Why does my dog need his own "doggie bed"?
The average adult dog will sleep 14 - 16 hours a day. If you slept that much, wouldn't you want to do it in comfort? Having a washable dog bed of his own gives your dog his own space where he can feel secure. The best dog beds can also save your furniture and help you get a good night sleep by allowing you to have your bed back! Many older or arthritic dogs need a cushiony, firm, supportive bed to relieve pressure on their aching joints. All in all, having his own dog bed will improve the quality of life for your dog. (Of course, he may still enjoy an occasional nap with his person on their bed or couch....)
What size and type of bed do I need for my dog?
To decide what type, shape, or size of bed to get for your dog, you first need to pay attention and figure out how he prefers to sleep. Does he like to curl up in a ball? Does he prefer to stretch out in both directions? Does he spend about half of his snooze time stretched out and the other half curled up?
A dog that enjoys napping all curled up would probably prefer a round or oval-shaped bed that has lots of cushions. There are several types of beds that are perfect for these "snugglers"! A bolster bed is a bed that has cushions around at least three sides of the bed, providing a more contained environment for your dog. He may feel more secure in this type of bed. There are also snuggle or cuddle beds which resemble a bean bag. These beds allow your dog to "nest" and feel surrounded in cuddly comfort. Some beds even have a tent-like cover on them that allows the dog to burrow inside and be completely covered!
If your dog curls up to sleep, measure him in that position at the longest point, then add 7 inches to each measurement. When shopping, make sure that the dimensions of the bed come close to this number.
If your dog prefers to sleep all stretched out, you may want to think about getting him a rectangular, mattress type bed or pad. These type of large dog beds come in many varieties as well, ranging from a thin foam pad a couple inches thick to a deluxe people-like mattress up to 7 inches thick!
If your dog stretches out to sleep, measure him in the stretched-out position and add 12 inches to that number to ensure the bed is big enough to be comfortable for him.
If your dog likes to sleep both ways, an oval or rectangular pad or mattress type bed may do the trick and allow him to sleep comfortably either way. In this case, measure him as you would a dog who prefers to sleep stretched out!
Other things to consider when choosing the type of dog bed are issues such as the age and health of your dog. If you have an older or arthritic dog, you want to make sure that the bed you choose is easy for him to use or possibly heated dog beds. Older and arthritic pets may have trouble getting on and off of a fluffy, snuggly type bed. The firm, the supportive mattress-type bed would be more appropriate in these cases. There are many specialty beds available for orthopedic support. These beds are made of a firmer mattress, baffles stuffed with poly-fil for support or even memory foam. The idea is to not only give your companion a comfortable place to sleep but also an easy bed to get on or off of. Drive, Bestdogbesds, Excel, DOC, PDF
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