Dog Health Insurance

Different types of bed are suited to different sizes of dogs. In this post I’ll expand on this to help you choose the right type of bed for your pet.

The classic dog bed is essentially a small version of a human mattress, which makes them ideal for larger breeds of dogs, as there is enough room to stretch out and lounge around. Of course, they take up a significant amount of room on the floor, but so does your dog! Decent beds will have detachable covers, which can be easily washed (and should be, regularly!). They come with a wide variety of fillings, as well as combinations of fillings.

Another very common kind of bed is the ‘nest’ bed; similar to the classic bed, but often softer and with sides. They are frequency used for medium and smaller breeds of dog that like to nestle down for a cosy night’s sleep. Larger dogs, on the other hand, may find the sides somewhat hampering. Although many of these don’t come with detachable covers, it’s well worth investing in one that is easy to wash – don’t sacrifice practicality for looks!

For smaller dogs, slumber ball beds are a popular choice. Exceptionally comfortable, slumber balls look like beanbags with a specially designer sleeping area in the top. Although large dogs may may enjoy this kind of bed, it would have to be the size of a small room to accomodate them! Again, look for beds that are easy to wash.

There are a vareity of different types of dog bed fillings available. Today I’ll discuss the most common types, to help you pick the best bed for your dog.

At the cheapest end of the market are the polyfil beds, made with either high loft fibres or baffled polyfil. High loft fibres are often the cheapest and, in these green days, they are frequently made from recycled plastics. Baffled polyfil consists of individual polyfil tubes within the bed, each of which acts as a seperate section, for added comfort.

If you’re looking to splash out on your dog, you could invest in a bo spring bed, filled with springs like a typical bed mattress! Will you dog be many more comfortable on box springs than on a rug tucked into a box? It’s dubious, but the springs may well offer more support while your pet rests.

For older dogs or animals with orthopedic problems, I highly recommend a foam bed. It conforms to the shape of your pet’s body, allowing for comfort that is hard to find for an aging canine.

Lastly, you can find dog beds made of a combination of the above fillings; these are normally the most expensive, though sometimes it’s unclear why. I often feel people like to pay for the added words in the product description! If you look hard enough, however, you can find beds with combinations of filling that might make a genuine different to the comfort of your pet.

If asked to think about beds, you’d probably find the exercise quite straight forward; rectangular, four legs, matress, duvet and pillows – that’s about it. However, if you’ve actually gone out and tried to buy a bed recently, you’ll know full well how much more there is to it than that. Just the other day I spent four hours in a shop, being shown different kinds of beds… I couldn’t even tell the difference between them! However, it inspired me to write about it on the Dog Blog – to remind you that, just like you’d spend a day choosing your own bed, you should put some effort into choosing your dog’s bed as well.

There are a wide range of dog beds on the market and the one you choose should be based on your dog’s needs as well as your personal taste. Depending on the type of bed and material it is filled with, prices can vary massively between budget £10 beds and luxury, Harrods designer beds, which sell for outrageous sums!

I’ll write a few more, specific posts about types of beds later on in the month. For now I’d like to point out that, although there are a huge range, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a perfectly adequate bed for you pet. However, if you pet is older, or needs orthopedic help, it is well worth investing in a high quality, foam bed that will conform to the dog’s body.