Dog Bed?

SarahSassy

What type of bed would you suggest for an adult retreiver - I think our lad is going to get pretty big and is already growing out of his wicker basket. Are those large cushion beds suitable / recommended for inside?

Sigma Force

If he's not a chewer one of those plastic dog beds (easy to wash and not too pricey) and Vet bed, at least 2 so you have a change when the other one is being washed. About 2 and a half feet of vet bed should fit a bed for a retriever or 3 feet if it doesn't seem big enough, you can get is as big as you want as it can come in rolls. Available online or from a lot of pet shops now.
It's roughly €12.00 a foot and trust me it's the best bedding around.

I've tried soft beds, Rogz beds (also ok but not very warm and bit bulky to wash) fleece blankets the lot and over all the years of having dogs the Vet bed has won out every time. Some of my vet bed is about 5 or 6 years old and has been washed zillions of times and been left out on the line for a winter and been battered and is still going strong.

lorebringer

+ 1 for plastic bed with "filling"

Pillows and lots of blankets in the plastic beds are great, easy to wipe out the plastic bed and easy to chuck pillows etc. into the washing machine. They don't attract creepy crawlies into them (I have found wicker does this) and they also keep the soft bedding off the ground so that the cold doesn't travel up from the ground (of course, if the bed is ever going to be outside it would need to be in dog house). The bed will last forever too, you just need to change the bedding when it gets worn out

B'witched

Trojan dog bed are great,:) you can wipe them over with a cloth or even use a pressure washer.

Here is the site.
www.bronteglen.ie

TrapperChamonix

GP Rescue / Lorebringer, How do you keep the bedding / blankets pillows in the bed? I have a plastic bed for my Retriver, but
a) he takes every bit of bedding and drags it into the garden and
b) he won't sit in it. He goes and lies on the rug / mat we have at the back door.

Paul91

my boxer/lab and German Shepherd both have the hard plastic beds, with a fleece blanket, just don't leave it in there during the day if they drag it out/chew it (boxer/lab destroyed 4 foam filled beds/liners)

Harris

My retriever has chewed at least 6 or 7 beds....foam, feathers, stuffing, blankets, the lot.
The only retriever proof bed is the big hard plastic one with vet bet, as Guineapigrescue has wisely advised. Vet bed is dear but by God it will save you money in the long run and can be washed at even 90 degrees!!
Good luck...you have a long life of chewing ahead of you!!

olaola

Ikea have beds - cheap enough and they wash & dry well.

This is the largest one - big enough for your dog :http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/70113715

andreac

Vet bed all the way!! I have a rottweiler and i will never buy another bed again.
Its not actually that dear, you can get a good size piece for about 15-18 euro, which i cut in 2 and then put one on top of the other, at the moment he is sitting on about 4/5 pieces so its very comfy.

Try this site, they are at the dog shows too.

http://www.k9komforts.ie/beds/vet-bed-with-non-slip-backing.html

*Lees*

Sorry for hijacking the thread but I have a similar issue and this vet bed stuff sounds interesting!!
Could it also be used as insulation? I'm getting my pup a new kennel and I'm trying to figure out how to insulate it! His last one came fully insulated but the new one is just the basic wooden shell! If I cut bits for all sides and bottom of the kennel and made it so that it could be securely attached to the inside of the kennel but easily removed for cleaning, would it make good insulation do you think??
The old kennel was so handly as there was padding on the floor too so he would be comfortable! Im worried about the new one as I know he would just pull out any blankets or cushions if they weren't tied down!!!

schtajjn

Hi,

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a BiaBed for dogs in Ireland ??
The closest I've got is the UK (activateyourdog.com) and the shipping I have been quoted is the same price as the bed itself (around £ 90 ). This is without a doubt the best dogbed ever, and I really want to get one for my golden retriever but I'd rather not pay £200 for it !

Any help would be greatly appreciated !

Flat2dmat

am I the only one who has given their dog a duvet for their bed?
it's the only thing that he'll fit on because of his size (english mastiff), it's a single and he takes it all up - the big lazy lump!!
cover handy to wash every week and duvet can get cleaned / replaced fairly cheap too.
think he's preparing me for kids!!!

Paul91

Flat2dmat wrote: »

am I the only one who has given their dog a duvet for their bed?
it's the only thing that he'll fit on because of his size (english mastiff), it's a single and he takes it all up - the big lazy lump!!
cover handy to wash every week and duvet can get cleaned / replaced fairly cheap too.
think he's preparing me for kids!!!

i think your being a bit cruel there - should he not have the double size and the bed

lorebringer

*Lees* wrote: »

Sorry for hijacking the thread but I have a similar issue and this vet bed stuff sounds interesting!!
Could it also be used as insulation? I'm getting my pup a new kennel and I'm trying to figure out how to insulate it! His last one came fully insulated but the new one is just the basic wooden shell! If I cut bits for all sides and bottom of the kennel and made it so that it could be securely attached to the inside of the kennel but easily removed for cleaning, would it make good insulation do you think??
The old kennel was so handly as there was padding on the floor too so he would be comfortable! Im worried about the new one as I know he would just pull out any blankets or cushions if they weren't tied down!!!

We had a lab that ate kennels etc. and used to drag stuff out of them. We ended up using a staple gun to pin vet bedding to the floor of the kennel and loads of shreddings (I think it was horse bedding) because he just dragged any blankets/beds etc. out of the kennel. The reason we used the sheddings was because he used to dig into them and make himself a nest, and we could replace them easily. After a week of two he would have them all over the garden (no bothers to sweep up) and we would just put more in. We used the vet bed so that he wasn't lying on the hard wood on the kennel floor. We removed (with a bolt cutter and a pliers, the OH could get the out no probs) to take out the staples every month and wash the bedding, then just stapled it back in. It wrecked the floor of the kennel a bit but we replaced it before it caused any real problems.

As far as insulating the kennel, we bought one for the same lab and he ate it all foam so we never bought another. It was quite cosy in there with the bedding and the shredded stuff, we just made sure it was in a corner and facing the wall so that the wind wouldn't get in. I imagine, that if your dog wouldn't rip if off the wall of the kennel, the vet bedding could be used as insulation. Perhaps you could staple it to the walls, floors and ceiling of the kennel.

Discodog

Fatboy bean bags. Really tough, washable & last. Expensive but worth it. Take 40% of the beans out when you get it & save them for later. Most dogs like the bag to be soft to sink into.

Flat2dmat - My two sleep on a custom built (by me) ortho foam superbed with twin thermostatic heat pads - just need to train them to adjust their own temperatures !.