Looking to treat your dog to a replacement bed or tasked with kitting the home out ahead of a new arrival? Here are three top tips to ensure you get the right bed for your four legged friend.
1. dog breed and Dog Beds
If horses have courses (as the saying goes) dog breeds have beds. That is, when buying a dog bed one of the first things to consider is the breed of your dog. This is true for numerous reasons.
The breed of a dog determines its size, coat / fur thickness and length and as well in many cases how it likes to sleep. Smaller dogs with shorted limbs often prefer to curl up come bed time whilst longer limbed and larger dogs are often seen sprawling out. And all these factors require careful thought when buying a dog bed, not least for a pup which still has much of its growing to do.
To prevent having to factor all these issues into buying the right bed yourself, opt to keep things simple by making use of the Pets at Home Dog Bedding Size Guide which is featured on their website. It will quickly help you as a dog owner to establish the size and potentially type of bed that is most appropriate for your specific breed of pooch.
2. Environment
Dogs are extremely sensitive, sociable and intuitive animals. As such, they thrive in happy, family orientated environments and homes. This said, many dogs come bed time are sent out of communal living spaces to beds beneath stairs, in nooks and alcoves or their beds are otherwise placed ‘out of the way'.
Whilst some dogs won't mind this, many dogs and especially puppies will struggle to settle having been effectively dismissed and barred from a family room or woken come bed time in order to be moved from a family space to a designated and isolated dog bed elsewhere.
At worst a dog can infer from this that they are being punished. This in turn can cause a dog to become confused, dispirited and unhappy. It may also cause a dog to display ‘bad' behaviours – such as refusing to settle or doing its business indoors.
To avoid this (and owning a miserable dog), simply include your dog; don't put it out in the hall or wake / move a dog that is settled in a communal area. As the old saying goes – let sleeping dogs lie, in this instance literally, by placing the dog's bed in a communal living room where you and / or family spend the evenings. This will communicate to your pooch that it is part of the ‘pack' and so help to nurture a confident and self assured dog that is happy to hit the hay come night time.
For those who prefer to tuck a dog bed away because it can cramp a living or communal family room's style and fail to fit in with the décor, rather than banish a dog (it isn't their fault after all), instead consider purchasing an appropriate and equally high quality dog bed that is simply made with style in mind, such as one of those created and designed by specialists Pet Luxury Online.
3. Temperature Control
Generally speaking, dogs are fantastically and naturally equipped to adapt to a broad range of temperatures. Being mammals and having in most cases a thick layer of fur (when compared to us humans, for example) they are adept at acclimatising to a wider spectrum of temperatures than people. Hence, it is far less common for a dog to become so cold that they feel uncomfortable or get ill due to low temperatures.
That said, there are of course instances in which dogs can become too cold. In the worst of the winter months, a dog like any living creature benefits from sleeping in a temperature controlled environment. Further, health conditions some dogs experience such as diabetes and as well the size of a dog both affect their ability to retain heat.
The rule of thumb is: the smaller the dog and / or the shorter its coat the more likely it is to feel the cold. Fortunately, in almost all cases an added blanket during the colder months or investing in an igloo style dog bed for smaller breeds and especially for smaller breeds with shorted coats (such as Chihuahuas) can remedy or avoid this problem.
On the flipside, dogs can overheat far more easily and essentially because they wear a fur coat all year round. Hence, in the warmer summer months or even just within a home that is a little too well heated for a pooch but may seem perfectly fine for a human, overheating can occur. And this can of course prevent a dog from settling or sleeping. At worst it can even result in a dog becoming short tempered and easily irritated.
We all know, after all, how it feels to get all hot and bothered. Consequently, a dog, just like a human, requires seasonal bedding; extra fleece blankets during the winter months are advisable and easy to store during the warmer times of the year. Meanwhile, ensuring to remove these added thermal layers to prevent a dog from getting too warm during summer is also important.
Further, and finally, because dogs are far more likely to overheat than feel the cold and overheating is not something that happens to a dog just when they take to their bed, it is worth familiarising yourself with the signs and symptoms of an overly hot dog in order to be able to tackle this situation before it begins to potentially impact on your pooch's health or well being. Then, to learn the signs, head over to the Dodo website and give their article: How to Tell If Your Dog is Overheating a read.
Related articles
The best dog-friendly hotels in Norfolk(telegraph.co.uk)
Bestsellers and Hot Products
Blue Buffalo Santa Snacks Natural Soft Dog Treats, Chicken 4.5-oz
(as of December 2, 2023 09:59 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Benebone Wishbone Durable Dog Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers, Real Bacon, Made in USA, Medium
29% Off
WYZE Cam Pan v3 Indoor/Outdoor IP65-Rated 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Smart Home Security Camera with Motion Tracking for Baby & Pet, Color Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa & Google, Black
$39.98 (as of December 2, 2023 10:20 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Babole Pet Christmas Dog Collars for Medium Dog with Bow Tie,Pink Dog Collar with Safety Metal Buckle Adjustable Puppy Collars for Small Large Dog,Boy&Girl&Male&Female Dog Gift,M-13.5"-22"
$16.99 ($16.99 / Count) (as of December 2, 2023 10:16 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
COZY KISS Dog Stairs for Small Dogs, Pet Stairs for High Beds and Couch, Pet Ramp for Small Dogs and Cats, 3-Step Grey
28% Off
What are the Right Toys for Your Dog?
As a dog owner, you have to buy some kinds of toys for the family member. There are tons of dog toys online for various demand. We know dog toys should be safe, durable, and most important of all, fun. Many of the factors, however, are completely dependent on your pet's activity, size personal preference […]
Buying a Kennel For Your Furry Friend, These Tips Can Help
dogs are not simply called “a man's best friend.” Their loyalty knows no bounds and they keep you happy all day long. Therefore, isn't it your duty to make sure that you are providing your dog with the best care? You definitely must be taking care of his or her nutrition by giving the best […]
DEX App
A mobile app for sharing information when walking your dog. All the dog lovers want to make sure that their dogs have an amazing outdoor experience when they take them out for a walk. The dog lovers try to find a trail that will prevent their lovely dog from unwanted situations, however, they may not […]
The “No-Choke” Collar
Puppies are so adorable, the look that they have on their face when they look at you is heartwarming. Whenever a puppy is adopted, it becomes a family member forever. dogs or puppies are known as “man's best friend” because of their loyalty, companionship and the affection they have towards their owner. Those puppy dog […]
