Do you want to give your dog a place other than your floor or your furniture to sleep? Consider investing in a dog bed. It'll provide your precious pooch with the perfect sleeping quarters and allow them to get some much-needed shuteye whenever they want. Don't buy any old dog bed for your four-legged friend, though! Instead, look for a high-quality one that's filled with many of the same kinds of features that you would look for in a bed. Whether you have a small dog that doesn't take up much room or a large dog that takes up tons of space when it sleeps, there are plenty of options out there. Here are ten tips for choosing the best bed for your beloved dog.
1. Figure Out Where You're Going to Put Your Dog Bed
Before purchasing a dog bed, you should look around the inside of your house and figure out a place to put it when you bring it home. Is there a sweet spot next to your couch where it could go? Is there an unoccupied part of your kitchen where you could position it? Or are you going to have to squeeze it into a tight space in your bedroom? No matter where you ultimately choose to put your dog's bed, you should find a place for it before bringing it into your house. That way, you won't buy something too big that won't fit or something too small that doesn't look right. You'll also be able to buy a bed that fits in with the rest of your furniture when you take this approach.
2. Measure Your Dog Before You Begin Shopping For the Bed
Once you know where you're going to put your dog bed and have some idea of what size it should be, you should measure your dog to make sure it'll fit in its bed. Take a tape measure and measure your dog from its nose down to its tail. The last thing you want to do is purchase a bed that is too small for your pet. Step on a scale while holding your dog, too, if you are strong enough to pick them up. You want to do this because, if your dog is on the heavier side, you're going to want to find a bed with some extra padding. Write down your dog's measurements so that you can refer back to them while shopping for beds.
3. Consider the Best Size For the Bed
After you've taken your dog's measurements, you can start looking at different dog beds and checking out some of the sizes they come in. This is a very easy way to start to narrow down your search for dog beds. Most beds will have a recommended height and weight for dogs that will help guide you in the right direction.
4. Think About How Durable You Need the Bed to Be
Does your dog engage in destructive chewing? If so, you might be worried about buying a bed for your dog in the first place. What's the point of plopping down a bunch of money if your dog is going to destroy it anyway? Discover how to stop dogs chewing their beds. Rather than giving up on the idea altogether, you might want to look around for a dog bed made out of more durable material. It'll prevent your dog from doing any damage to it and allow you to sleep easier at night knowing your dog isn't going to town on their bed.
5. Select the Right Colour Bed
You can find dog beds in a wide array of colours. Whether you want something bold that stands out or something a little bit more subdued, you can select whatever you want. One thing you might want to keep in mind is that certain colours will allow your dog's fur to show when it sheds more prominently than others. For that reason, you might want to choose a colour that closely matches your dog to camouflage all the hair. You really can't go wrong with a beautiful neutral grey colour or something along those lines. It'll fit in well within your home and hide your dog's fur perfectly.
6. Pick Out a Bed With Plenty of Padding
You want your dog to be as comfortable as it can be when it lays down in its bed. For that reason, you should pick out a dog bed for your dog that has a lot of padding inside of it. Some dog beds are only an inch or two thick. After your dog has used a bed like this for a few months, it'll likely get worn down and make your dog feel like it's sleeping on the floor. Look for a bed that has at least a few inches worth of padding inside of it. It will set your dog up with all the cushioning it could ever want or need when it goes to take a nap.
7. Check Out the Washing Instructions For the Bed
Imagine what your dog would smell like if you didn't ever wash your sheets. Within just a few weeks, you wouldn't want to climb into your bed at the end of a long day. It's why most people are so diligent about washing their sheets regularly. Why should your dog be any different? After your dog has used their new bed for just a few short weeks, it's going to be time for you to clean it to keep it fresh. If you don't, it'll start to make your whole house smell. You want a dog bed that will be super easy to clean. Ideally, it should have a removable cover on it that you can take off and pop right into your washing machine. The Raffa Large Dog Bed, for example, comes with a cover that you can take on and off as you please. It'll make it super simple for you to keep your dog's bed as clean as it can be.
8. See If the Bed Can Be Used Both Indoors and Outdoors
Are you planning on taking your dog's bed outside at any point? Maybe you want to let your dog layout in the sun in your backyard or even bring your bed along during your next trip to the park. If you try to do this with an indoor dog bed, you could run into problems. When exposed to the elements, indoor dog beds will deteriorate quickly. But there are some dog beds, like The Ultimate Dog Bed, that can be used both inside and out. The Ultimate Dog Bed is an excellent outside dog bed for anyone who plans on putting their dog bed outside from time to time.
9. Price Shop For a Bed in Your Budget
Believe it or not, you can spend a small fortune on some dog beds. Some premium choices are several hundred dollars. But you don't have to spend that much on a dog bed if you don't want to. You could find something more affordable that will also fit within your budget. The Small Round Dog Bed and the Large Round Dog Bed are two examples of this. They're both heavy-duty dog beds that are designed to be used inside and outside, but they're also affordable, costing you less than $50.
10. Don't Forget Beds For Your Other Dogs If You Have Them!
If you only have one dog, then you won't have to worry about buying multiple dog beds for your home. But if you have more than one? You better believe that you're going to need to invest in one bed for each of your dogs. You don't want to create an issue where one of your dogs is jealous that another dog has a bed when it doesn't. So make sure you pick out beds for all the dogs that you have in your house. You'll keep all your dogs happy this way, and you won't have to worry about your dogs fighting over the only available bed in your home.
Buy a Great Dog Bed for Your Pup Today
You should invest in a bed for your dog from the moment you first bring them home. It's great to get your dog acclimated to sleeping on their bed all the time. But even if you don't get around to doing it at first, you can still buy a dog bed for your furry friend any time that you want. Your dog will fall in love with their bed before long and run to it whenever they need some time to themselves. Would you like to order a bed for your dog today and get it shipped directly to your home? Contact us to place your order or to ask any questions you might have about our dog beds.
