How to Buy a Dog Bed

Choose a style of dog bed that will match your home and provide your dog with maximum comfort.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog Beds
• Dog Blankets
• Dog Crate Mats
• Dog Cuddlers
• Dog Pillows
• Doghouses And Doors
• Heated Dog Beds
• Orthopedic Dog Beds

1. Consider the size, health and needs of your dog.

2. Know that special orthopedic beds are available for old, arthritic and ill dogs.

3. Think about the type of bed your dog would be most comfortable in. Dog beds come in many styles. There are pillows, mats, rugs and cuddlers. Pillows are just big cushions. Mats are thinner than pillows, and rugs are thinner yet. A cuddler is like a pillow with sides, so your dog can curl up and be supported on three sides. There are also expensive dog sofas, which are like small human sofas made especially for dogs.

4. 

   Ask your salesperson what the bed is filled with. Most are filled with foam, but some are filled with cedar, which repels fleas. Be sure that a cedar bed is refillable.

5. 

   Check to see if the covering on the bed is removable and washable. It will get dirty.

6. Look at the area you would like to keep the bed in, and try to match the colors of the bed to the room. If you are buying a bed for a dog's crate or dog house, color may not be as great a concern. A simple crate mat will work best in that instance.

7. Consider the price ranges available. A simple fleece rug can be found for $10. Pillows and cuddlers run between $20 and $150.

8. 

   Choose a bed that is the right size for your dog. The dog should be able to lie flat, completely stretched out on his side, without hanging off the bed.

9. Realize that you can also purchase heated beds (excellent for older or arthritic dogs) or beds that are made to be cooler in hot weather.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase cedar refills if you buy a cedar-filled bed. The cedar does become old.
• Consider buying an extra cover for the bed so you have one to use when you are washing the other.

on 11/22/2005 My guide dog is older, and I worry about her joints and bones. She sleeps in the living room on a mini-beanbag chair like they sell in department stores for around $20. This is extremely comfortable for her, and I cover it with an old sheet that I change frequently.
At night she sleeps on a foam mattress pad, the kind that looks like an egg carton on one side, often seen in hospitals. They sell a twin size at department stores for under $10. I cut it down a little and double it up so that the egg carton sides mate up together. This make a bed of foam, flat on both sides, about three inches thick. I cover this with a sheet that I change frequently, and the spoiled little princess always sleeps comfortably, on the cheap stuff. The foam makes a great travel bed when we're out of town. I roll it up and stick it in a garbage sack while on the road.

on 11/22/2005 Be sure to fluff the pillow occasionaly just like you would your own pillow. Your dog will greatly appreciate it!

on 11/22/2005 Some people are allergic to cedar, so be sure to check it out before you purchase a cedar bed for your dog.