How to Make an Inexpensive Dog Bed

We have always had dogs and cats as part of our family, sometimes as many as three dogs and two cats. The cats always found their own favorite places to curl up and cat nap but the dogs each developed very individual preferences. After twenty years of trooping off to the pet store to replace beds that had been chewed to bits or just ignored, I decided to inventory our family leftovers to see what we could come up with to approximate what our dogs liked.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• old pillows
• baby crib pads or mattresses
• rubber or latex foam
• old futons
• leftover upholstery, drapery or any rugged material

1. Study your dog's preferences. We had a basset hound who'd jam his 80-pound body into the cat bed because it had sides. After he'd destroyed a couple of $45 cat beds, I fabricated a base and surround, using foam from an old reading pillow covered with an avacado and gold table cloth. Bert loved it. Both of our Great Danes, however, wanted to sleep on the couch in front of the fire. I folded an old futon in half and made a new, washable cover by folding a whipcord twin bedspread in half and stitching across the ends.
2. If you have a Shih Tzu or some other small breed, I'm told they like cave-type beds. These can be constructed out of heavy cardboard and upholstered with foam. We had a dachshund who hid in boxes so I built him his own little "doghouse" box with scrap plywood, upholstered the exterior with some recycled drapery, painted the interior to seal it and added a washable kennel pad to fit.
3. Construct the basic dog bed out of foam, crib mattresses, whatever. Staple (with long-tined tack staples, not the office supply type)or glue foam bolsters and surrounds.
4. After you've built your basic shape, check to avoid sharp corners and anything Fido might decide to chew. Make alterations as necessary and finish with upholstery, non-toxic paint, covers--whatever you've decided on.
5. Your dog may just want to be where you are. We had a dear collie who followed the kids and then us around, plunked down on the closest patch of wood or tile floor and crashed until somebody moved. In spite of all attempts to find him a place to plunk, he slept under our bed at night.

Tips & Warnings

• Everything has to be tough and washable, so scrounge around for old bedspreads and upholstery.
• A sewing machine is nice but a lot of the sewing can be done by hand.
• Use materials at hand. An old crib mattress or pad of memory foam may be just as comfortable--and more comforting because it smells like the baby or you.
• Bolster beds are popular because they can be put against furniture or walls. The bolsters can be made with old pillows sewn end to end, then tied into a roll with twine and covered with fabric.
• If you must be trendy, make a second cover for your dog bed in material you're not ashamed to have in your family room.
• You should design the bed in a shape that your dog approves. Let your pooch try it out as you work on it. If you pay attention to her responses, you'll have an avid helper and a successful project.
• Check materials to make sure there's nothing toxic for dogs in it. Check with the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center webpage or other source of information on toxic materials.
• Cut off the detail or pass on fabric with trim that your dog could swallow or choke on. Pass on heavily dyed or metallic fabrics. Never use old beanbag chairs unless you dump out the "beans" and replace them with foam or cedar.
• If you find your material at a garage sale, make sure that it is clean before you start working. Wash it several time with hot water followed by at least two rinses. Bleach is just as toxic to dogs as it is to humans so use a natural substitute and rinse thoroughly.