I talk alot about sleeping when coaching families in how to do dog listening. When I send my puppies off to their new homes getting them to sleep is the number one priority but sometimes we also just need some practical common advice too! I have made 24 years of mistakes attempting to get the best dog bed for my dogs so here is my experience.
If you are choosing adult dog beds here is a list of all the problems I have had over the years and my winning bed.
Anything with foam in it – Tuli just loved to dig at it until the fabric split and there were foam bits everywhere.
Large squishy cushions – whenever given anything clean and new Rosie has to wee on it to make it safe, she only needs to do this once but for this type of bed the smell just gets worse. A nightmare to get clean enough again.
Hard plastic beds – they get damp underneath, condensation forms so you have to change and dry the bedding everyday.
Crates – same problem condensation under the bottom of the plastic tray so the bedding has to be changed and dried everyday.
Natural Baskets – we had the most beautiful hand woven dog baskets in Zimbabwe which is wonderful until you get fleas and then they have to basically be burnt! Out there we would line them with old acrylic blankets, in those days I didn’t even know what vet bedding was!
Wooden frame with vet bedding – very hard and the wood starts to get wet and smell. Also heavy to move around when cleaning the floor.
THE WINNER
A lightweight metal frame with a stretcher of breathable fabric. I bought mine from Cooleroo but there are several companies doing a similar bed. I layer up vet bedding on top which is easy to wash and dries all on its own on the bed if the dogs themselves get damp from rain. This also means the dogs can ‘make’ their beds and scratch it around harmlessly into whatever form makes them happy. When its hot you can take the vet bedding off and the bed is literally designed to keep the dogs cool. Rosies one wee to make it feel safe also dries quickly and the smell dissipates. Lupin can have her head rest cushions on the side. All the dog hairs in the room get magically sucked underneath the bed, all the dust from the dogs drops through the bedding and netting too so a quick hoover underneath makes cleaning quick. Its light and easy to move around, to wash it a quick hose down and soap outside and the job is done, it dries super quickly.
Its taken me 24 years of the wrong dog beds to work out this is the ONE for all my dogs and their foibles. Its the one that makes me happy too. It is cosy for one dog but also big enough for the whole family. I often feel quite jealous when they are all laid out snoring together.
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