A season lasts roughly three weeks and the middle week is the messy one. These washable pants are the calm answer to it, pulled on like a pair of knickers, held by an elasticated waist, and taken off again for a rinse rather than dropped in the bin. An older dog with a weak bladder gets the same benefit, and so does the sofa she has decided is hers.

The body is a soft stretch fabric with an absorbent inner layer and a frilled outer trim, and the elastic runs right around the waist so it stays put without a strap digging in anywhere. Being washable matters for cost, but it also matters for fit: fabric moulds to the dog after a wash or two in a way a disposable never manages. Two colours and three sizes are made.

• Reusable and machine washable between wears
• Elasticated waist for a secure fit without rubbing
• Absorbent inner layer with a frilled outer finish
• Three sizes: XS, S and M
• Two colours: red and yellow
• Suits seasons, house-training and senior incontinence

On sizing and terminology. It is not one, and the difference is not cosmetic: a belly band is a wrap for male dogs, while this is a full pant cut for a female. Sizing stops at M, so treat it as a small-dog item. Through the heaviest days, most owners add a liner inside rather than relying on the pant alone.

Who it's for: Owners of small unspayed bitches in season, and of older girls who have started leaking overnight.