How to Choose a Dog Bed
A dog bed is the one accessory your dog uses for more hours than everything else combined. Most people buy on looks and size, discover a problem four months later, and buy again. Here is how to avoid the second purchase.
The single thing that decides whether a bed lasts
A removable, washable cover.
Beds almost never fail structurally. They get written off because something happened to them: mud, a wet dog, an accident, an elderly dog, a sick dog, or simply a year of dog. If the cover comes off and goes in the machine, that bed survives. If it does not, the whole bed goes in the bin.
Check this before anything else. A zip along one side with a cover that actually separates from the base is worth more than any amount of fill.
Match the bed to how your dog sleeps
Watch them for a week. Dogs are consistent, and the shape they sleep in should decide the shape you buy.
Curlers sleep nose-to-tail in a ball. A donut or round bolster bed with raised sides suits them, and the raised edge becomes a pillow. A flat mat wastes most of its area.
Sprawlers sleep flat out on their side or back, often with legs off the edge. They need a flat mattress or a large rectangular bed with low sides. Put a sprawler in a donut and they will sleep with their head hanging over the rim.
Leaners press their back or head against something. A bolster bed with a solid raised side along one edge, or a sofa-style bed, gives them what they are looking for.
Burrowers, usually terriers and small breeds, want to get under something. A cave bed or a bed with a blanket layer suits them better than anything open.
Sizing
Measure your dog nose to base of tail while they are lying stretched out, then add 15cm to 20cm. That is the internal dimension you need, not the external one.
This matters because bolster and donut beds lose a lot to their own walls. A bed advertised as 80cm across can have a 50cm sleeping surface. Check the internal measurement, which good listings state.
For a curler you can go slightly smaller, because the enclosed feeling is the point. For a sprawler, err larger. For a puppy, buy for the adult size if the bed is a flat mat, and buy small and cheap if it is anything structured, because they will chew it.
Fill, and what the words mean
Polyester fill is the standard. Light, washable, inexpensive, and it compresses over time. Fine for a light dog, flattens under a heavy one.
Memory foam holds its shape and spreads weight evenly. It is the right answer for older dogs, for anything with joint trouble, and for heavy breeds. It is also heavier and slower to dry if it ever gets soaked, so the cover matters more.
Plush and sherpa describe the cover, not the fill. They are about warmth and softness, and they shed hair readily, which some people love and some people find out about later.
A flattened polyester bed with a good cover can be topped up with craft-shop fill for a few dollars. This is worth knowing before you replace a bed that is only tired.
Where the bed goes
Most dogs want to sleep where the household is, with a view of the door and their back to a wall. A bed in a quiet spare room often goes unused while the dog sleeps on the rug in the lounge.
Put it where they already choose to lie. If you want it somewhere else, feed them on it for a week first.
Avoid directly under a heater or in full afternoon sun. Dogs regulate heat badly and will abandon a bed that is too warm rather than tell you about it.
Beds for specific situations
Older dogs: memory foam, low sides so they can step in without lifting a leg high, and somewhere warm but not hot.
Dogs that chew: nothing structured until the chewing stops. A flat mat you can replace cheaply beats an expensive bed in pieces.
Dogs that swim or live outdoors part of the day: a raised or waterproof-based bed, and a cover that dries fast.
Anxious dogs: enclosed shapes. A donut with high sides or a cave bed gives contact on more sides, which settles a lot of dogs who will not sleep on an open mat.
Two dogs who share: buy one bed big enough for both plus a second smaller one. They will use both, usually not in the way you expect.
Common questions
How do I know what size dog bed to buy? Measure your dog lying stretched out, nose to base of tail, and add 15cm to 20cm. Check that figure against the bed's internal sleeping area, not its outside dimensions.
How often should I wash a dog bed? The cover every two to four weeks for an indoor dog, more often for a dog who goes out in the wet. Wash cool and air dry, because hot drying shrinks covers and makes them a fight to get back on.
Why won't my dog use their new bed? Usually position rather than the bed. Move it to where they already choose to lie. If that does not work, feed them on it for a week. A bed that smells of them and of dinner becomes theirs quickly.
Is memory foam worth it for a dog? For an older dog, a heavy dog, or any dog with joint trouble, clearly yes. For a light young dog who sleeps in a ball, polyester fill is fine and easier to wash.
What is the most hard-wearing dog bed? One with a removable cover in a tight weave, a base that does not absorb water, and no exposed piping for a bored dog to start on. Durability here is mostly about the cover and the construction, not the fill.
