Dog Beds 101: Create a Safe and Comfy Space for Your Pooch

If you thought that your dog doesn’t need a good and comfy space for itself, know that you’re wrong. Just like humans, dogs love having their own bed to lounge and sleep on. Dog beds are one of the most valuable home essentials for puppy owners, and there’re many reasons behind that.

Benefits of Dog Beds

First of all, even though you think that it’s really adorable to have your dog sleeping beside you in your bed, know that this is the worst idea ever. Not only do dogs receive very limited space in human beds, but mattresses intended for humans are hard, uneven and very uncomfortable for them. This leads to low-quality night’s sleep, bad posture, weaker joints and therefore your dog becoming irritable and unenthusiastic. On the other hand, having a suitable bed that is designed to accommodate your dog’s specific needs will contribute to its general health and well being.

Aside from being comfortable, specially designed dog bedding can keep your puppy warm and toasty unlike sleeping on the cold, sturdy flooring. What’s more, dogs also feel safer in their own special nests, especially during thunderstorms and inclement weather conditions.

And just like us, dogs also want their personal space where they can escape noisy guests, running children and even you and your family for a while. Having its own peaceful corner is great for the moments when your pooch just needs a short break. And aside from this, dogs tend to sleep for around 10 hours per day, which means sharing the bed and competing for the sofa with you is not convenient at all.

And finally, dog beds aren’t only beneficial for your lovely furry friend, but they’ll also save you from the frustration of “kneaded and burrowed” beds, sofas and rugs once your pooch decides to take a nap. But this won’t be the case once you get a dog bed, since once your puppy receives its own place, it’ll forget about your sofa and your designer rug right away.

How to Choose the Right Bed for Your Dog

Whether you decided to take a look at the range of dog beds online or at your favourite brick and mortar pet stores, it’s important to make the right choice so your puppy gets the most out of its new resting place. This is why we put together a couple of tips to help you choose the best option.

Types of Dog Beds

The first step of the process is to get to know the different types of beds for dogs and decide which one will suit your pet’s needs mostly.

Standard Beds

This is one of the types that is most commonly chosen among dog parents. This is due to standard beds being the cheapest option on the market, and suitable for every age and breed of dog. They don’t feature any rims, edges or special foams, but only cushions and pillows that dogs find very comfy.

Doughnut

Doughnut shaped bed dogs are also a popular option since they feature a round shape with a hole at the centre where your dog can curl inside for hours while being surrounded by soft and comfy rims. But if you’re having a senior or aging dog, have in mind that the raised rims may be too high for them.

Elevated

Elevated dog beds are also a great choice since they’ll serve as a barrier between your dog and the cold and dirty floor, which will automatically keep your lovely pooch away from the ground and protect it from many annoying insects and even pests. But these beds are not recommended for dogs that suffer from back problems and breeds that are prone to them such as Beagles, Bulldogs, King Charles Spaniels, Pugs etc…

Kennel

Kennel dog beds are a great option for dogs that want to spend time inside their crates or kennels. This is due to the rims and the entire kennel’s frame giving your dog a feeling of security and safety while resting on its perfectly soft mattress inside. Aside from this, kennel beds are perfect if you’re travelling together with your dog, so make sure you don’t skip them if you’re getting ready for a new trip.

Finally, orthopaedic dog beds are mostly intended for senior dogs as well as for dogs that are suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. Such beds are usually made from specialized foam paddings that will follow the natural shape of your dog’s body anatomy and relieve the pressure from its bones, joints and other vulnerable areas. Some of them can even feature heating elements inside their constructions to provide the most comfortable sleeping surface for puppies suffering from joints pain and muscle spams.

Materials

Dog beds can be made of a variety of materials, but truth be told, some of them are better than others. For instance, polyester is one of the best choices since not only is it a naturally hypoallergenic material that won’t cause any allergies in your dog, but polyester also tends to trap the heat and keep your dog warm and toasty while it’s sleeping. Aside from this, polyester is one of the cheapest options on the market.

When it comes to the dog bed’s padding, foam fillings are preferred due to them offering maximum support for your dog’s body without the surface compressing at all. Talking about foams, memory foams are the best choice since they’re orthopaedic, feel softer and help to release the pressure from your dog’s bones and joints.

Sizes

Once you start exploring dog beds online or in your closest pet shop, you’ll notice that dog beds come in many different sizes too. Choosing the right one for your pooch is very important since you can imagine how uncomfortable it can be sleeping curdled or stretched out on the side or the back.

For this purpose, make sure you measure your dog with a measuring tape before you invest in something that won’t feel comfortable. If your dog is a side or a back sleeper, measure from the tip of its nose to his rump and from the crown of its head to its pads while it’s sleeping. On the other hand, if your dog tends to curl in a ball and fall asleep in that position, then it’s best to measure its diameters side to side and top to bottom, also while it’s sleeping.

Once you get the right measures, make sure you carefully check the manufacturer’s sizing chart and determine the perfect size. If you’re not sure about it, or your dog is an in-between size, then it’s best to get the larger one.

Introducing the New Bed to Your Dog

Once you get the right bed for your pooch, it’s time to introduce it to it. At this point, know that dogs are creatures of habit, and they tend to accept changes not that easy. But don’t worry, there’re still a couple of things you can do to ease this process for both you and your lovely puppy.

So first of all, if your dog was sleeping together with you in your bed, you can try rubbing your hands on the dog bed’s surface or put an old shirt of yours on top of it. This will make the bed smell like you, and therefore make your pooch feel safer and more comfortable. You can also put its favourite blanket on top of it, so it knows that the bed belongs to it.

Treats are always of great help when introducing new things to your puppy, so make sure you praise and treat it a lot when spending time on its new bed, so it can associate it with positive things only.

If your dog still resists or doesn’t want to spend time on its new bed, don’t force the process. At the end of the day, your puppy may still not be ready for new changes, so it’s best to delay it until you feel that it’s ready for new habits again.

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