Disabled dogs often lose the ability to balance or support themselves when they potty. The squatting position a dog needs to assume to potty requires muscle control and core strength, which your disabled dog may lack.
Giving your disabled dog the support they need to comfortably and safely potty will ensure they live a longer and better quality life. Let’s find out how you can support your disabled dog with a dog sling while they are pottying.
What Is a Dog Sling?
When searching under “dog sling,” you will likely come up with two types of answers. It’s either the sling you use to carry your dog when traveling, usually for small size dogs. Or, and this is the type we use for disabled dogs, it’s a longer length harness that specifically supports the dog’s hindlegs when moving up or down stairs or to help them get up from a sitting or lying down position.
A dog sling fits around the dog’s back legs with longer-length cords or webbed straps that you can hold while standing upright, helping to lift your dog and support their weight.
Uses for a Dog Sling or Support Harness
A closer look at either of these device types shows that either can be used to help your disabled dog, but the longer length type is better for your dog when they are moving or squatting (and for your back too).
When your dog needs assistance while pottying, the longer harness-type sling is better as it has an open construction, which lets your dog do their business (number one and two), without having padded panels in the way.
A longer-length dog sling also helps them move up and down stairs, jump off a sofa, or get up off the ground when they’ve been lying down. You can think of it as an extension of your hands, helping you lift, hold, or support your dog’s back end when they need that extra help.
How to Use a Dog Sling to Support Your Dog
Of course, the sling is merely an assistive device, and it’s going to be up to you to support and help your dog. When your dog is small, it’s not a big deal, but if they are a large breed dog, it can get quite stressful and physically taxing to support them.
So knowing how to help them with the sling when they need to potty is important to help minimize discomfort for you both.
Here are the important considerations to helping your dog potty with a sling.
1. Ensure Your Dog Is Familiar With Being Supported
When you fit a sling to your dog for the first time, it’s important to introduce your dog to the assistive device in a calm manner so your dog doesn’t become afraid or anxious when you fit their sling.
A great start is to train your dog to walk on the leash when they are young as a transition to a harness or sling will be much easier when they are older and perhaps need help. If you haven’t trained your dog previously to accept the leash, then you will have to assist them by teaching them to let you hold them up with your hand when they walk.
For now, it’s important that they let you hold them or lift them when they struggle, and you don’t have to worry about it being specifically when they potty. You also don’t have to fit a sling to do this as it’s more about them accepting any form of support while moving or standing.
2. Choose a Well-Fitting Sling
When your dog is happy to have some support when moving, sitting, or standing, you can progress to choosing a sling for your dog. It’s best to look for a comfortable sling, but preferably choose one that won’t get soiled easily, so avoid fluffy slings that have large padded areas or inserts.
Measure your dog for the sling according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and also take your height into account when you purchase a sling as the handles need to be long enough to stretch from you to your dog when they are on the ground.
For larger breed dogs, you may need to add a little extra length to the handles as you might have to use your shoulder to support their weight better. Or, you can add an additional strap with an old leash to the sling handles, giving you a shoulder loop to use.
3. Prepare Your Dog to Accept the Support
When your dog is comfortable with their sling, you can begin to train them to accept support while they are pottying. Understand that this doesn’t come naturally to dogs as it’s a vulnerable position for a dog to be in when they squat to potty.
Your dog may not want to squat while on the sling, as they could feel uneasy when you support them. Therefore, start by helping your dog across minor hurdles like steps, into the car, or down from the sofa. Soon, your dog will begin to accept that the pressure of the sling and the slight resistance of the straps when you support them will help them.
4. Train Your Dog for a Cue to Potty
Of course, waiting all night for your dog to potty is bad when they’re healthy, but having to carry their weight when they are disabled while waiting for them to potty is not fun at all. So it’s a great idea to train your dog to potty on cue.
Using the same basic principles of training you would use when training your dog to do any trick, you can teach your dog to listen to your verbal cue and potty. Start with timing a cue to when your dog happens to potty. Make a “pst” or “poopy” sound and praise them lavishly when they potty while you are making the sound.
Reward them with a tasty treat too. Repeat this, and when they start to potty when you give the cue, reward them and praise them verbally.
It will be a great aid to be able to take your dog outside and have them potty while they are on the sling without you having to wait hours.
Tip: Keep in mind that dogs are more likely to potty 20-30 minutes after a meal, and this is your golden training window.
5. Providing Sustained Support
The actual process of supporting your disabled dog while they potty is a natural progression from helping them up and down steps to gently holding their rump up when they potty. Try to find a height to support them that is comfortable and most naturally allows them to squat to urinate or poop.
Male dogs that are disabled tend to squat like a girl dog when they become disabled or suffer incontinence, so don’t worry too much about lifting a leg for them.
When supporting your disabled dog with a sling while they potty, you should:
- Try to keep the sling as steady as possible so they don’t feel as if they are unbalanced and will fall.
- Let your dog begin to squat naturally and only take up the extra weight on the sling when they have indicated they are ready to potty.
- Gently lift when your dog begins to show signs of their potty being done. Never lift them when they are still busy pottying.
How to Choose a Dog Sling for Your Dog
You’re ready to look at your first dog sling. There are many different types available online, so be prepared to shop until you find the perfect one.
For Large Dogs
If you have a large breed disabled dog, you want to find a sling like the DSStyles Dog Lift Harness, which offers firm support since it’s made for heavier large breed dogs. The padded leg straps ensure comfort, while the harness is open enough in design to allow your dog to potty without hassles.
Another great plus about this sling harness is that the straps are fully adjustable, and not just the body straps but also the straps for the human handler. This makes the sling ideal for people of different heights, so you can support your dog securely, no matter how tall or short you are.
For Medium and Small Dogs
Medium-size dogs fall somewhere in between large breed and small breed dogs, so by choosing a size sling that fits your medium dog. you would have a sling that fits your dog comfortably. However, small size dogs require more specialized sling fitment than a medium size dog.
For starters, small size dogs have thinner and shorter legs, which means the sling straps need to be thin enough to fit comfortably but also padded enough to comfortably hold your dog without pinching or cutting them.
You would typically need a longer length strap for the sling so you can carry and support a smaller size dog without having to bend forward when holding your dog while they potty.
A good example of a small dog sling is the Tineer Dog Lift Harness for Back Legs because the sling has reinforced handles that allow you to carry and support your small size dog with your hand at waist height. The open construction helps support the legs without your dog soiling their sling harness.
Training Your Dog to Accept a Dog Sling
Your dog’s sling has arrived, and you are ready to start training them. However, not all dogs are so happy to accept a sling for the first time. It may take some work. A dog that’s trained to a leash and collar is more likely to successfully accept your sling, but don’t give up if your dog doesn’t want to initially accept the sling.
Start by ensuring your dog is comfortable with the smell and feel of the sling. Let them play with the sling, rub on it, and accept it being wrapped around their body loosely. Next, teach your dog to accept the restriction of the sling on one leg only. Don’t try to guide your dog with the sling from the start. Instead, take it slowly.
Let your dog become used to having the sling fitted and loosely trailing behind them. Ensure you have a collar and leash fitted to your dog too so you can restrain them if they get a fright and want to run off as you don’t want the sling catching and causing serious injury to them.
Progress to letting your dog accept a little lift over obstacles. Praise them for each acceptance. Reward them if they let you lift their back legs when they’ve been sitting, and you will notice how quickly your dog will look to you to help them up and down from things.
Never leave the sling on your dog without you being near. Always remove it as soon as your dog has play time with or without other dogs to ensure they remain safe.
Final Slings
Ultimately, the sling is a device that helps your dog maintain a more natural position when they potty, and it lets you help your dog to climb over obstacles, into the car, or up steps. With a sling, you can support your dog so they can have a more full and better quality life.
You have to work in partnership with your dog, which means training them to accept the sling and teaching them cues so they know what you are trying to do to help them. Use guide words like “up,” “over,” “potty,” or “lift.”
Become your dog’s partner, helping them live without limitations, but know your own limitations and cultivate patience to help your dog overcome disabilities today.