with the safety pin threads through the closed seam, hold the second end of the elastic tightly so that it doesn't disappear into the closed seam. When the safety pin with the elastic reaches the gap from the other side of the seam, sew the two ends of the elastic banding together tightly and sew the gap in the stomach band closed.

    • 9

      Turn the bottom of the pantd legs under, first 1/2 inch and then again another 1/2 inch, and sew the pants' legs' hems.

    • 10

      Turn the pants right side out so that the material's pattern faces outward.

    • 11

      Slip the dog's legs into the pants' legs and pull the stomach band up over the dog till it sits on the dog's stomach. Mark where the dog's tail needs to come through the pants.

    • 12

      Take the pants off of the dog and cut a slit where the dog's tail needs to come out.