Are Dog Beds a Luxury or an Essential?

You bring your cute, fun loving puppy home for the first time and of course you want your dog to sleep with you. It's all furry warm and snuggly. But that is not the best thing to do for you or your dog. You really need a dog bed and to establish the correct behavior at the outset. Sure it’s fine now but when your dog grows to its full size of 100 lb, will it be such fun? If you adopted a dog from the pound it may actually prefer its own place. Somewhere to feel secure and safe.

There are medical reasons too. If you get your dog used to sleeping in one spot it’s less likely to sleep on the floor or other hard surfaces which can cause arthritis and calluses in later years. Starting out correctly can help keep your dog fit and healthy. They even make orthopedic dog beds now to help address this issue.

Now that we have established that a dog bed is essential, what type do you get? It depends on your dog and its preferences. Make sure the bed is big enough for your dog. Even if it’s a perfect fit for your house it’s really important that your dog can lay down in the bed. If not then it’ll never be used. Next on the list of requirements is probably a chew proof bed, especially for puppies! There are multiple styles of dog bed, such as indoor or outdoor, heated or not, travel or car beds and as previously mentioned orthopedic beds for the older dog. Select one that fits your dog’s needs and lifestyle.

Some things to consider are that the bed is totally machine washable. Both your dog and the bed are going to get dirty so you’ll be washing both regularly – though not at the same time :-) Fleas are a major consideration too and cedar shavings can help stop them becoming permanent residents.

Take a little time and put in a little effort and both you and your dog will get a great night's sleep and wake up refreshed and ready for the new day!

David Amos is a dog lover and long time dog owner. For more information about dog beds click Dog Beds and Puppy Beds, and for more about dog health and keeping your dog happy click Dogs and Puppies Online.