All dogs like to be comfortable and relaxed. Ever since they were puppies, they have snuggled up to something- a pack mate, a soft toy, a blanket. It makes sense as a responsible owner to provide your dog with something soft to sleep on, this will make your dog happy and in turn yourself.
One of the main reasons for giving your dog something soft is that it relieves pressure from their joints. Dogs have sensitive bones at the best of times, so they don’t want to lie on the floor for hours on end, and especially overnight when it gets cold. Dog beds allow them to relax and take the stress of their knees, hips and backs.
The selection of beds available is vast. There’s everything from dog bean bags to dog pillows, wicker dog beds, plastic dog beds and even dog cages. The designs, colours and prices are just as variable, so at first glance it can seem a bit daunting. At the end of the day the dog doesn’t care about any of that stuff, just that they have a soft place to sleep. So really it’s down to owner preference. Do you have a favourite colour? Is the dog basket going to be in a particular room? How much do you have to spend?
The best way to decide what kind of dog bed to buy is to consider the size of your dog. If you have a tiny little pup, you obviously don’t need the biggest dog cage going. Likewise a big Labrador won’t feel comfortable in small bed. You should aim to give your dog plenty of room to stretch out and then a bit more. While some people like to buy several beds over time, another great idea can be to see how big your dog will grow and just buy 1 bed. With a bit of luck it will stand the best of time, particularly the puppy phase and be almost as good as new.
How much you spend on a dog bed is up to you. If you want to spend hundreds then go ahead, but it won’t make a blind bit of difference to the dog. While some value beds can be of poor quality, it’s best to spend no more than £50, and that’s for a big one. Yes dog beds to increase in price with size, but that’s just the way it is. You’ll find plastic dog beds and bean bags are among the cheapest and dog cages to be a bit more expensive, but as long as the bed is super comfortable and you think your dog will be happy, that’s all that matters!
Pet shops are a great place to buy dog beds, but there are also some amazing deals online. Just searching on Google will reveal a whole host of online stores with discounted brands. While you may have to pay a little more for delivery in some cases, you can get more bed for your buck and it will be cheaper than driving to the store anyway.
Some of the best websites to visit for dog beds are Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, Pet Supermarket
The bottom line is that anything soft and comfortable you buy for your dog is better than sleeping on the floor. The dog won’t care what colour it is or whether it is incrusted with gemstones, just that it is better than the cold floor. Seeing your pup climb onto its new bed and give you that look of ‘thanks’, is a wonderful feeling.