I got a very excited call from my friends the other day with big news. They just got a new puppy. They were at the mall at the pet store when they called, buying all the new stuff necessary for any new puppy owner - little collars, little leashes, puppy food, puppy treats, puppy vitamins, lots of toys, some puppy clothing. You know how new puppy owners are. What they wanted to ask me, since I have gone through the puppy stage with my dog, is whether they should buy a puppy-sized bed for their new puppy.
I told them to hold off on buying a dog bed. This doesn't mean I am not a avid proponent of dog beds. I am. However, I don't think it is appropriate for a puppy to use a dog bed. More accurately, I think it might be impossible for a puppy to be expected to stay in a dog bed. For at least the first 8 to 12 months in their new homes puppies need to sleep in a cage.
Once the puppy has grown up and you've made the decision to let your dog choose a different sleeping spot away from the crate, this is the time to choose a dog bed. Getting rid of the crate isn't a necessity - if you and your dog both like the crate, keeping a routine that is working is probably better than introducing new things. A crate actually provides a lot of security for dogs, and functions as their own little condo where they can feel like they have their own safe space.
So if you have already passed the puppy stage and your dog is ready for bed shopping, here are some things that you need to remember when you are trying to decide what type and size of bed to get for your dog. First, have you ever watched your dog when she is asleep - does she always curl up very small, or tend to stretch out and take up more space? Watch your dog for a few days so you know what kind of a sleeper they are, both during daytime naps and for full nights of sleeping. This will tell you whether you need a round curl up bed, or a bigger bed with more space, maybe even a mini mattress that fits your dogs size.
After figuring out whether your dog prefers to curl up against a wall, or whether they prefer more leg and paw room, you now need to find the size range that suits your dog the best. Again, watch your dog when they sleep, and this time take measurements of the space they occupy when they sleep. Do this at different times to see whether it changes - if in doubt, take the larger measurement. You can always add a cushion or two to take up extra room, but you dog won't be comfortable if the bed is too cramped. Once you have the final length and width sizes, add a few inches to each measurement, and take this shopping.
There are a number of other aspects to dog beds that could be considered such as construction methods, types of fill, baffled chambers, and quality of zippers, etc. All of these characteristics will get more attention in another article. However, if you are confident about the proper type of bed for your dog and the proper size of bed, then you are well on your way a choosing a great dog bed.
I told them to hold off on buying a dog bed. This doesn't mean I am not a avid proponent of dog beds. I am. However, I don't think it is appropriate for a puppy to use a dog bed. More accurately, I think it might be impossible for a puppy to be expected to stay in a dog bed. For at least the first 8 to 12 months in their new homes puppies need to sleep in a cage.
Once the puppy has grown up and you've made the decision to let your dog choose a different sleeping spot away from the crate, this is the time to choose a dog bed. Getting rid of the crate isn't a necessity - if you and your dog both like the crate, keeping a routine that is working is probably better than introducing new things. A crate actually provides a lot of security for dogs, and functions as their own little condo where they can feel like they have their own safe space.
So if you have already passed the puppy stage and your dog is ready for bed shopping, here are some things that you need to remember when you are trying to decide what type and size of bed to get for your dog. First, have you ever watched your dog when she is asleep - does she always curl up very small, or tend to stretch out and take up more space? Watch your dog for a few days so you know what kind of a sleeper they are, both during daytime naps and for full nights of sleeping. This will tell you whether you need a round curl up bed, or a bigger bed with more space, maybe even a mini mattress that fits your dogs size.
After figuring out whether your dog prefers to curl up against a wall, or whether they prefer more leg and paw room, you now need to find the size range that suits your dog the best. Again, watch your dog when they sleep, and this time take measurements of the space they occupy when they sleep. Do this at different times to see whether it changes - if in doubt, take the larger measurement. You can always add a cushion or two to take up extra room, but you dog won't be comfortable if the bed is too cramped. Once you have the final length and width sizes, add a few inches to each measurement, and take this shopping.
There are a number of other aspects to dog beds that could be considered such as construction methods, types of fill, baffled chambers, and quality of zippers, etc. All of these characteristics will get more attention in another article. However, if you are confident about the proper type of bed for your dog and the proper size of bed, then you are well on your way a choosing a great dog bed.
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