A season lasts around three weeks and comes round roughly twice a year, which is long enough that disposables turn into both an expense and a small mountain of waste. Washable pants do the same job for a rinse and a machine wash, and they hold their shape rather better than a disposable does on a dog who is determined to sit down and think things over.

Fit is what makes or breaks sanitary pants, because a dog will step out of anything loose inside the hour. These have an adjustable waist and a leak-resistant gusset with an absorbent lining, in a soft fabric that will not chafe over a full day. Thirty variants are listed across sizes S to XL and a long run of prints, including strawberries, cherries, rabbits, bears, stripes and chiffons.

• Washable and reusable, machine washable
• Adjustable waist for a secure fit
• Leak-resistant gusset with an absorbent lining
• Sizes S to XL
• Many prints including strawberry, cherry, rabbit and bear designs
• For dogs in season or with light incontinence

On sizing, and on what these do not solve. Fit follows waist measurement rather than your dog's weight, so measure around the narrowest part of the waist in front of the back legs and check the chart. Buy two or three so one is always clean. And pants contain the mess; they do not prevent a mating, so a bitch in season still needs supervision and a lead outdoors.

Who it's for: Owners of unspayed female dogs in season, and anyone managing light incontinence in an older dog who wants a washable option.