Are Dog Beds a Luxury or an Essential?

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     You bring your cute, fun loving puppy home for the first time and of course you want your canine to sleep with you. All furry warm and snuggly. But that is not the best thing to do for you or your dog. You really need a canine bed and establish the correct behavior at the outset. Sure it's fine now but when your dog grows to it's full size at 100 lb, will it be such fun?

Dog beds today come in all sizes, colors, shapes, materials to suit any canine and any decor. If that's not enough you can even have dog beds custom made. If you adopted your dog from the pound he may actually prefer his own place.

Things to Consider When Buying a Dog Bed.

Does your pooch shed or have any other disorder that will cause the bed to need constant cleaning? Does he hang his head over the edge? Does your dog curl up in a ball? The answer to any of these questions will help determine the type of dog bed needed for your pet.

Some Of The Benefits of Dog Beds

A dog bed allows your pet to have his own space, a place where he can curl up, relax and sleep. Beds with sides are great for dogs that like to hang their head over the edge.

Cushions and support should be considered for older dogs, as well as pooches with other joint or bone problems. Orthopedic foam tends to provide additional warmth too so if you live in a warmer climate, your hound may prefer a cooling bed like the Canine Cooler to the traditional orthopedic bed.

Some Dog Bed Features

You'll find out that this is something your canine will be using every single day for the next five to ten years so you ought to put some thought into the dog bed selection. You should consider the size of your room and size needed for comfort the of your pet.

Quality beds such as the Memory Foam Bed or the Thera Ortho Mattress are designed to relieve sore joints, bones and other problems that may arise due to your pets age or weight. More traditional-style cushioned outdoor beds are made of tough polyester and resist mildew and fungus.

Other Dog Bed Considerations

Be sure to measure the entire length of your canine at rest to get an idea of how much space he is using so you can select the correct size. The most efficient way to make sure you are ordering the correct size bed is by measuring your hound in his favorite laying position and adding five inches. Watch your dog sleep. Does he usually curl up or stretch out? If he's relaxed to his maximum size, make sure the bed is big enough to support his entire body.

If you have a little hound a small round pillow-type bed may be the best. It will let your pet burrow and nest. They come in a variety of styles, materials and colors and most can be thrown straight into the washing machine.

Next on the list of requirements is probably a chew proof bed, especially for puppies! There are any amount of styles of dog bed, such as indoor or outdoor, heated or not, travel or car beds and as previously mentioned orthopedic beds for the older canine. Most are stuffed with polyfill, often have cedar chips to repel odors and their covers are removable and machine washable.

For older dogs you need to consider the ideal dog bed. What about Grandma climbing into a waterbed with a two-foot frame? Or better yet, imagine her trying to get out. If your older pooch currently sleeps on the floor or in a cardboard box with blankets, his discomfort would be similar to these scenarios. An orthopedic dog bed would be ideal in this case.

Your dog will enjoy a high quality dog bed for all the same reasons that we enjoy our beds so make sure you buy a good quality bed that fits your pet and suits the way he likes to sleep.