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Measure your dog’s rear leg from the crease where the thigh meets the body down to the toe pad, with the dog lying on its side and the leg held in a natural standing bend.
A cart that fits starts with two numbers owners often skip: weight and breed. Walkin’ Pets and Eddie’s Wheels both use them to pick frame range and adjustment travel before any measuring. Get the numbers right and a rear-wheel cart usually fits; guess and you send metal back.
What You Need Before You Start
A retractable metal tape measure handles height and length. Eddie’s Wheels rules out soft cloth tapes and asks for a caliper on width, with instructions for folding one from cardboard. A yardstick works as a straight edge and as a scale reference in photos.
You also need a helper. Eddie’s Wheels asks for a straight-on, level side photograph of the whole dog with a vertical tape or yardstick in frame so proportions can be checked against your numbers. Have your dog’s weight and breed on hand, and if your dog can’t hold a stance alone, bring a sling.
The Lying-Down Method Most Owners Start With
Lay the dog on its side and bring the rear leg into its standing position, keeping the slight natural bend. Measure from the crease where the thigh meets the body — or the top of the leg where it meets the abdomen — straight to the toe pad. Don’t pull the leg straight; a stretched leg reads long and a collapsed one reads short.
Walkin’ Wheels also asks for an armpit-to-rump length on dogs under 25 lb, measured from behind the front leg straight back to the end of the body, tail excluded. Those numbers go into its SureFit Calculator to pick a frame.
How The Two Manufacturers Diverge
The measurement sets are not interchangeable; Eddie’s Wheels says its numbers are unique to its carts. Its rear-wheel carts need measurements A through E, taken standing rather than lying down, and include items Walkin’ Wheels never asks for.
| Measurement | Walkin’ Wheels | Eddie’s Wheels |
|---|---|---|
| Stance during measuring | Dog lying on its side, leg in natural bend | Dog standing square, back level, paws flat |
| Tape type | Standard measuring tape | Metal retractable tape or yardstick; caliper for width |
| Rear-leg height | Thigh crease to toe pad | Height series plus floor-to-groin from pelvic floor |
| Body length | Armpit to rump, dogs under 25 lb | Front-leg center to rear-leg start (measurement B) |
| Width | Chest width sets rear width | Widest thigh, no muscle compression; larger thigh wins |
| Photo required | No | Straight-on level side view with scale reference |
| Critical constraint | Frame knuckle lines up with hips | Welded width is not adjustable; height and length are |
Width punishes mistakes hardest. Eddie’s Wheels notes that height and length adjust but welded frame width doesn’t, so it asks for slack around breathing, panting, and leg movement. Walkin’ Wheels keeps at least ½ inch on each side of the hips when setting rear width.
Frame alignment matters as much as the numbers. On a Walkin’ Wheels cart the knuckle should sit level with the hips and the leg rings should hang about 3 inches below the frame. A cart that arrives slightly off is normal; one with the wrong width is not fixable.
Mistakes That Send Carts Back
Measuring a dog standing at a collapsed, injured height is the top error — hence the lying-down method. Pulling the rear leg fully straight, compressing thigh muscle with the tape, and measuring to the tail tip instead of the rump all produce plausible-looking numbers that fit badly.
Using a soft tape on Eddie’s Wheels carts, or measuring a standing dog without leveling its back and flattening every paw, fails the same way. Once your numbers are written down, check the finished fit against guides to dog wheelchairs for back legs before ordering.
After assembly: rear toe pads just touch the ground rather than carry weight, side extenders stay behind the front legs, and the dog can breathe and swing its legs freely. These instructions cover rear-wheel carts only; front-leg and four-wheel setups size differently, and none of it replaces a fitting from your vet or a rehab professional.
Common Questions
Can I measure my dog while it’s standing?
For a Walkin’ Wheels cart, no — the dog lies on its side with the rear leg in a natural bend. Eddie’s Wheels wants the opposite: a standing dog with a level back and flat paws. Follow the method for the cart you’re ordering, since the numbers don’t transfer.
Should I add extra room to the width measurement?
Yes, for breathing and movement. Eddie’s Wheels warns that welded frame width can’t be changed later, so include slack for panting and leg swing. Walkin’ Wheels asks for at least ½ inch clearance on each side of the hips. Length and height adjust; width barely does.
What if my dog can’t stand on its own?
Use a sling or harness to hold your dog in a normal, healthy stance and keep every paw flat on a hard floor. Stand behind the dog so it faces forward, level the back, and take the side photo with a yardstick in frame. Measuring at a slumped, unnatural height gives you a cart that sits too low.
Sources
- Walkin’ Pets. “How to Measure for a Walkin’ Wheels Dog Wheelchair.” Source for the lying-down rear-leg method, armpit-to-rump length, and fit clearances.
- Eddie’s Wheels. “A Visual Guide to Measuring Your Pet.” Source for the standing method, measurements A–E, caliper widths, and photo requirements.
- Eddie’s Wheels. “How accurate do the measurements have to be?” Explains why width is the least forgiving measurement.