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Homemade Dog Wheel Chair Designs

Here's our guide to homemade dog wheel chair designs!

Note that if you're on a limited budget, the cost savings can be considerable when you build your own dog wheel chair.



Rear Leg Support

Barbara from southern California wrote:
I wanted to thank you for giving me the idea in the first place about using a cart. I was just surfing around and came across your website. Meanwhile, my poor Dachshund was dragging his hind legs a lot and developing sores.  I didn't even know a "wheelchair" for a dog was an option, so I thank you much!

See below how she and her boyfriend solved her dog's problem (DIY Design for Dachshund #2).

DIY Design for Dachshund #1

The video above doesn't provide any directions for building the wheel chair. However, it looks like they made a frame out of PVC and painted it pink.

The wheels look like they are fairly lightweight and made of plastic.

It appears they're using nylon straps to suspend the dog's rear in the frame, and to make a harness for the front so the dog pulls the device.

DIY Design for Dachshund #2

Barbara mentioned her boyfriend used "1/4 inch PVC pipe with some elbows connected and some stroller wheels...some denim cloth to make the strap to support his rear...with Velcro so that it was removable, hence, washable. It took all day with some trial and error and going back and forth to Home Depot, but it was worth it! He even put a pocket type thing to slip in a little pee pad for when he 'dribbles' ...a great bonus!"

A later email from Barbara reports, "We started with heavier wheels thinking they would be more durable, but it just seemed to tired him out much too quickly." (She didn't say, but they probably tried lawnmower wheels first.)

DIY Design for Medium Size Dogs

Our PVC Dogge Chariot™ plans that can be built for around USD 85. For dogs from 25 to 50 lbs.

(Sorry, we do not yet have plans for a larger size just for rear leg issues.)

Large Homemade Dog Wheel Chair Designs

Kid John's wheelchair

This design uses large, skinny bicycle tires and a more forward axle, which Kid John’s owner claims provides a more balanced, stable wheelchair. He includes drawings with instructions as well as photos with arrows showing various parts of the wheelchair. 

Harlequin Haven 

This version from a Great Dane Rescue operation is made from a used manual human wheelchair. It offers rear leg, front leg, and quad support. A pretty cheap option if you can find one at a thrift store or yard sale.


Quad Support

For Small Dogs

Here's a photo of a PVC doggy wheelchair with a canvas sling for a small dog who has trouble with at least 3 or all 4 legs. No instructions available however.

Homemade Dog Wheel Chair Designs
For Medium & Large Size Dogs

Our wooden Dogge Buggy™ plans offer rehabilitative quad support via a sling for medium to extra large dogs. Cost to build is about USD 150 (unless you can get the wheels off something else, then it would be much cheaper).


We again mention the Harlequin Haven instructions since this adapted wheelchair can offer a large dog four leg support as well. The former seat is used as a sling underneath the dog's torso.

Quad Designs for All Sizes

Quad Cart Designs for Small, Medium and Large Dogs 
You will need to dig through the instructions to figure these out. May work for someone with a fair amount of experience building things.



Front Leg Support

Commercial designs have taken their existing rear leg wheelchairs and turned them around to provide front leg support. However, we have not found any homemade dog wheel chair designs that offer this feature as yet. Please let us know if you do...

DIY for Small Dogs

Above is the only DIY small dog version we have found thus far.

DIY for Large Dogs

Harlequin Haven has the only homemade version we have seen for large dogs that mentions providing all wheel support.


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