How about making a nice wooden box with sides ( maybe 12" or so). Then just getting a bunch of towels or blankets from Goodwill and letting her nest in them. You can just toss the whole lot in the washer whenever you need to. You can always coordinate the colors of the bedding with your living room if need be. If she has a bladder problem you could put a scrap piece of linoleum on the bottom of the box,easy to clean.
Need ideas for dog bed
G
Our house dog is a nut. She's a 65# Doberman Pinscher. She needs a new dog bed...again. You see, the problem is that she likes to "nest" in her bed. There's lots of rearranging and digging before she can find a comfortable spot to take a coma. She is an indoor/outdoor dog, and she does have a slight bladder control problem at night while laying down. Needless to say, the bed needs to be fully laundered at least every 2 weeks. I do not allow dogs on our furniture, so the bed is her bed and where she sleeps.
I need a bed that can handle lots of digging (she will either shred the material with her nails [I keep them short, too], or rip them apart at the seems.
I need a bed that can be thrown into the washing machine.
I need a bed that will not stick out like a sore thumb in our living room.
I need a bed that's fluffy so she can cuddle in it.
Right now she has a round bed that's falling apart and stuffing keeps coming out of it. When I wash it, I put down a large fleece blanket. She'll lay on it, but if she finds anything laying around (pillow, clothes, blankets) she'll gather them in her bed and then sleep on it. We once returned home to find her sleeping in a pile of my pajamas. I went to my room where my pajama drawer was all the way pulled out and totally empty.
Advice on what to do/buy/make? I thought about trying to make something that was fluffing material with a waterproof something over it, then inside a shell of some sort that is durable and washable. I could remove the outside to wash, and wipe off the water proof layer, and the inside stuffing would stay clean and dry (or would it absorb that doggy smell?).
I need a bed that can handle lots of digging (she will either shred the material with her nails [I keep them short, too], or rip them apart at the seems.
I need a bed that can be thrown into the washing machine.
I need a bed that will not stick out like a sore thumb in our living room.
I need a bed that's fluffy so she can cuddle in it.
Right now she has a round bed that's falling apart and stuffing keeps coming out of it. When I wash it, I put down a large fleece blanket. She'll lay on it, but if she finds anything laying around (pillow, clothes, blankets) she'll gather them in her bed and then sleep on it. We once returned home to find her sleeping in a pile of my pajamas. I went to my room where my pajama drawer was all the way pulled out and totally empty.
Advice on what to do/buy/make? I thought about trying to make something that was fluffing material with a waterproof something over it, then inside a shell of some sort that is durable and washable. I could remove the outside to wash, and wipe off the water proof layer, and the inside stuffing would stay clean and dry (or would it absorb that doggy smell?).
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
If I were you I would go to Goodwill and buy a comforter. Easily washable and inexpensive enough that replacing it every now and then won't make your wallet hurt!
How about straw in a rip stop old horse blanket. You just throw the straw out and restuff every few days. If you can find an not absolutely trashed old turnout blanket, you could wash it and make a couple of dog mattress covers for it.
This really our first spoiled one...we're both retired, lab mutt. She has 2, one where she sleeps & one in livingroom. They both came f/Big Lots, pretty sturdy pillow cover. I cover one w/fleece pillow case like. We had a couple w/fleece & side inserts that did not last long. I remember once looking out in the pen and thought it had snowed in the summer...ha, ha. She's 2 so still some puppy in her. I am really amazed at how well the fleece has held up. It is easy to wash, too.
I agree with the old blanket or sheets idea. One thing to watch for though, don't get one that's too large for your washer to clean well. What I'd do would be get several and rotate them. One or two in the bed and one or two hanging up somewhere to air out. Its amazing how much doggy odor will linger if you don't air them.
I've had expensive ones and cheap ones, but the most durable one I've found is a lounge chair pad. You know--the tri-fold ones that you would put on a cheapy beach lounge chair? They're in the lawn & garden section at Wal-Mart this time of year, and if you catch them on sale--very reasonably priced.
What I do is buy two cheap bed pillows from Wal Mart (if I don't have old pillows that are being retired). Itake two old pillowcases and sew them together. Then I slip a pillow into each case and have a nice size dog bed. Since your dog has leakage problems, you could put each pillow in a garbage bag before putting them into the pillowcases.
When it's time to launder the pillowcases I hang the pillows outside to air out for the day. I can also throw them in the washing machine when needed.
When it's time to launder the pillowcases I hang the pillows outside to air out for the day. I can also throw them in the washing machine when needed.
I used a baby mattress for my dog, it's waterproof and you can buy baby fitted sheets for it.
We have a dog bed that has survived for over 10 YEARS, well, not quite all of it, but the inner part has. The rest survived for 9 years until my foster dog chewed the cover off. The inner padding is felted wool. VERY expensive, but it came with two dogs we inherited. I've since made another by taking an old wool blanket and sewing it to the size and shape I desired. Then I put a slick liner over that pad similar to what it came with. It originally had a waterproof liner too, but that was a pain so I've just gone without it now. The whole thing is washable (cold water) anyway. On top I use the heaviest fleece I can find for that layer. I don't use zippers or velcro to close, I just leave a slit opening down the center of the back. Basically I sew along one side, then off-set the seam and sew top and bottom. The outer covering is nice and soft, plus you can match it to your home decor. You could make a double outer covering for a dog that likes the creature comforts. Ours have these beds on top of their elevated dog beds: http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/elevated_dog_beds.htm It's a rough life.
i was gonna suggest several fleece blankies 
We purchased Kuranda Dog beds for our kennel. We wanted something off the floor and industructable. I would think that you may like to have something that would get up off the floor/carpet, too. The dogs we have dig at them all the time trying to make a bed and they have held up for the 4 years we've been in business. We take them totally apart to scrubb and disinfect between clients and they are great. Kind of pricey but like I said they are indistructable.
Having had a variety of dogs through the years, most of them were kind to their dog beds. This crew I have is a different story--'specially my Aussie boy. I have used comforters, cut down and sewn shut, and stuffed regular pillows in dog bed cases.
However, I have found a dog bed at Target that withstands the Aussie, the Border collie's shoving it around, the boxer digging at it and washes very nicely. It's a crate bed/pad..they come in red or blue and the large (which is around $29) is big enough for my 80 pound labbie to relax on. I wish I could find the tag but they are the nylon, thick pads. I just finished washing all five of them.
Definitely worth the money...durable and easy to take care of.
Cheri
However, I have found a dog bed at Target that withstands the Aussie, the Border collie's shoving it around, the boxer digging at it and washes very nicely. It's a crate bed/pad..they come in red or blue and the large (which is around $29) is big enough for my 80 pound labbie to relax on. I wish I could find the tag but they are the nylon, thick pads. I just finished washing all five of them.
Definitely worth the money...durable and easy to take care of.
Cheri
Can't help ya there. My hound thinks anything that's stuffed needs to have the stuffing pulled out of it. Then she pouts when she has no where but the floor to curl up on because she's destroyed everything she could sleep on---couches included!! I'm bout ready to give up and just buy lawn furnature for the house LOL
Wife buys denim dresses at Salvation Army on quarter day, sews up a nice size dog bed with zipper, puts two old pillows inside. Work real well, and washable. > Marc
I second the baby mattress idea. Completely waterproof. Mine came from Garage sales & Salvation Army stores. Baby sheets were cheap there too. You can get a blanket or throw that matches your furniture and "wrap" the whole thing. Easy to launder the covers! You can also wipe the mattress down if there is an accident.
I made a dog bed for our deceased rottie/shep a few years ago. I used soft washed denim, and added a zipper. I bought a bale of cedar chips from the feed store, and I filled it with the cedar. it repelled fleas and made a nice bed. When it came time to wash, I dumped the cedar chips out in the pile, and washed the cover. Im making another denim quilt now, and considering doing a quilted top dog bed from different shaded khaki pants I cut up.
We have two 80# Dobies, too. I made their beds, for the basement Family room out of 2x12's on edge for frame. Beds are 36"x30" exterior dims. 2x4's are under framed to hold up the plywood floors of them. They do Not move these Beds around.
We have 3" foam underneath a folded up cheap fiber blanket from Wallyworld
for them to lay on. Both parts are washable. We have also used the cheap Ww, small area rugs over the foam. They work well too. They dig & roll the bedding around to get it just right. But......It works just fine.
Our dogs do Not use the Furniture.
We have 3" foam underneath a folded up cheap fiber blanket from Wallyworld
for them to lay on. Both parts are washable. We have also used the cheap Ww, small area rugs over the foam. They work well too. They dig & roll the bedding around to get it just right. But......It works just fine.
Our dogs do Not use the Furniture.
here's my - foolproof - plan for a dog bed.
Step 1: Take dog to back door
Step 2: Open door
Step 3: Dog goes outside
Step 4: You close door
Bedding complete
YMMV
P.S. This won't work if you don't have a fence and your dog is prone to running off, if you have no electric under-ground fence, or if it is -20 in the winter and you bought a breed not suited for your climate.
Step 1: Take dog to back door
Step 2: Open door
Step 3: Dog goes outside
Step 4: You close door
Bedding complete
YMMV
P.S. This won't work if you don't have a fence and your dog is prone to running off, if you have no electric under-ground fence, or if it is -20 in the winter and you bought a breed not suited for your climate.
1 - 20 of 26 Posts
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