Dog beds

awman

hi everyone,

I'm trying to get a bed for my new dog. She is almost 9 months old and she is a bullmastiff. She is pretty big already and will only get bigger! I'm from Co. Limerick so the nearest pet shop is in Limerick City (petmania). I went in there at the weekend to get her a bed but none of them were very big. There was one or two that would probabaly do her now but only just about and they'd definately not be big enough for when she's fully grown. Any of the ones that were a descent size were very flat and didnt seem like they'd be very comfy. Does anyone know where beds can be got for these size dogs? I'd be willing to go to Cork for one too cause Cork is almost as near to where I live as Limerick.
Thanks.

TooManyDogs

What about getting a baby's cot mattress? Cheaper than a huge dog bed, and they have washable sheets

mymo

A friend of mine bought a single bed memory foam mattress topper and cut it in half, stuck the two halves together and sewed a cover to fit it. It suits her greyhound down to the ground, and I'm sure you could do something similar.
They bought the mattress topper online for about €85 and its quite thick and very soft, and so far lasted about 2 1/2 years, so worth the expense. The fabric they got was a faux leather type stuff, not sure of price, but they're on the second cover now.
The advantage is you can make it whatever size you like.

Something like this was what they got, the link is for a double one,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Double-Memory-Mattress-Washable-Removable/dp/B00161Z02A

Maja

awman wrote: »

hi everyone,

I'm trying to get a bed for my new dog. She is almost 9 months old and she is a bullmastiff. She is pretty big already and will only get bigger! I'm from Co. Limerick so the nearest pet shop is in Limerick City (petmania). I went in there at the weekend to get her a bed but none of them were very big. There was one or two that would probabaly do her now but only just about and they'd definately not be big enough for when she's fully grown. Any of the ones that were a descent size were very flat and didnt seem like they'd be very comfy. Does anyone know where beds can be got for these size dogs? I'd be willing to go to Cork for one too cause Cork is almost as near to where I live as Limerick.
Thanks.

I just bought this one for my collie :

http://www.pet-bliss.com/acatalog/info_1_3020.html

-its even nicer then on the picture, very comfy and cosy , dog can put his head on the side like on the pillow and you can also remove the cover for washing. I would recomend it.

ps: i bought 80/65cm for 36.60eu and its big enough for collie, so 100/80cm would be huge!

awman

Many thanks to toomanydogs, mymo and maja - some really great ideas there. Will definately look into them and see how much they'd cost. thansk again.

tk123

OP you may not need a huge bed - our guy is 14 months old now and sleeps more curled up than when he used to be stretched out in the bed! I actually donated the big plastic beds we had for him and then bought a smaller one in Argos for the kitchen and then picked a nice dspca one up in petmania for half price for the sitting room. Zooplus are pretty reasonable too.

awman

tk123 - do you have a bullmastiff too? My one is nearly 9 months but I've only had her a couple of weeks. The bed she is sleeping on at the moment is only a cheap one I bought in Dunnes. Its average enough in size but its not very thick so I really wanted to get her something more comfortable. She is quite big already and as far as I know bullmastiff's arent fully grown until they are about 2 and a half so i'm thinkin she'll probably get a good bit bigger. There was one bed in the pet shop that was big and nice and thick and looked very comfy but it was very expensive (€135.00) and unfortunately my pocket doesnt stretch that far. Maybe the baby cot mattress idea that TooManyDogs suggested would be a good idea and hopefully wont work out too expensive.

Maja

-have a closer look at what i suggested its 50eu and i am really happy with that one.

Discodog

IMO these are the best dog beds that you can buy. I have one that is four years old. It is still in perfect condition & waterproof. They are expensive but worth it. There are a few imitators but I haven't found anything so good.

http://www.fatboybeanbags.ie/dog-beds.html

Maja

Discodog wrote: »

IMO these are the best dog beds that you can buy. I have one that is four years old. It is still in perfect condition & waterproof. They are expensive but worth it. There are a few imitators but I haven't found anything so good.

http://www.fatboybeanbags.ie/dog-beds.html

Wow, they look cool, but they dont have "sides" what makes them less comfy in my opinion. Maybe some dogs dont care, but mine likes to hide his nose in some corner.

Discodog

I take out about 50% of the filling so that it makes a deep dip. The real advantage is the strength, waterproofing & durability.

One of mine did a "cowpat" (she had a tummy upset) on the Fatboy. Sorry if you are eating but I managed to get the bed outside without spilling a drop. I then hosed off the bed & within a hour the whole bed was dry.

Maja

They really look like quality stuff. The next one will be it.
(i was going to buy armchair for myself , but will think now about getting a bean bag instead) thanks Discodog

Discodog

For those that are on a budget check our your nearest TK Max. I got a nice fibre filled big bed for €25. Nothing like a fatboy but good value.

tk123

awman wrote: »

tk123 - do you have a bullmastiff too? My one is nearly 9 months but I've only had her a couple of weeks.

Nope a golden retriever! I agree about the petshop beds - most of them are way too expensive but you can often get a bargain on zooplus (the uk site is usually better than the irish one) and petmania usually have offers on beds every few weeks. Our guy would snooze near us so during the day he'd sleep in his bed in the kitchen which is one of the plastic basket type ones with a diy job cushion inside - the wadding out of a pillow inside an old duvet cover then on top of that a bath towel, in the sitting room his bed is kind of like this and then another home made cushion and towel. From now on i'll be sticking with the diy cushions - a duvet cover and a couple of cushions is €10 max so not breaking the bank to change wadding if it get smells and the cover and towels can washed in the washing machine.

mjth2004

http://www.kudospetproducts.co.uk/pet-beds.html

not the cheapest of beds, but just looking at the one we have the last three years & it's still in great condition!

andreac

I recommend vet bed. Its very comfy and easy to keep clean as you can put it in the washing machine and its dog proof too, cant be chewed.

I will never buy a dog bed again for my dogs (rotties). Vet bed is brill and last ages. A couple of pieces on top of each other to give lots of support.

boxerly

For my older dogs I get double duvets fold them in half and half again and a cheap fleece blanket on top :)BUT as pups they ate every bed I got,they looved to rip the duvets all over the house:)Ye cant go wrong with a big plastic bed and some fleece blankets,tesco do them for 2 - 4 euro

Knine

andreac wrote: »

I recommend vet bed. Its very comfy and easy to keep clean as you can put it in the washing machine and its dog proof too, cant be chewed.

I will never buy a dog bed again for my dogs (rotties). Vet bed is brill and last ages. A couple of pieces on top of each other to give lots of support.

As above, you cant beat vets bed. I find it fab. So handy to just stick i the washing machine. Ive even put mine in the dryer. I found any other beds I bought got chewed.

To the OP your bullmastiff will be mature around 2 and a half but she will not keep growing until then. She will definitely get somewhat bigger but at nearly 9 mths a lot of her growing is done, what will happen after that is that her body will fill out and she will build muscle. Some bullmastiffs are not looking completely mature until they are 3 years of age!

Best of luck with her, they are fabulous dogs!

LisaO

+1 for Kudos beds - have had a couple for a few years now that are used in outside run & they really are indestructible.

Also + 1 for TK Maxx - have a couple of really nice fleece-lined suede basket beds that are used inside.

Have a think about what type of bed your girl prefers before you invest - does she like to stretch out or curl up?

I invested in a huge Fatboy as a Xmas treat for our 2 - they hate it Both much prefer a basket-style bed with sides that they can curl up in. In fact, the lab usually hops in the smaller bed so that he can curl up really small.

At least Fatboy wasn't wasted - my daughter decided she would like it

Molberts

You could also try the largest of the plastic beds filled with blankets? The 90cm one is usually only about 40 quid and unless you have a craaazy chewer on your hands it'll last.

We sell a lot of these in the "huge" size, you fill them yourself (with old sheets,clothes etc but also those raggy old or half chewed dog beds!) so you can make them as puffy/squishy/roomy/overstuffed as your dog would like!

I have one stuffed to the brim for my collie X who likes to perch atop his bed like the princess and the pea :pac: and some 3/4 full for the other two who like to "dig" their own bed hole

awman

Those fatboy beds look really comfy but they're a wee bit pricey unfortunately. I'll definitely have a look in TK Maxx this weekend though and see if they have anything suitable. Thanks a million for all the great suggestions.

fenris

We had serious bed shredding problems with our two monsters (Irish Setter, GSD) The only bed that has survived is the Kuranda, they are raised (like mini trampolines)and have no seams that a delicate little claw can get a grip on to start the shreading

My GSD is 9 and has just had a hip replacement and finds the bed more comfortable than cushion type bedding.

http://www.k9komforts.ie/beds/kurand-dog-bed.html

We have a large and and X-Large, the large is big enough though and the two lads often curl up on it together, the X-Large is a bit cumbersome, we have those beds for over a year and they are grand despite continuous assaults including both dogs standing on the beds attempting to dig through the bed!

cjf

Vet bedding is great for the biggies! I have a crates for my dobie lad and boxer X girly and I cable tie the bedding in so they cant destroy it then i leave a little bit loose for the dobie to drag around (he is like a child with a blanket!) can throw it in the washing machine time and time again and when the one in their crate gets thin and worn I give him that one to drag around and just get more to cable tie in! Its cheaper than buying the beds and I find its great for the biggies as gives them good support under their elbows etc to stop hard skin forming! Bronte Glen sell it online and deliver to your house very quickly can buy in all different colours and sizes and its very good value. I dont work for them BTW just have seen the cost of it in pet shops and the price per metre is crazy so order mine online! Really cute baby pink one I buy for my boxer X girly and blue for my dobie boy!!

pokertalk

this works if your dog does not have a tendency to rip everything;) get a sleeping bag if you have one and stuff a cheap double bed duvet into it and plump it up abit then when you need to wash it simply take off the sleeping bag and give it a wash .if you dont have a spare duvet you can pick them up in tesco for a tenner

belongtojazz

This might sound a bit bizarre but my Springer absolutely loves sleeping in a cardboard box:rolleyes: I have put some vet bedding into it and he curls up as happy as larry. I think one of the big pluses for him is that the terriers don't like it so he can curl up on his own

wopper10

http://www.mollys.ie/dog-beds/

Got a lovely big dog bed for a large GS cross here....

iguana

I have the large version of this which my two springers share and they have lots of room for both of them so it would easily suit one big dog. Very handy as I can just hoover the hairs off and then wipe it down with a cloth. I hate washing dog beds in the washing machine as the filter gets clogged up and the drum needs to be cleaned out afterward.

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_beds_baskets/hygienic_bed/square/129307

The Sweeper

I use frame beds, sort of like the one fenris described, but a cheaper model - a steel tubing frame with a canvas stretched over. The canvas is waterproofed on the bottom - they clean up really easily, you can hose them down and they dry in the sunshine in 20 mins.

My pup is a serious bed eater - at only five months he's demolished one plain bed utterly, stripped the waterproofing off the under-cushion base of a second bed, and is even chewing holes in the canvas of my frame bed, but the canvas is replaceable and it's taking him some time to do it considerable damage.

The other advantage of the frame bed - my guy sleeps overnight in the bathroom with a baby gate across the door. His toilet training is improving, but there are still mornings where there will be wees to clean up. (He was kept in confinement and filth before I got him, and had grown accustomed to lying in or beside his own urine and faeces - a difficult habit to break.) If he wees overnight with a normal bed, some of the puddling urine can soak into the bed and initially we were like a laundrette, dog beds in the wash every morning and night. The frame bed holds the fabric clear of the floor, so clean-up has been far, far easier since we got it and his own fastidiousness is improving as we facilitate keeping him clean - in other words, the cleaner he's kept, the cleaner he wants to be.

He's also looking at being a bit of a horse when fully grown, and the trampoline style beds are apparently good for large dogs, helps with pressure points on a hard surface I believe?