How to choose a dog bed

All dogs need a bed or somewhere to call their own – it is their place of sanctuary, somewhere to retreat when they want some quiet time or to rest.

Like many dog products, due to our great love of dogs there is a wide range and variety of dog beds available. Whether you are buying a dog bed for a puppy or a new dog bed for your older dog, here are a few tips to help you decide on the best dog bed for your dog’s breed:

• Material: probably the first decision is the type of material for your dog bed.  Fabric dog beds have the greatest choice in colours and designs, but are not the best if your dog spends a lot of time outdoors and comes in with muddy paws to jump in his dog bed.  You can also get woven baskets as dog beds and these look great in a conservatory, but not the choice if your breed of dog has a habit of gnawing on the bed – in this case, get a plastic one or something more sturdy!  Leather looks great in most living rooms but is more difficult to keep clean and a little more expensive, although your dog is surely worth it.
• Size: this is probably the easiest decision as it depends on the size of your dog.  Even if you dog likes to curl up in his bed, there are always times when they like to stretch out in comfort rather than on the floor, so choose a bed that is large enough for your dog to fully lie in
• Colour: once you have decided on the material and size, look at the available colours of dog beds – chances are you still have plenty of choice.  Consider where this particular dog bed is going to be (many dogs have two or three around the house with perhaps one in the living room and another in the utility room or near the back door).  You might want to choose a colour to match or contrast with your home decor, or perhaps it really doesn’t matter and you just want to pick one that you like – or even suits your dog’s personality!

Even with all this choice, there are even more options when it comes to dog beds.  You can buy novelty dog beds in all sorts of shapes and sizes, such as miniature furniture and cars – or the slipper dog bed pictured courtesy of SnugglePuppies.com, and there are some great deals in dog beds online so there is no excuse for your dog not to have a great dog bed.

Darren Jamieson