Tips For Choosing the Perfect Dog Bed

September 13, 2021
Josh Elwood
Care

A dog bed is a place of comfort. It is not surprising that the majority of pet owners approach this choice very seriously. Sizes of products for dogs of the large, medium, and small breeds will be different. What can we say about the shape or degree of rigidity – the individual preferences of pets and their sleeping habits are very important here.

Topics we’ll cover:

Types of dog beds
Shapes and sizes
Selection guidelines

Types of Dog Beds

What is the best-fit bed for your dog? The range of options produced today by manufacturers is practically endless. There are nests, baskets, full-fledged orthopedic mattresses, and pillows optimized especially for softness.

Flatbeds

The ideal solution for a large dog or a compact but very long-legged pet is a rug or flatbed. For upholstery, it is better to choose the densest materials. Thinner fabrics will quickly become worn, especially if the dog is actively digging at their bed, which many dogs do.

The best option would be to choose a dog bed made of polyester. The perimeter stitching prevents the mat from crumpling during washing.

Boxed (With Sides)

Ideal for those who like to dig their habitat, hide toys, or bury their nose while sleeping. In addition, such a bed provides the dog with a reassuring shelter that shields intrusive attention. It can also serve as an observation point for hunting breeds.

The basket is another option for a boxed shelter. Such sleeping spaces are made of plastic or natural vine/rattan, and fluffy bedding or pillow in an anti-vandal cover must also be placed inside. For dwarf breeds, today it is proposed to use miniature sofas for sleeping, they can be with different fillings, be completed with accessories. In fact, this is just a kind of pedestal, equipped with back and side bumpers, most often in an angular design.

Shapes and Sizes

What size bed is best for the dog? First of all, you need to measure the pet itself: from the tip of the tail to the nose. The value obtained should be increased by 15–20 cm for a plank bed with sides and by 20–30 cm for a bed without sides in order to obtain the length of the structure.

The height of the body – from the pads of the feet to the croup – will help determine the width of the couch. This parameter needs to be doubled so that the pet is comfortable sleeping on its side. The standard parameters of the couches on sale are as follows:

120×80 cm – an option for large shepherd dogs, retrievers, great danes
110×70 cm – for dogs above average height: dobermans, collies, cops
90×60 cm – for spaniels, terriers, bulldogs, and bassets
70×50 cm – for small breeds: from fox terriers to lapdogs
50×40 cm – for the smallest animals, most often made with sides, in the form of baskets

The shape is selected taking into account the habits of the pet, its temperament. For those dogs that like to sleep curled up, round and oval loungers with bolsters along the sides are suitable options for a sense of comfort and privacy.

If the pet, even in a dream, falls apart with convenience, stretching its paws, the option of a rectangular bed is suitable. Practical quilted models are suitable if the pet regularly empties the bladder in the wrong place – it is convenient to cover them with an absorbent diaper.

When choosing a material for a bed, it is important to consider its ability to withstand mechanical stress, cleaning, and cleaning. As a rule, the plastic option is the most practical – it is suitable for animals of small breeds, many of which do not hold back the urge of the bladder during sleep.

It is better to choose the wooden frame of the bed in the form of a kind of pallet with low (up to 5 cm) sides. Such a solution will appeal to both large dogs and small animals, the variety of design solutions is quite large today. They even create miniature copies of real beds from wood, like those of the owner, make original sofas with removable soft upholstery.

They look beautiful, they can easily withstand long-term use. But if the dog is attracted by the sight of rods connected together, meeting with sharp teeth is unlikely to benefit the design.

Selection Guidelines

There are certain rules for buying a dog bed. First of all, it is worth considering the following points.

The size of the animal

For an adult dog, you should purchase the most spacious bed on which she can stretch her paws. When it comes to a puppy, there are two options for the development of events. For large breeds, it is recommended to purchase a full-fledged extra large dog bed. For small and medium-sized dogs, it is better to immediately choose a bed for growth or buy a transforming model with variable dimensions.

Practicality and simplicity of design in care

The soft part of the litter should be made of hypoallergenic fabric, dense enough, washable well, it is better to choose artificial fluff as a filler. A quality product has an additional anti-static effect. A plastic or wooden frame should repel water, it is excluded the presence of sharp parts, about which the pet can get hurt.

Color spectrum

Beds for small breeds of dogs are often painted in the most incredible colors. The pet itself is indifferent to this moment, but the owner should take into account that spots, drops of saliva, traces of dirty paws will be very noticeable on light material. If the dark bed does not look pretty enough, you can simply sew a few bright replacement covers for it.

Convenience

The owners often strive to choose a bed for a small dog in the form of a full-fledged house, but the pet feels much more comfortable in containers similar to baskets – with an open top. Products with sides have their own peculiarities – an accumulation of dirt and dust forms in the layer between the base and the soft liner. It will have to be carefully removed by hand with every cleaning.

Tips For Choosing the Perfect Dog Bed