Ah, who doesn’t love a good bed? Anyone who has traveled knows the value (and rarity) of finding, Three Bears style, just the right bed. It appears that our dogs share the joy of a perfect sleeping place, and I thought it would be a useful discussion to ask all of you what your dogs like best.
I won’t suggest that I have any “perfect” answers. First off, there is no such thing, because surely dogs vary as much as people in what they like best. I remember once, while traveling for a sheep dog trial, putting a blanket I’d brought onto the bed and gleefully asking my dogs to jump up and sleep with me. They didn’t get to do that at home and I assumed that both Luke and Lassie would be thrilled. (Okay, I was probably most excited of all of us.) Both dogs lept up onto the bed enthusiastically. Luke licked my face, padded around awhile, lay down, got up, lay down, got up (rinse and repeat)… and then finally jumped off. Lassie curled up in a ball by my hips and never moved the entire night. If she could talk I’d imagine she would have said: “It’s about time I was allowed to sleep where I’m supposed to sleep.”
Lassie loved soft and warm. Luke, I suspect, was too hot. At present, I don’t let Willie on the bed at night, primarily because of my asthma and partially because I think he’d keep me awake a lot. Tootsie comes up in the morning for cuddles after she is done with her Kong, but both her and Willie sleep in their own dog beds in the bedroom. Tootsie loves her cozy “circle bed” when it’s cold; she curls up like an arctic fox and covers her nose with her tail. Pretty darn cute. When it’s warmer she sleeps on a ‘faux’ lamb’s wool pad or the dog bed mentioned below. Willie mostly sleeps in an old, well-worn “do-nut” like bed with pillows on the outside of a circle and a separate pad in the middle, but he too varies where he sleeps.
However, a neighbor just happens to be in the dog bed business (lucky me!) and kindly brought over some beds for my dogs to try. Her company is Dawg Tired, which makes high-end dog beds with quality materials and easily cleanable surfaces. The beds are basically stuffed pads with great covers, with no “pillows” for a dog to rest its head, but I have to say that it’s common for me to look over and see Willie, Tootsie or Sushi the cat curled up on it. Sushi isn’t allowed in the bedroom because of my allergies (it’s tough on all of us), but if I forget and leave the door open, I can pretty well guarantee she’ll be curled up on the Dawg Tired bed. It has developed what must be a comfy depression in the middle, which appears to be “one size fits all.”
As much as they love the Dawg Tired pillow, most of my dogs often seem to enjoy having a “pillow” for their heads, so I’m pleased that Dawg Tired is coming up with beds that fit that description soon. LL Bean has some nice versions that they call Dog Couches, I like the looks of these too.
Here’s what we have in the house now:
Here’s Tootsie on one of the Dawg Tired beds. The beds have one side in fleece and the other side in a super hardy, water proof waxed-cotton or heavy duty denim. All the animals seem to like it a lot, but I have to say that Sushi would probably fight for it if she was given a chance.
Also in the house: a gazillion faux lambskin fleece pads in a variety of sizes. They are all over the place: in crates when it’s cold outside, on the rug for a soft surface for the dogs (and me) to rest. I love them because they are washable, long-lasting and come in a variety of sizes. I’m not sure what I would do without them. The ones I use are by Comfort Zone, called “Polyester blend lambskin, Double pads — Fleece” on the labels.
Here’s Tootsie on one in her sleeping crate in the bedroom. I never close the door to this crate anymore, she can sleep wherever she wants in the bedroom at night. She chooses to go in it often however, so haven’t taken it down yet.
A non-fleece pad, also made by Comfort Zone, that is much cooler for hot weather, but comfortably padded. It’s surface is Water Repellent and super easy to clean. I have this in Willie’s crate right now and we both love it. It’s called “Pet-o-Ped” on the label. I don’t have a photo, but picture a simple pad covered in an easily cleanable blue fabric. I can’t imagine going without these anymore either.
A large circular “couch” for Willie that he loves to sleep in, especially when it’s cool outside. He often rests his head on the “pillow” part. Apologies to readers and the manufacturer: it was made by a small local company and I’ve lost track of them. It’s getting a bit, uh, old, and I might replace it with another “couch” soon. Tootsie also has 2 Cav size couches, which she also adores, just as much as Wilie. One is in the living room, and she uses when she decides she doesn’t want to share my attention with Willie while we watch TV together (well, I watch, they mug for petting). She’ll stand on my chest and lick my face, settle in by my shoulder for a long round of belly rubs and then move to her couch while I continue petting Willie on the other side.
Here’s Willie last night in his. This version comes in two pieces, a circular part with a ‘pillow’ on the outside with a removable, washable cover, and a center pad that is harder to clean but admiringly hardy.
Tootsie’s Circle Couch: That’s not a product name, just the way I describe her favorite beds when it is cold outside. They are perfect for coiling up in a circle, covering one’s nose with one’s tail and settling in for a winter’s nap. It was pretty hot when I took this, so she’s sprawled out a bit.
Katie Martz’s Dogo, Lily, loves her Cozy Cave like life itself. As a thin-skinned Dogo, she especially loves being warm, so Katie says she’s in this even when it’s toasty outside. I’m inspired to get one for my dogs, it looks so cozy. Do they make one for people?
Then there are beds, with special “egg carton” surfaces, or elevated ones like the Coolaroo Elevated Pet Bed. These types of beds are often argued to be good for dogs with orthopedic problems: . It’s very popular on Amazon, with 558 5 star, ratings. I’ve never had one, anyone comments?
West Paw in another very popular brand in the States, although the Organic Bumper Bed does have a few complaints about the filling not lasting very long. I got one for Tootsie but she wasn’t a fan, didn’t seem to like getting in and out.
What about you? I know, some of us would call our dogs spoiled because we buy them their own sleeping pads, but hey… they deserve it. I’d love to hear about your favorites.
Certainly, as always, we must remember that every dog is different: I remember Bess, one of my first Border Collies, furiously digging out the soft straw I had put into her kennel on cold nights to keep her warm. I had seven dogs then and a husband who insisted on a “two dogs in the house at night rule.” (In his defense, by the time we got divorced I think there were 4 or 5 dogs in the house.) Bess hated the straw I kept adding for warmth and softness, but it took me a couple of days to accept that she wanted to sleep on cold, hard wood. To each his or her own!
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Yup, that’s where I am. In heaven, still kicking back and getting refreshed for lots of wonderful things to come this summer and fall. I’ll be back at work next week, looking forward to launching our all-new website. Oh boy Oh boy.
Shannon says
Great topic! It took me and my dog some trial and error before we absolutely fell in love with Molly Mutt dog duvets (http://www.mollymutt.com). What I love about this bed is that it’s easy to wash, affordable to change covers to go with any decor and it’s eco-friendly because you stuff it yourself! For me it was this last reason that was the kicker as my dog has severe separation anxiety. With Molly Mutt, I stuff the duvet with old clothes or blankets that smell like me – helping my dog when I’m not at home. The have a waterproof version, outdoor covers, bumpers and now crate covers too! I can’t say enough about this awesome product.
Kimm says
My dogs use either their futon, my couch futon with me, one of two elevated beds that I made out of PVC and outdoor furniture fabric, foam car booster seat that is in the house, and for my SD SPoodle when travelling she has a large foam backed bath mat from Costco. The Bichons and SPoodle sleep in bed with me, luckily I am not allergic to my dogs, just the rest of the world.
Martha Kennedy says
Essential for my semi-incontinent old girl – The SnooZZy OrthoAir dog bed. (http://www.dogbedsandcrates.com/products/snoozzy-orthoair-dog-bed.html) I have these all over the house and bought extra covers – easy to remove and wash. For nightime it works best for us to first flod a towel on it, then the fleece cover. This keeps her dry all night even if it adds to the washing. You can add the amount of air needed to make it the right softness. And I add a pillow as she loves her pillow!
Terrie says
Zeus has three places he likes to sleep. He used to have an egg crate foam bed, but that went away after he was massively sick all over it. He’d use that one when I had the blinds on the sliding glass door open, to bask in the sun. These days, he sleeps on my futon, which I leave in the down position, depite the fact that’s it’s mainly my couch, because I like stretching out my legs in front of me when I watch TV. It has a removable canvas cover that I can wash, so dog hair and smell are no big deal. He sleeps there mainly during the day when I’m at work. (Man, I wish I had a life that hard). The second bed, where he sleeps at night, is an old Tweety Bird comforter I picked up at a thrift store for about $5. He loves it. He can rearrange it, drag it around, and I can wash it, so I love it as well. We’ve been through other blankets (all thrift store purchases), since they eventually get ripped, but this one has lasted over 18 months. He mainly parks it right outside my bedroom door, so he can keep an eye on my comings and goings at night. Finally, when there’s something that’s got him barking and upset (mainly fireworks or fighting cats), I let him sleep in my room because it’s the only way he’ll be quiet. He sleeps on the bed (attempts to get him to sleep on the floor are treated as a declaration that I don’t love him anymore), where he hogs the covers horribly.
The cat, as a cat, tends to move in the night. He starts out on top of the dresser, moves onto the bed for the middle of the night, and then curls up on his cat tree once the birds start chirping.
Beth says
Love giving my guys beds to sleep on though they sometimes will sleep in places (and positions) that I wouldn’t think was comfortable. In all of their crates, with an extra in the living room, my pups sleep on Kuranda beds. These are a type of elevated bed that is guaranteed to be indestructible, and so far they are handling pretty well with dogs who get bored easily when crated and will destroy anything they can get their paws on. I had initially got them due to having two dogs with joint issues (one with LP, one with HD) and I do see a slight improvement with movement. They also don’t really need to lift their body up to get out, since the floor is lower than them they can just stretch a leg out and touch the floor. My one guy loves it so much that he even tries to squish himself on the small one:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/428284_10150535237876379_1529880207_n.jpg
Another favorite place is on a collapsible sphere chair often sold to college students. They are practically push each other off to sleep on in, and if any human has to audacity to sit in it, the pups start to give those begging puppy eyes until there’s an opportunity to steal that space back. Get up for a second and there will be a dog in that chair before you know.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/408004_10150557851466379_1790709528_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/535431_10150698808316379_210403221_n.jpg
suenosdeuomi says
I bought all three of my furry friends faux sheepskin beds and I was adamant about them not sleeping on my bed or getting up on the couches until – our Pretty Kitty joined us. Impossible to tell a cat to stay off the bed, especially after I had fallen asleep. So I bought real sheepskin at first to cover my pure white linen sofa, but eventually changed that sofa for one a bit less vulnerable to the wear and tear of my furry friends. Last night I squeezed myself in between my pups late at night and they, now accustomed, make room for me. While I was kinda squeezed to the edge of our bed, I still find it very cozy. I actually woke up thinking that I really do not care for beds that much, but like the way of cats to plop down anywhere their fancy strikes them. There is a certain freedom in such that I treasure. (http://www.flickriver.com/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/7185515369/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/4678956344/in/set-72157607473404991/#/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/4678956344/in/set-72157607473404991/lightbox/ and http://www.flickriver.com/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/3061912774/#/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/3061912774/in/set-72157607473404991/lightbox/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/4369283442/in/set-72157607473404991/#/photos/phenomenalgirlfriends/4369283442/in/set-72157607473404991/lightbox/)
Lori A. says
I made a giant splurge a few years ago and bought my terrier a Bagel Bed from Nutzy Mutz and Crazy Catz in Madison. A company called Fydo makes the beds; my dog loved it! He looked adorable all snuggled in it. I kind of wanted to crawl in it myself. http://www.foryourdogsonly.com/product_bagelbed.html
When my old boy started getting really arthritic, I bought him two beds made by a company called Laika. The beds are made of thick foam which really helped him not be so stiff and I think they improved his quality of life the last year he was with me.
http://www.amazon.com/Laika-Design-Orthopedic-Antimicrobial-X-Large/dp/B0032UX3WM
I highly recommend both types of beds.
Kitt says
My old standard poodle who had heart disease was much enamored of the Canine Cooler bed. It’s essentially a water bed for dogs that has a squishy, water-absorbent pad inside a vinyl cover. It works great at dissipating body heat.
Not for dogs that chew, but perfect for giving an old dog a soft, cool surface to lie on.
Susanne says
When we redecorated my daughter’s bedroom, bed and all, instead of throwing away her worn out twin mattress I drug it into the family room, made a twill fitted sheet style cover for it, and made it into one huge dog bed. I loved watching my four old lady dogs (all GSDs over the age of 9) laying side by side across the bed. They looked so comfy. When the old mattress was finally too old even for dogs I replaced it with two crib mattresses from Wal Mart. At less than $40 each they were a steal, but making or finding a good dog suitable cover cost a little extra. The dogs love them.
Marianna says
I am very fortunate to have a mom that sews. She made me square covers that zip and I fill them with the egg crate bed cushions. When I had an incontinent old girl, I put plastic around the egg crates inside to keep it dry. My mom even made me some outdoor beds for my deck from patio furniture material that is water resistant.
I also have 2 of the Orvis donut type beds. I find my dogs and cats move all over without rhyme to reason.
I love to read about dog and cat products. All types. Great topic. Thanks.
Adria says
We have a burrow bed called “Cozy Cave” (http://www.inthecompanyofdogs.com/itemdy00.asp?ID=17,470&GEN1=Dog+Beds%2c+Blankets+%26+Mats&T1=D68642+11+L&dispRow=0&srccode=) for our dogs. They LOVE it. In the winter they manage to squeeze both of them (45 lb mix, 30 lb mix) and the cat-who-thinks-she’s-a-dog into it. They also tend to choose the sofa, and our beagly-cattledog-type mix sleeps on the bed at night… dead center. But the burrow bed was really one of the best dog purchases we ever made.
LunaGrace says
You are absolutely correct in writing that all dogs are different when it comes to sleeping accommodations, and that certainly applies to different breeds as well. My Siberian Huskies prefer to sleep outdoors, particularly when it’s c-c-c-c-cold, curled up Arctic Fox style with the toes tucked up near the nose and the tail lightly covering all. They will even sleep soundly this way while the snow sifts down on top of them and covers them completely, sometimes even preferring to sleep in this fashion to tucking into their cozy, straw-stuffed doggie houses. None of them will sleep with me on the bed for more than a 10 minute “let’s humor Mom” session. I think they get too hot. And I always have a “dog de jour” who gets to spend the day and night in the house and have some Special Time, one-on-one. Invariably, the dog of the day will prefer to sleep on the carpet in between my bed and a slightly open window (for fresh air). Because the Siberians are such Hot Dogs, I was thrilled to find a cool pad to put in a crate when heading out for dog shows that they all just loved. It’s a baffled pad that you soak in water (in the tub) for a few hours, then wring the outer covering dry (I put it between 2 towels and rolled it all up, jellyroll style). I put another, dry, towel on top of this cool pad and the dogs would relax unto snoring on this pad that stayed cool through transpiration for several days.
Different story with my Karelian Bear Dog! Even though he is also a double coated breed, he likes his Cabela’s cushion doggy bed (that we won through a raffle or I doubt I would have purchased it for him) beside my bed and close to the slightly open window. For him, I also bought a Cool-A-Roo “sling bed” when he arrived in the household at the tender age of 10 weeks so he could have a special place of his own. It was June, so I wanted to keep him from overheating while he snoozed in the house. He LOVES his sling bed and, after 7 years, the nylon “sling” part has never torn, just sagged somewhat. He enjoys the faux lambswool pad that is his “target” for the SETTLE command (that is usually in his canvas crate) on top of it in the Winter, but prefers the sling bed “au natural” when the weather gets warmer. I tried to get him to lay on the baffled cold-soak ‘water bed’, but he doesn’t like the way the material inside of the baffles moves around underneath him. Maybe he thinks it’s alive?
Alissa says
Our hound dogs love dog beds, but our possessive calico cat decided that if a dog bed enters the house she will pee on it. So…Both dogs will sleep on anything soft. During the day they’re usually on a chair or couch. At night, one dog sleeps with us, under the covers if we let him, and he can’t get close enough. The other dog sleeps on the upstairs couch down the hall from our room until he gets up to eat and potty, and then if I go back to bed he will sleep on our bed for a few hours. I had the best intentions of making a dog bed cover and stuffing it with an old duvet so we could get our one dog off our bed, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for the commenter who mentioned Molly Mutts duvet covers, I’m looking into those!
ABandMM says
I think I’m the only one who needs to put up a baby gate to keep the dog IN the bedroom at night. My girl Abby (aka “Abby no love” and “pillow princess”) prefers to sleep alone either on her chair, her couch or sometimes on the floor (even next to the vacuum cleaner!?!) but almost always with her head resting on a pillow. I have several throw pillows in her sleeping spots for her to rest her head on. I have to beg and plead to have her get up on the bed with me.
I also have some of the faux fleece beds in one of the bathrooms, especially now that it is storm season. She likes to go hide in the bathroom during thunderstorms, which is fine with me. After having a dog that tried to climb up lamp shades, fireplaces and squeeze behind water heaters, having a dog lying quietly in the bathroom is a joy.
Rosemary says
I have a large wicker basket for my Goldie to sleep in. I put a big dog pillow for a cushion and an old comforter of mine in it and he prefers to sleep in that rather than in the bed with me! Then in the living room I have a dog pad on the floor for him to lay on. Sometimes on the hotter nights he will either be out in the living room on that or the floor.
frances says
All my animals like to sleep as close to me as possible – although the cats will compromise and sleep on the chaise in the bedroom if the dogs are taking up too much of the bed. Poppy likes to snuggle under the duvet for a bit, until she gets too hot; Sophy makes caves until I get into bed, then curls into a nest on top of the quilt. At the moment I am in my big armchair, with Poppy the poodle tucked in beside me, Sophy the papillon on the fleecy throw at my feet, and Tilly cat climbing all over the computer wanting cuddles. We do have one or two animal beds, but usually they all choose their own spots, and arrange the various rugs, throws, cushions and pillows as they please. The cats particularly like to sleep in baskets of clean laundry …
Pharaoh says
I’ve totally given up on getting my dog a “real” bed; everything we get ends up getting peed upon by the cats, yuck! Mick sleeps on an old winter sleeping bag, perfect size and very comfy! In the living room, he has a fleece blanket on the floor, as well as his own chair.
Steve says
I got a Coolaroo bed for outside to keep my dog off the grass and therefore away from the bugs. He lays in the grass anyway so it is in my home office with a faux sheepskin pad.
Gretchen says
We’ve had the hardest time with our dog hogging the human bed. Then we built a raised platform at the end of our bed where we stacked three (!) of his beds –a memory foam pad, a couch bed and a floppy bed inside the couch bed. He now sleeps about 6 inches higher than our bed and LOVES it. It’s like he can keep watch over us. Best invention yet! Of course he has 7 other beds to lie on all around the house as well.
Heather says
Jack Tar Sullivan, my Cavalier King Charles, loves my tempurpedic mattress and sleeps right next to me, without moving, all night. In the summer he stays on top of the coverlet and in the winter he snuggles under the comforter. Like Tootsie, his crate is still available and stays open in the kitchen where he sleeps on his faux lambskin flannel pad if I am in there. Otherwise, he follows me around and sleeps at my feet or on my lap. I think for him, it is less about what he is sleeping on and more about who he is sleeping with 🙂
Rachel says
My boy Blue has a sherpa igloo he sleeps in every night. We call it his house. He ADORES it. It’s machine washable, and has held up very well considering its gotten used daily for four years! It has somekind of plastic tubing in the mouth, holding it open. It’s by Taylor Designed Pet Products. http://www.taylordesignedpetproducts.com/igloobedding.html
Abby says
My dogs have always been on LL Bean beds and have never shunned them. Tough, easy to clean covers and slick covering on under-cushion so easy to spot clean. I also have two Costco beds (there is a bed in nearly every room), which my dog also likes, but the covering on the cushion (under the washable outer layer) collects dog hair like crazy. Bad design, but again, the dog loves it.
Laura Anne Welch says
My 11 year old Aussie loves to sleep on her “bolster bed”, on her side, with her neck hanging over the bolster so that her nose touches the wood floor. She stays in this position for ages. Her other favorite sleeping place is on the wood floor in the hallway, upside down, her back braced a little to the wall and her hips slung over to the side with her rear legs splayed apart.
1 year old Aussie Winston loves my mesh deck chaise so much that I am ordering him a Cool a Roo in self defense, hoping that he will use it instead of MY chaise! He also enjoys the new fleece bed I got him, as a toy. It doesn’t stay out when he isn’t supervised. He still chews a lot, so I don’t put any bed in his crate. Don’t want him to get an obstruction from swallowing part of a bed or pad.
At agility trials there are often really good beds made by local vendors at great prices. Also, BJ’s Club had our current bolster bed for just 29 dollars and it has lasted over 7 years.
Alison says
Meg and Bear each have their own Kuranda cot with a blanket on it in my room. Bear always sleeps on his and he prefers it over any other bed we’ve ever had. He’s 11 years old and the cot seems to be easier on his joints that other bed we’ve tried. Occasionally he’ll get up on my bed, but he rarely stays more than 10-20 minutes. Meg switches between her cot, my bed, the rug by the door, and sprawled out in the middle of the floor.
Wendy W says
Depending on how hot it is down here in steamy Houston, my girl Hope (Aussie/Golden mix) divides her time between my bed, the sofa, a thick “egg carton” pad inside a fabric crate (her favorite hideaway), the bathroom floor (lying against the tub, which probably acts as a heat sink) and a Kuranda bed. The Kuranda bed is a mesh cot with PVC framing. I’ve had it for about 5 years, and it has held up extremely well. It’s in a room with a ceiling fan, which allows the air to circulate around her body.
em says
Ah, the dog bed saga. Dog beds for a great dane are particularly challenging. Heavy, bony danes, short coated and thin skinned, danes typically need a great deal of padding and support to be comfortable. Even when appropriately sized commercial beds are available, they are always ruinously expensive, often not washable, and frequently suffer from durability issues (150lbs of dog can squash filling like nobody’s business, and Otis tends to dig at his bedding). So, we’ve coped with this quandary by becoming creative:
1) I actually bought a sewing machine (cheaper than replacing giant unwashable dog beds every six months by far) and learned enough to sew a straight (ish) hem so that I can make my own dog beds. I make a duvet-style cover out of canvas duck, then stuff it with a couple of layers of memory foam mattress pad (Target often has them on clearance after the outfitting-the-college-kids blitz) on top of a bunch of standard pillows. Inexpensive, washable, easy to replace the filling if it starts to break down, and they’re a big hit with all the animals. The cats in particular LOVE to lie like queens in the very center of a giant dog bed, looking enormously pleased with themselves.
2) Pappasan chair pads: make good round pads for the floor. Pier 1 used to have them, but I think we got ours at the local grocery store during yet another college-stuff sale. Used as a base layer underneath his dog bed, this is Otis preferred downstairs bed.
3) People furniture: We tried to make the bed and couch off limits when we first got Otis, we really did. It didn’t take. Otis likes to sleep on our bed during the day, Sandy often sleeps on the spare bed so that she can look out the windows into the backyard during the day, or on the couch (head firmly on the pillows or the armrest) at night. At night, the bed is too crowded with Otis in it, so he sleeps on his deluxe homemade dog bed right beside it. Sandy never jumps up onto our bed, though she is not forbidden and can easily do so. Legacy of a former life, I figure. She has a bed in the bedroom, too, and will usually move up there at some point in the night, but she almost always starts out downstairs on the couch. Otis used to love the couch, but at some point a couple of years ago, he just gradually lost interest. She’ll sleep peacefully on her own bed, but given her druthers, she much prefers Otis’ bigger but otherwise identical one.
Some giant dog owners find it cost effective to buy human mattresses specifically for the dog—crib mattresses are popular for slightly smaller dogs, twin sized or up for the big guys. If Otis had orthopedic issues, or if he didn’t spend as much time as he does on our bed, I might think about it- the footprint of a twin mattress on the floor honestly wouldn’t be much bigger than the bed he has now.
4) Old furniture alterations: We got a new couch this year and got rid of our old one. I kept the cushions, removed the covers, cut a seam, sewed them together to make one really long cover, took one of the cushions and butterflied it so that it was one long, half-depth pad. The result fits perfectly into the back of our SUV, and is now officially the ‘truck bed’.
Pat Gilmore says
Many thanks for all of the great information–as usual.
I fell in love with the Comfort Zone pads for sleeping and have searched waaay too long and can only find DAP products for comfort zone.
Any one have a source for these wonderful pads?
Many thanks,
Pat
Steve says
Care A Lot Pets has Comfort Zone dog beds.
Comfort Zone Double Sided Lambswool Pad
Crtstak says
Beds are important around here. Silly 60 lb boxer mix who is a giant cuddle monster. Knack for finding the most comfortable spot in the room. His favorite bed is a big bean bag style bed, only filled with fluff. He gets upset when I wash it (the cover zips right off). He loves to curl up in a tiny ball, even in the summer. I should think about one like the Dogo’s bed, he likes to be wrapped in a blanket in the winter, thankyouverymuch. I moved his bed from the living room to the bedroom last summer when I was having sleep issues- I was tossing and turning so much he kept having to move to stay pressed against me, and I kept kicking him. Now he sleeps half the night on his bed and half the night on his couch.
I got him a big couch style bed. It was expensive. Plush. And he totally ignores it. My mom’s 16 year old Papillon will sometimes climb in it, she looks like she’s mountain climbing, it’s hilarious.
Rachel says
I have to second the the SnooZZy OrthoAir dog bed recommendation. Great for dogs young and old and SO easy to clean, and to clean around! Since it’s an inflatable dog bed, it is so much easier to pick up and move when I am vacuuming. I can even prop it up again something while I wash the floors. When we travel, tt is very easy and convenient to have them deflated and folded up and I don’t have any trouble blowing them up by hand when we get where we are going. Occasionally I have a dog that wants a cushier/cuddlier surface, and then I just throw a thick blanket on top of the Snoozy. I love that they make them to fit in crates too. If I had a dog spending any amount of time in the crate, I wouldn’t want them on any other surface. I also like that they are extremely affordable compared to most dog beds and seem to last forever (as long as no one chews on them!)
http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/ProductDisplay?searchDataId=1666918&errorURL=&storeId=10001&storeId=10001&productFlag=y&productId=101415&langId=-1&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&ddkey=EGSearchData
lin says
DH likes to say that Pupper dog has more beds than we do. Until she got too creaky, the couch was a favorite; we covered it with a sheet that got washed every week. She also has a foam bed in the kitchen. When our futon needed to be replaced, I took the old one and cut it up into dog beds for her. She has one smallish one for the dining room, and a big one that gets lugged from living room to bedroom. Now that she’s creaky, they also have egg crate foam toppers.
Like em, my sewing talents are limited to straight seams, but I sewed pillowcase-like duvets out of sheets (bought from Ross or TJ Maxx) for all the beds, which are easy to remove and wash.
Pupper’s favorite sleeping position is on her side with her legs straight out; she’s double coated, and I think she’s warm most of the time. That may be why she’s never wanted to share our bed (much to DH’s relief); it gets too hot. She even looked a little disgrunteled if we sat on the couch with her. We’ve been having an unusually warm summer, and I am debating whether to get some kind of a cooler bed for Pupper — other people’s suggestions have definitely given me options.
I’ve thought about sewing a bolster for one of her beds, but another favorite position is with her head hanging off the bed. It doesn’t look at all comfortable, but she does it a lot.
Mr. Kitty slept wherever he wanted :- )
Alexandra says
My rescue dog, Izzy, has really taken to the comforts of living in a house over the years. She refuses to sleep on the floor, and when she was younger she used to drag her dog bed from room to room so she could have a nice place to curl up and still keep an eye on us. Now she’s content to sleep on our bed our the guest bed when they are not in use. Our old guest bed did not have a pillow-top mattress and was quite firm. On one occasion Izzy did a bunch of circles on that bed, and instead of lying down she just looked at me forlornly. The message was clear; please put her dog bed on the human bed so it would be comfortable… so, I did. No, she’s not spoiled 😉
Marcia in NorCal says
I am so envious of people whose dogs actually USE the beds bought for them! Our oldest dog, Starr, has always had a strong preference for hard, cool surfaces except on the coldest nights (okay, we’re in the middle of California, so it never gets REALLY cold … it’s all relative!). Won’t sleep in her crate for love nor money. Younger dog, Jesse, was presented with his own cozy bed after squishing himself into the cat’s “curl in a ball” bed (Jesse is a 45-lb Border Collie — don’t ask me how he could possibly have been comfortable in the cat’s bed). Arthritis set in fairly early, so the “curl in a tight ball” sleeping stopped several years ago — now he likes any surface with a little bit of padding, preferably with a piece of furniture or the fireplace against his back: old carpet works well in his crate, old fleece blankets (he’s an enthusiastic maker of nests) are now found in several spots around the house.
mungobrick says
Well, there sure are a lot of different pet bed manufacturers out there! Daisy has a Rogz bed – it’s the blue one on this page http://www.rascalspetsuppliescalgary.com/products.php?categoryid=8 (it actually is a South African company http://www.rogz.com/home.htm). We got it for a previous dog, it’s now on its third dog and still in great shape. She sleeps on our bed during the day (with a shabby top cover to collect the dried mud) and then gets in her bed when we tell her “it’s bed time”. She comes up to cuddle in the morning. The few times she’s slept with us (fireworks, other scary noises) have been very difficult because she takes up the whole bed – it’s a magic trick performed by a 55 lb dog.
And for our very elderly cat, we have a heated cat bed. http://canadianpetessentials.com/cat-products-heated-cat-beds-k-h-thermo-kitty-bed-c-116_144_221.html?osCsid=ac553603fa32c71cd64206b9af8c4434 We got this for him two years ago, he climbed into it when we took it out of the box and has rarely left it since. The two kittens we got subsequently, who are now over a year old, are very respectful of it – as far as I know they have never even climbed into it, although heaven knows they’ve climbed into every other available object in the house. They sleep wherever – in the mornings, they sleep with Daisy on our bed. http://i331.photobucket.com/albums/l463/Sackvillenb/Daisy%20Scout%20and%20Cricket/IMGP0062.jpg
Liz says
I think that Nala, my dog, seems to weigh the benefits of cushioning vs. temperature regulation when choosing a place to sleep. She will curl up on anything cushioned after a long day of activity, but no matter how sore she seems, temperature can trump all else. Then you’ll find her on the cool kitchen floor, on the pile of blankets folded next to the couch for lack of storage, or on the stone window seat.
Years ago, I was making a polished granite window seat/bench with plans to make cushions… for humans. But Nala soon made it apparent that it was perfect already. She’ll sleep on the stone for hours. It holds the heat of the sun or the cold that emanates from window in winter, and in summer it stays cool till the afternoon. The view is a perk, too, as she is tall enough to rest her head on the sill and watch the comings and goings of squirrels. She appreciates the cushions and pillows of the world, but also recognizes the benefit of stone.
Kat says
Neither of my dogs is very big on beds. Ranger sleeps outside by his choice. He’s double coated and I think he gets too hot inside. Outside he has a big 700 square foot enclosure with an old couch and two patio storage boxes. He also has a dogloo that he never ever ever uses except occasionally as a spot to bury bones. He sleeps on his couch or the taller of the two storage boxes. Inside he’s either on the couch or sprawled on the parquet floor. Finna used to sleep on the landing outside my bedroom door but now that she’s gained some confidence she sleeps on the couch downstairs, in her canvas travel crate with no pad (although it does sit on carpet), or in my chair. I had a nice fleece crate bed/mat in her crate but she dragged it out and tore it apart. I replaced it with a different one that she also pulled out and later destroyed. I decided to take that as a message and haven’t tried to replace it. She loves sleeping in her crate directly on it’s floor. She tried sleeping on top of the crate a couple times but at 50 lbs that wasn’t a good plan. The cat likes to sleep up there or on any high surface. The other cat only sleeps on human beds preferably with humans in them.
Laura says
My three dogs have varied in what they like to sleep in and where they like to sleep. All of them loved to sleep with me if they could, but they never minded going in their crates if I asked them to. Marlin especially loved his crate and would hang out in it all day with the crate door wide open. Torpedo didn’t mind his crate at night, or if he was very tired he’d go there, but he slept in weird places. Our guide dogs just love being near us, either right against us or just checking in on where we are or what we’re doing, but Torpy would’ve slept on the couch downstairs all night if he could and in fact, I hear from his Raisers who have him now, that he sleeps on the couch in the living room at night, but then towards morning he’ll make his way into the bedroom for a snuggle. Seamus likes to snooze on the couch when I’m downstairs, or on the wood floor if he’s hot. At night, he’ll go into his crate and curl up, no hesitation. He has a flease pad in there that he enjoys very much. He loves it so much he’s mouthed it on one corner several times. Durning nap time, he loves to sleep with me on my bed, but I don’t let him do it often because he believes my legs and back are a fine place to sleep… and not move. I’ve been looking for some sort of travel bed to buy because we’re leaving for vacation in 3 weeks and I want him to be comfortable. Something easy to pack in a suit case, but that would also hold a 70 pound Golden/lab cross would be nice. Also, for any golden owners out there, is this normal? Seamus has now brought all of his toys, a kong, his dayglow green stuffed sheep named Lamby, his stuffed hedgehog named Sugar and his stuffed turtle Named Baby, into his crate. They’re all in there, shoved into the left-hand back corner. He’ll take one out and bring it down to play with. What’s he doing? I think it’s cute, but I never saw my labs do this. They’d leave their toys out for their blind mom human to trip on. 🙂
Sharon says
I have always had dachshunds and have had several different beds, the favorite for the last several years is a homemade out of a comforter. We made two big pockets and they crawl in and curl up in the corner and they are so easy to wash. They choose them every time. I ususally end up giving beds away. They also used them to hide their toys away too!
Mireille says
I am so glad my dogs can’t read. They have to make do with fake sheepskins in the house, one blanket but no pillows. Well, in part it is their own fault because every pillow had to be destroyed by the puppies… They used to sleep in an outside pen with hay, our formers dogs loved that but Spotty thought that hay was for peeing on. Took me a while to find out why our eldest dog suddenly would not sleep in the pen anymore… Felst so sorry him, there was a youngster peeing in his bed! The puppies sleep in the garage in their crates wth a woollen blanket. They sleep inside because they insist on howling wth the churchbells at seven in the morning and this dampens the noise somewhat….
Mireille
Lynette says
My dogs love the round bolster beds from Costco when they’re not sleeping on the bed with me. One trick I discovered after going through several pet beds due to foster puppies peeing on them, though – wrap the pad in a large garbage bag, and then put the cover on over that. It’s a little noisy, so wouldn’t work for a light sleeper, but I can’t tell you how many pet beds it’s saved!
jackied says
My dogs’ favourite two beds are both home made – bean bags that I originally made for the kids to watch TV from, though the smaller one is now stuffed with an old duvet rather than ‘beans’. They can never quite decide which is best – the big one in the corner, or the smaller one next to my chair.
We have various other pads, cushions, pieces of vet bed etc that are theoretically either in the crates or in the kitchen but in practice get moved around the house by the BC cross.
The large bean bag is also used as a kind of crash mat by my Springer when they are playing chase. She deliberately runs at full speed head first into it and then twists upside down to bite the other dog’s legs as he lands on top of her. It’s all a bit odd!
Karen says
This is completely off topic. However, would you consider writing a post on how to know when to put your dog down? Or anyone else who knows dogs have any suggestions on where to learn more/how to figure out what to do? Our dog has made great progress overcoming her fears over the last two years since we adopted her. However, new fears keep coming up, and we’re worried that ultimately she is going to bite a person. She was recently in her second dog fight where the other dog required surgery and the two people who broke it up were both injured (one required stitches, although he believes that it was his dog that bit him). If it were just dogs, we could continue to work on the issue and make sure (as much as we can) that she never, ever encounters another dog — there are a ton of dogs in our neighborhood and some of the run free — our dog is always on a leash.
However, she has recently started lunging at people too. We can’t figure out when or why she’ll lung at people. We are truly concerned as, despite our working with a trainer, we see her issues as becoming worse (or as one issue gets better, a new, worse one cropping up). We also have a 5 month old baby that is becoming more mobile. Although our dog appears to love the baby completely (lots of licks and gentle behavior) and we watch them closely and don’t leave them alone together, I am concerned about the potential for trouble as the baby becomes more mobile — we also live in an apartment too, so we don’t have a yard or lots of space to separate them (our dog does know if she goes into the bedroom she will be left alone and does do this once in a while) And, for what it’s worth, our dog gets 2 x 45 minute walks and 1 x 20 minute walk per day. We also take her to the beach to run, which she loves. She is also a very calm dog except when she lunges or gets scared. We are very concerned. Any suggestions on where to learn more or what else we should do to keep everyone safe?
Any help or suggestions are much appreciated!
Dena Norton ("Izzee's Mom") says
My Springers move around from people-bed to floor to couch to armchair to floor to people-bed. The only dog beds I ever bought were Christmas specials one year, and the cat liked them more than the dogs did. Although one of the dogs found that the dog bed made a decent pillow.
Donna in VA says
We still use the inexpensive “circle couch” type bed that I bought when I first got Max 7 years ago. He also sleeps on various chairs and couches at home during the day, but at night he uses his bed which is next to where I sleep.
I always take this bed with us when we travel and place it in the same spot (or as close as possible) relative to where I am sleeping when we are away from home. I think this helps him understand that we’re staying in that place for a while and he will be next to me during the night.
Beth with the Corgis says
I feel like I’m in the minority, but I’ve never had a dog bed for mine. Mine mostly sleep on the couches. I have washable covers over them, which I remove if we have guests. In the day-to-day, my husband and I just sit on top of the couch covers. I have joked that for us, “dressing up” means getting out the fabric brush to get the hair off our clothes before we leave the house.
The Corgis have surprisingly thick coats (other dog owners are most likely to make one of two comments on meeting our dogs: “They have so much hair! They must shed a lot [they do]” or “They run so fast!” Anyway, in the summer they generally prefer laying on the bare floor, preferably the tile. The male has discovered that if he lays flat out with his hind legs behind him, he can make full belly contact with the cool tile. The female just lays on her side.
The cat sleeps on our bed (between the pillows, unfortunately), on the back of the couch, or on her cat tree. Her own very soft kitty bed, well-loved for all of a week, goes unused.
Kerry M. says
Karen,
I’m so sorry for what you’re going through. When I first started your post, I thought were referring to medical reasons and was trying to remember exactly where I saw all those articles I didn’t want to read when I was making my own decision last year for my old girl.
Even though I read lots of dog stuff, I can’t think of ever running across a resource for behavioral reasons. That’s a shame because there are people going through this all the time.. I have two friends, both dog trainers, who had to do this years ago before I knew them and they still radiate sadness about the decision but I can tell you years after the event, neither feels they made the wrong choice for their dog.
Have you thought about working with another trainer? Does yours specialize in aggression issues? Even if they do, I’d still consider seeking out a second opinion. We wouldn’t even hesitate for medical issues and this to me is just like that. If a vet behaviorist is nearby, that could be a great resource because medication might be beneficial. Best wishes to you with this heartbreaking decision.
chloe De Segonzac says
The original Orvis bead dog bed is the favorite among my large breed dogs and old dogs. Easy to get in, can turn and make their nest, and best of all they get a soft contour for shoulders and neck. It is very reasonably priced. The one thing I don’t like is that the beads are synthetic. If I had a large dog again I would find one made of real beans or something natural.
My BC and I spend a lot of time in the truck. She had a simple cheap donut bed. The outside is removable and the cushion inside is separate and can be put in washer. She loves to have her head resting on the lip of it. At home she sleeps on the furniture. I just keep blankets on couch–no biggie she is a clean good smelling dog.
jackied says
Karen: have you tried the shy-k9 yahoo group?
mungobrick says
@Karen – have you looked at the yahoo shy dogs group? http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/shy-k9s/ There are a lot of people in the group with experience dealing with shy and fearful dogs – try posting there, I think you’ll get lots of suggestions.
Elizabeth
Caroline Fisher says
My old lurcher (collie/beddie cross) used to sleep on the bed and the sofas but one of her favourite places was on her back in the downstairs hall with her legs up the wall, she used to get hot quickly and she soon worked out she would get the draft from the front door and a breeze from the dining room when the door was open. Currently we have shorthaired lurchers and both like their comforts, my boy loves a pillow for his head and his favourite routine is to go up to a bed and make a nest out of the pillows and quilt then curl up for hours, he’s only 3! My girlie loves to be covered up and will wait until bedtime for me to turn over then throw herself as close to me as poss, back to back, full length with the back of her head to the back of mine then I have to pull her own quilt over her and there she stays unless the quilt falls off in which case you wake-up nose to nose with her standing staring at you most indignant that she has got cold!!. Other favourites are the memory foam faux fur covered beds when the sun shines on them through the living room window, bliss! Took me a while to get used to sleeping with Daisy being so close but missed her on weekend away recently and now have spare pillows on bed for Jet to make his nest as got a bit fed up dog smelling hair in the mornings! LOL
Caroline
p.s. love this blog and the discussions, wish I’d found it sooner, hours of entertainment!!
Wendy says
The whippets use a 1.8 x 2.2 meter auping bed that we are allowed to sleep in too. Also 2 benches with faux sheep, a real lambfleece, duvets(other and down/feather filled), fleece blankets, not always all at the same time. A big cardboard box with an old sleeping bag. The sofa snuggled under the down filled sleeping bag with me. Catbed. Chair. Just about anywhere as long as it isn’t the bare floor. And I’ve learned that down duvets can be washed in the washingmachine, as long as they don’t have any holes in them……..
On the wishlist: snoozer cozy doze cave, klam shell bed from whippetwear.com.
Megan R. says
Our bed of choice is from sheepskin.com. It REAL sheepskin with a foam insert. My only complaint about them is that the backing does not hold up well.
Pamela V says
My Cavalier doesn’t seem to like dog beds– he ignores them, preferring to sleep with us in the bed (burrowed under the covers sometimes), on top of me on the couch, or on the carpeted floor at my feet.
I’ve put dog beds down in his preferred spots, and he just scoots it out of the way, or mounts it!
His kennel is lined with an old throw rug and remnants of polarfleece that are easily washed.
Jeff says
Interesting topic and one I have struggled with since I let my lab start sleeping outside the crate at 5 months. First we tried a pillow style bed. In the night he would go from the bed, to the floor, to my bed, to the floor to his bed. So after a while I bought a kuranda bed. This has the same results with one exception. Occasionally he would sleep under his bed. So I got a round bed with bolsters as he does like putting his head on a pillow. Same results. So finally I broke down and got him a delux bed from Orvis with memory foam and bolsters and everything. Same results. I finally just came to realize that my lab just likes to move around at night while he sleeps.
Heather Boyer says
Just thought I’d add a suggestion about dog beds. I have a young golden retriever with a very bad case of hip dysplasia on both sides. Since he’s young and still needs to be crated during the day I looked for something soft yet supportive, so he wouldn’t feel the hard surface of the crate. With the beds I had he would get out of the crate after a few hours and be very stiff. He was also going to have surgery and needed to be crated quite a bit afterwards and I was worried about his comfort and level of pain. I decided on memory foam, but everywhere I looked they were so very expensive. Long story short, I found memory foam bath mats in Costco. I bought 2 and put a sturdy egg carton/foam piece in the middle and made a cover for it. Total cost around $50 instead of $100 and up. It has worked out well and he does choose to go in there when we’re home and the door is open, so it must be comfortable. During the night though he sleeps on our bed, on his back with all 4 paws in the air. Despite his surgery on one hip, he still has dysplasia in the other, so I wonder if that position relieves the pressure of laying on either hips. I wish could show you a picture, he’s about the cutest thing in the world.
JJ says
What a great topic!
I really want to thank the people above who recommended the OrthoAir bed. It sounded wonderful and after reading your posts, I bought one for my Great Dane. It came last night. He doesn’t quite fit, but he loved it right off (after we got past the noisy blowing up part). My biggest complaint so far is the toxic smell. Hopefully that will dissipate.
As for my dog’s sleeping habits: He can sleep anywhere in the house that he wants, except my bed. Duke lies down on the floor by my bed or at the foot of the bed in his tent for about 20-30 minutes after lights out. Then he gets up and goes to sleep on the couch. At least initially. I’m no sure if he changes locations to dog beds or the floor as the night goes on. Then about 1/2 hour before my alarm goes off (he has an extremely good sense of time), Duke comes back in my bedroom and falls asleep in his tent at the foot of my bed. I often wonder if Duke thinks he is sneaking out without me knowing. Maybe he thinks that I think he is sleeping the whole night in my room and that that is what I want.
During the day when I am in the living room, Duke alternates between the couch, an official dog bed, an old comforter on the ground which marks location more than providing any cushion, and the very nicely plush carpeted floor. Like others have noted, Duke just likes to have different options. Makes perfect sense to me.
petsgalorestore.com says
My dog has a memory foam dog bed and absolutely loves it. I wish I had one