Written instructions for building a chair:
IMPORTANT: These instructions were generated over the past years basis ME owners and how they constructed their chairs. It is one way to complete this but there are others who have come up with their own according to their dogs’ needs.
I. Complete Prior to Building or Acquiring a Bailey Chair
A. Confirm Megaesophagus (ME) and any other associated disorders
B. Talk to your veterinarian about best option for getting your dog vertical
II. Know Importance of Building and Using a Bailey Chair
A. Keeps dog vertical to allow gravity to take food to stomach
B. Allows dog to be in proper position safely
C. Allows positive approach
D. Reassures and allows dog to feel like part of the family by keeping it close
SAFTEY TIP: Because safety of your dog is the priority, NEVER leave it alone in the Bailey Chair unattended and out of sight. This means maintaining visual before, during and after feeding until your dog is allowed down.
E. Uses include providing food and water of any consistency options determined as necessary
III. Measure Your Dog
A. Determine correct measurements for your individual dog
NOTE: It will be helpful to have 2 people do this: 1 to stabilize and hold, 1 to measure.
B. Ensure correct positioning for accurate measurement
NOTE: Place your dog in a right angle corner, such as walls or wall and cabinet, and carefully put in begging position.
1. Have dog sit in a right angled corner with back flat against one wall and its left or right side against the other ; allows good back support and keeps body straight
2. Place tail forward between back legs – this is how it will sit in the Bailey Chair
3. Raise dog’s front feet gently to “begging” position keeping back against wall
C. Take 1st measurement – Height
1. Make sure front legs are comfortably bent at first joint (begging position)
2. Hold feet up in the begging position during measurement
NOTE: Legs too high places strain on shoulders, too low creates forward balance problems.
3. Use measuring tape
4. Start from floor up and measure to where the legs bend (the actual bend)
5. Record measurement
D. Take 2nd measurement – Depth
1. Keep dog in same position as 1st measurement
2. Use measuring tape
3. Start at wall dogs back is against
4. Measure to outer most part of dog’s chest at deepest point
5. Record measurement
E. Take 3rd measurement – Width
1. Keep dog in same position as 1st and 2nd measurements
2. Determine “thickest” part of your dog from left to right
3. Use measuring tape
4. Start at wall or cabinet with dog’s side against it
5. Measure to outer most width of your dog at shoulder/upper chest area
6. Record measurement
F. Decide what material you will use for padding inside chair for dogs comfort
NOTE: Can use “closed cell foam” from sporting goods store found as sleeping mats in camping section or exercise mats, bedding, comforter, etc.
IV. Design/Sketch Chair on Paper Using Measurements Taken on Your Dog
A. Know reason for sketching chair on paper
1. Allows you to know how it is to look
2. Ensures accuracy for fitting your dog
3. Ensures you purchase proper amount of materials
B. Design side panels (see Figure 1 – Side Panels) – there will be two of these
1. Draw side of panel
a. Draw a line straight up and down toward left side of paper
b. Hold ruler or tape at bottom of line and measure upward
1) Measure using 1st Measurement – Height from III. C. (b.)
2) Add an additional 1 ½ inches higher to help hold dog vertical and use as possible chin rest (c.)
2. Draw bottom of panel
a. Draw line across top beginning at left side, highest end of IV. B. 1.
b. Hold ruler or tape at left, top corner and mark the following
1) Measure ½ inch for inside padding (e.)
2) Measure using 2nd Measurement – Depth from III. D. above (d.)
3) Add additional 3 inches for PVC pipe slot as arm rest (a.)
4) Add additional 1 ½ inch to help hold crosspiece for arm rest (f.)
3. Complete side panels by connecting lines – should be rectangular in shape
4. Mark and draw slot for PVC pipe as arm rest
a. Go to 3 inch line segment marked (a.)
b. Use both sides of (a.) and measure down and mark 1 ½ inches from additional length added for height (IV. 1. b. 2 above)
c. Use both sides of (a.) and measure down 3 more inches – diameter of PVC pipe
d. Connect lines – should be rectangular shape
NOTE: The 3 inch in diameter area of this slot will hold the PVC pipe arm rest. (see Figure 1 – Side Panels).
C. Design trim pieces for side panels (See Figure 2 – Trim Pieces) – there will be two of these
NOTE: The trim will provide added support to side and back panels at top when attached and will cover the outside of the slot for the arm rest to keep the PVC from sliding out.
1. Draw a line straight up and down toward left side of paper
a. Hold ruler or tape at bottom of line and measure upward
b. Measure and mark (c. + g.) from side panel drawing
2. Draw a line across top
a. Hold ruler or tape at top, left corner
b. Measure and mark (e. + d. + a. + f.) from side panel drawing
3. Draw other side and bottom using same measurements in 1. and 2.\
D. Design back panel (See Figure 3 – Back Panel)
1. Draw line straight up and down toward left side of paper
2. Measure and mark total height of side panel measurement
3. Draw a line connecting to height across the top left to right measuring the following as you go
a. Start with ½ – 3/8 inch for plywood width (a.)
b. Add width of padding to be used (b.)
c. Add ½ – 3/8 inch to provide room for dog to move (c.)
NOTE: May use extra padding after built if too large.
d. Measure and add 3rd Measurement – Width from III. E. (d.)
4. Measure and mark same additions (3. a. b. and c.) on other side of width
E. Design base (See Figure 4 – Base)
1. Draw total length and width from side panels and back panel in center of page
2. Add additional 3 inches to front and back for stability
3. Add additional 10 inches on each side for stability
V. Assemble Necessary Materials, Tools and Supplies
A. List what’s needed for full project
1. Plywood sheets
IMPORTANT: These will be used for the whole chair so will require calculation of plywood sheet size required from drawings. Recommend using ½ inch plywood for smaller dogs and ¾ inch or larger for dogs weighing more than 60 pounds.
2. Straight edge
3. Pencil
4. Screws – 3 sizes with flat heads so they sit flat and do not scratch the floor surface when chair is used
NOTE: Use different screw sizes for specific parts of this project.
a. Get approximately 12 screws for support brackets; need to be no longer than the thickness of plywood you choose to use (e.g., for ½ inch plywood use screws no longer than ½ inch)
b. Get approximately 12 screws for cross piece; need to be no longer than 2 times the thickness of plywood you choose to use (e.g., for ½ inch plywood use screws no longer than 1 inch)
c. Get about 12 screws to assemble panels, trim and base
5. L-shape metal support brackets (small dog chairs – 1 for each side, large dog chairs – 2 each side)
6. Clamp (OPTIONAL)
7. Drill – for making holes before fitting screws and (OPTIONAL) has screw driver head for easier use than screwing in by hand
8. Jig saw
9. Paint (OPTIONAL)
10. Measuring tape
11. Wood glue (OPTIONAL)
12. Screw drivers – regular slotted head and Philips head
13. Safety goggles for eye protection
14. Three inch diameter PVC pipe about 2 feet long
15. Some sort of lining (padding) for inside chair – can use “closed cell foam” from sporting goods store found as sleeping mats in camping section or exercise mats, bedding, comforter, etc.
16. Sand paper, sanding block or orbital sander to smooth all edges to avoid splinters and sharp edges
17. Hack saw (OPTIONAL)
B. Lay out all materials, tools and supplies you already have on hand
C. Determine and list amounts of material and supplies needed
D. Purchase what you need
NOTE: May use 4 foot by 4 foot sheets of plywood for most chairs. Pending size of chair required to fit your dog will determine how many sheets you need.
VI. Build the Bailey Chair
NOTE: Place each piece of plywood on supports such as saw horses for ease of marking and cutting. Make measurements and identification in pencil on back (rough) side of plywood. Want to use smooth side for inside chair.
A. Mark all outside measurements of two side panels, back panel and base on pieces of plywood
1. Make all outside cuts with a jig saw
SAFETY TIP: Wear safety goggles to avoid eye injury.
   SAFETY TIP: Be careful not to saw through supports on which your plywood is resting.
2. Mark each panel with identification (i.e., right side, left side, base, back, side trim)
3. Sand all outer edges
a. May use fine or medium grit sand paper
b. May use sanding block
c. May carefully use electric sander
SAFETY TIP: Use safety goggles to avoid eye injury.
4. Place both side panels together and on lay on raised cutting surface used earlier
5. Make sure they are perfectly aligned all around
6. May use clamps to hold the 2 panels stacked together during cutting
B. Make the slots in the side panels for the arm rest
1. Use side panel drawing to mark measurements on top piece of stacked plywood side panels
2. Note the drawing of the slot will be rectangular at this point (See Figure 5)
3. Stand PVC pipe on end and place inside rectangular slot so it touches both sides and the bottom
4. Trace around outside of PVC pipe – will make a circle
5. Remove pipe and draw a little outside the circle (about 1/16 inch) to make sure there is plenty of room for arm rest to fit in slot (See Figure 6)
6. Cut both pieces at once in U shape
a. Cut along the shape of the circle from PVC +additional 1/16 inch
b. Use jigsaw to cut down one side of slot, around corners at bottom and back up other side of slot (See Figure 7)
SAFETY TIP: Wear safety goggles to avoid eye injury. Be careful not to cut through supports holding plywood underneath.
7. Take PVC and slide in and out of slot to ensure ease of movement – want some “play” (room) around pipe in slot
8. Sand edges of slots
C. Assemble side and back panels
1. Pick up 1 side panel and the back panel
2. Attach back panel to outside, back edge of side panel
a. Use drill or screw driver and screw in from back toward front
b. Use larger screws (1 ½ inch for ½ inch plywood)
c. Use at least 3-4 screws spaced evenly apart
3. Attach other side panel to the back panel same way as first
D. Attach side panels + back panel to base
1. Use drawing and mark all lines where chair will sit on base
2. Place attached side and back panels on these lines so lines are showing on outside of base
3. Mark/trace across bottom back of side and back panels and make sure front part of chair at bottom is same as back panel measurement
NOTE: May need to push slightly out on sides at the front as it doesn’t have the back panel keeping the opening exactly the same as across the back.
4. Keep panels sitting on base and draw lines on base at bottom inside along both side panels and back panel – this allows the width of your plywood into which the screws will attach base to panels
5. Remove panels from base and set nearby – should see 2 u-shaped lines drawn on Base
6. Make sure base is up off ground on supports
7. Drill 3 holes in each side and 2 holes in the back
a. Drill downward through base and in-between u-shaped lines
b. Make evenly spaced
8. Place panels back on drawn lines and have someone push down from top to hold in place on lines
9. Reach underneath, place drill bit in each hole and drill upward to make holes in bottom of panels
10. Use long screws with flat heads to avoid scratching floor
a. Insert screw from bottom upward
b. Screw in using screw driver or drill with attachment
c. Make sure screw lines up with holes in panel and goes in straight
d. Don’t want any part of screw protruding inside panels
11. Attach all screws around side panels and back panel from bottom upward
E. Make and attach outside trim
1. Draw trim pieces on plywood from measurements (See Figure 2 – Trim Pieces)
2. Make all outside cuts with a jig saw
SAFETY TIP: Wear safety goggles to avoid eye injury.
   SAFETY TIP: Be careful not to saw through supports on which your plywood is resting.
3. Sand all outer edges
a. May use fine or medium grit sand paper
b. May use sanding block
c. May carefully use electric sander
 SAFETY TIP: Use safety goggles to avoid eye injury.
4. Have another person hold 1 trim piece at top, outside of one side panel
a. Use screws no longer than 1 inch
b. Attach from inside to outside
c. Place 2-3 screws evenly spaced
5. Repeat E. 4. For other side panel trim piece
IMPORTANT: The trim will cover the slot on the outside to keep the PVC pipe arm rest from sliding sideways while in use.
F. Make arm rest using PVC
1. Pick up PVC pipe
2. Set 1 end in slot on 1 side, measure and mark pipe to other side of where it will be in slot on other side
3. Draw a line around the pipe using the measurement from F. 1. So cut will be straight
4. Cut with jigsaw or hack saw
SAFETY TIP: Wear safety goggles to avoid eye injury.
   SAFETY TIP: Be careful not to saw through supports on which your plywood is resting.
5. Drop cut piece into slot to ensure fit – can trim or sand to fit
G. Attach stability brackets (See Figure 8 – Stability Brackets)
1. Use L-shape support metal brackets (1 each side for small dogs, 2 each side for larger dogs) to attach on outside of both side panels
2. Center (if using 1) or space evenly (if using 2)
3. Attach using shortest screws
4. Screw in from outside to inside
IMPORTANT: Make sure screws don’t show on inside or dog could get cut.
VII. Add finishing touches
A. May paint outside of chair (OPTIONAL)
1. Prime, then paint
2. DO NOT paint inside
B. Choose and use comfortable material for inside chair and on top of sides (some dogs lay their neck/head over this part)
1. Can use foam – cut with scissors, attach with wood glue
2. Can use bedding such as comforters, blankets – may lay this around and over sides and top
C. Cover arm rest (wrap around and secure) with comfortable material
1. Can use same foam padding used inside
2. Secure with straps, bungee cords, etc.
D. Have a soft surface for bottom where dog will sit
1. May use pillow, garden kneeling pad, etc.
2. Place pillow case over cushion for easy cleaning
E. May add wheels (OPTIONAL)
F. May add handle to front for pulling (OPTIONAL)
G. May make additional trim piece for outside top of back panel (OPTIONAL)
H. May place furniture felt pads on bottom of base to protect floor (OPTIONAL)