DIY Dog Beds and Why Your Dog Needs One
Dogs, just like us, need a comfortable place to sleep and relax. Here’s a guide on why dog beds are essential, how to make one, and the different options available.
Why Dogs Need Beds
- Health and Comfort: Dogs sleep up to 18 hours a day. A good bed provides joint support, helps prevent calluses, and contributes to overall health, especially for older dogs.
- Better Sleep: A comfortable space promotes uninterrupted sleep, leading to increased alertness, better learning, and improved behavior.
- Sense of Security: Dogs are territorial, and a dedicated bed provides them with a sense of ownership and a safe place to retreat.
How to Make a DIY Dog Bed
- Materials:
- Two 100cm x 100cm pieces of soft, durable fabric
- Pillow stuffing
- Sewing thread or ribbon
- Instructions:
- Cut circles out of both fabric pieces.
- Sew them together (right sides facing in), leaving a 15cm gap.
- Turn the fabric right side out.
- Stitch lines around the edge leaving a gap for stuffing.
- Stuff the pillow, sew the gap closed.
- Insert a ribbon and pull to create a round, cushioned bed.
Tips for Getting Your Dog to Use the Bed
- Place treats and toys on the bed to create positive associations.
- Use commands to redirect them from chewing or tearing the bed.
- Initially, offer the bed for short periods, gradually increasing the time.
Types of Dog Beds
- Memory Foam: Ideal for dogs with joint problems.
- Donut-Style: Cozy and secure for dogs that like to curl up.
- Bolstered Beds: Offer a sense of security with supportive edges.
- Upcycled Beds: Creative and cost-effective using old furniture/materials.
- And many more!
Choosing the Right Bed:
Consider your dog’s:
- Size: The bed should be big enough for them to stretch out.
- Sleeping Style: Bolstered beds suit curlers, donut styles suit burrowers, etc.
- Age: Older dogs may benefit from orthopedic options.
Blanket Considerations
Small dogs, older dogs, and dogs in cold climates may appreciate a blanket for warmth. However, blankets shouldn’t replace a comfortable bed.
Key Takeaways
- A dog bed is essential for your dog’s health, comfort, and sense of belonging.
- You can easily create a DIY dog bed with basic sewing skills.
- Choose the right bed type based on your dog’s individual needs.
By providing your furry friend with a comfortable bed, you’re giving them the gift of better sleep, improved health, and a happy sense of their own space.
Contents
- 1 Why are Beds Important for Dogs?
- 2 How to Make a Dog Bed?
- 3 How to Make Your Dog a Habit to Use Bed?
- 4 What are the Different Types of Dog Beds?
- 5 Which Type of Bed Suits the Best for Dogs?
- 6 What Kind of Bed is Needed for Older Dogs?
- 7 Do Dogs Need Only Soft Beds?
- 8 Should Dogs be Covered with a Blanket During the Night?
Why are Beds Important for Dogs?
Depending on their age, dogs sleep between 12 to 18 hours per day. Just like humans, dogs also need sleep to relax and cool off. And so, these furry animals need to have a bed like you.
You don’t need to be a pro to make a bed for your dog. You need a little time, hard work, and lots of love to make a bed for your furry friend.
You often feel your dog doesn’t need a bed during summers. But that’s not true. Beds are needed every season for dogs. Here are some reasons why beds are essential for dogs.
Contributes Positively to Dogs’ Health
If your dog is sleeping on a hard or uneven place like a floor or wood, they might end up having an uncomfortable sleep.
These uncomfortable sleep will make your dog irritable and frustrated. Therefore for better rest, to support arthritic joints, another joint issue, hip dysplasia, to improve dogs memory, and to prevent calluses, your dog needs its bed.
Provides a Good Sleep
Your dog might snuff into your bed to sleep around you during the night. But it shouldn’t be made into a habit for the sake of your dog. D
ogs’ beds are spacious, and they can have all the space they want, unlike your bed or your sofa. Also, when your dog is not around you, they can take a nap on their bed anytime.
A survey published by scientific reports in the 2017 edition suggested that good sleep improves dogs’ memory as well as makes them more intelligent.
Their learning capacity increases, and they follow your command with more energy when they sleep well.
Gives Dogs a Sense of Belongings in the House
Just like you want your personal space, dogs need it too. Dogs are not always going to wait for you to come and snuff around your bed.
Dogs sleep around 12 to 18 hours a day, i.e., dogs sleep around half of the day., so they need to have their bed.
We all know dogs are territorial, and they love their stuff, belts, utensils, and everything else. Owning a bed will give them a sense of security and privacy.
How to Make a Dog Bed?
How to build a DIY pet bed? You don’t need to be a pro to make a bed for your dog. To create a DIY pet bed for your dog, you need a little time, hard work, and lots of love.
There are many ways in which you can make a bed for your dog. Dog beds are made according to their size and other requirements.
Keep a few things in mind when you are making a bed for the doggy. The bed needs to give proper warmth, good joint and weight support, complete insulation, and utmost comfort to your dog.
There are many pet bed ideas. But here is a common way of making a bed for your dog (DIY dog bed).
Materials Required for Making a Dog Bed
To make a bed for your dog, you will need some materials. You can easily find these materials at your home or nearby market.
- Sewing thread (thicker sewing than machined thread will be great) or Ribbon
- Pillow stuff (to make bed comfy for dog)
- Cotton washable cloth/fabric
Step by Step Process to Make a Bed for a Dog
To make a bed for your dog, you have to follow the correct process so that the bed you are making for your dog comes out perfect, and your dog loves it.
- Take 100 cm * 100 cm fabric (2 pieces). Choose a soft, comfortable, washable, and durable material.
- Cut a circle from both the fabric. This will make a round-shaped bed for your doggy. The diameter of the circle should be 100 cm. Discard the scrap fabric.
- Now place the right sides together of the fabrics, and sew all around the edges. Make sure to leave a gap of 15 cm around the edges.
- Flip the fabric. Put your hand into a 15 cm gap and then flip the fabric.
- After flipping the fabric, stitch about 3 cm from the edge and then stitch about 23 cm from the edge. And make sure to leave the gap of 15 cm as you have left above.
- From the gap, do the pillow stuffing. And after the filling is done, sew the gap of 15 cm that you have left. And leave a gap of 3 cm.
- Ribbon on cord: Put the ribbon on the cord from the gap of 3 cm. And the round shape bed for your dog is ready.
How to Make Your Dog a Habit to Use Bed?
In starting, your dog might think that his bed is something to play with. And he might begin to bite and tear it. So, to make sure your dog doesn’t tear his bed, you have to make a habit for your dog to use the bed for sleeping and resting.
- Give different flavor snacks and 2-4 toys along with a bed to your dog. So that dog feels comfortable that this is his place to sit and play.
- Dogs like to sit in soft places or on soft bedding. Sometimes dogs tear up their bed. So as soon as your dog starts biting or tearing the bed, give him a command. That’s it’s wrong.
- Behaviorist Baadal Bhandari(YouTube channel- Dogs your friends forever) stated that In starting (for at least 4-5 days), remove the bed from your dog’s sight after a while, give it again in the afternoon for a bit and then give it at night so that they don’t bite or tear it up. Slowly increase the time for which you are giving a bed to your dog. And so they will realize the bed belongs to them, and they will not tear it up.
What are the Different Types of Dog Beds?
There are many types of dog beds. For example,
- Memory Foam Dog Bed
- Pet Sofa Dog Bed
- Upcycled dog bed
- No-sew dog bed
- Donut-Style Dog Bed
- Cave-Style Dog Bed
- Pet Cot with Canopy
- crate dog bed
These are some of the most common types of the dog bed. Beds for dogs are built according to their requirements.
Which Type of Bed Suits the Best for Dogs?
Bed for dogs has been chosen according to their size (small or big) and other requirements—most dogs like a bed with bolsters or a wraparound design.
Your dog’s sleeping position can help you decide whether your dog will like a bed with bolsters or a wraparound design, or of any other kind.
What Kind of Bed is Needed for Older Dogs?
The American Academy of Veterinary Medicine said that old dogs are suggested for orthopedic dogs. Many senior dogs suffer from joint problems or arthritis. For them, orthopedic beds are best.
It is so because these beds support pressure points and the dog’s joints and help him in recovering from arthritis symptoms. These beds are made from specialty foam.
Do Dogs Need Only Soft Beds?
More than soft beds, dogs need a firm bed on which they can relax. It has been studied that too soft beds are not required for dogs. Such beds don’t offer the support and comfort that is needed.
Also, if such a gentle bed dog is provided to old dogs, it will create difficulty for them to come in and out of the dog. But it also does not mean a dog needs a firm bed-like floor. A little soft and firm bed will be suited to most dogs.
Should Dogs be Covered with a Blanket During the Night?
Whether dogs need a blanket depends mainly on their size (big or small), age, health, and the type of season. In winter, when the temperature drops, some dogs need a dog blanket while others can go without the dog blanket.
But if the weather is freezing, you might also need to provide a heater for your dog. Excess exposure to cold temperatures can cause health problems in your dog. So it is advised not to leave your dog outside for a longer duration during winters.
Buying or making a bed is very important if you are a dog owner. How to make a dog bed is not a hard job. Just some materials and little time are required. Your dog will surely love the DIY dog bed you will make for him.
