It’s a simple fact that not all canines are meant to live indoors. Larger dogs or delicate households can contribute to the need for a dog to live and sleep outdoors. Though your dog might not be able to sleep at the foot of your bed every night, it is nice to ensure they remain warm and comfortable outside. You should ensure that your pet has a shelter of some kind outdoors; the back porch or a doghouse works fine for this. You might also want to blanket the area surrounding the doghouse with wood chips, to provide extra warmth. In addition to a roomy, large dog bed, a heated dog pad inside the dog house will help your dog stay comfortable and dry.
Make sure to give your dog lots of love and exercise, too. Though they might not always be underfoot, they still need lots of attention!
Since your dog spends a good chunk of his life turning around three times then sleeping, the right bed is important for his comfort and well-being. There are many choices of dog beds out there, from frou-frou to functional. Picking the right type of bed is necessary to ensure your dog gets the most benefit from his rest time. First is to observe your dog while he’s asleep so you can measure him. Measure him lying down then add 12 inches to give him plenty of room.
Thick orthopedic mattresses, filled with medical-grade foam or even a box spring, are just the ticket for older dogs. Some even come heated. Little dogs like to burrow in and nest, so small round pillow-type beds are the best. There are also tons of cute novelty beds available, from glamorous slipper-shaped cushions to leopard-spotted faux-fur pillows. If you are going green, there are several eco dog beds now available. But more than anything else, your pet’s comfort should always be your major concern.
New parents know that swaddling a baby is important to keeping them warm and making them feel secure. Babies can’t regulate their body temperatures until a couple weeks after their born, so swaddling helps prevent hypothermia and discomfort. Puppies have the same issue. It takes a few days for them to get warm on their own.
Small dog beds are a good way to make sure your puppy grows up to be happy and healthy. In many cases a puppy are kept warm by their mothers’ bodies, but for myriad reasons this is not always possible. When I adopted a labradoodle puppy, I found that a small and comforting dog bed was the perfect thing to keep it content at night. Of course, as they get older you will want to invest in large dog beds to accommodate their increasing size.
Dogs, like people, need a comfortable place to sleep. A well-rested puppy is a well-behaved one. If you feel like simply placing discarded towels in a laundry basket, you may want to rethink this idea.
A rested puppy will not only behave well, but will be easier to train and will generally be a bit friendlier; after all, you would be much friendlier yourself with a full night’s sleep, as opposed to four to five hours. Giving a dog a comfortable place to sleep is above and beyond tossing blankets on the stained end of a couch. If you want to make your pup feel truly at home, dog beds will be the way to go.
Dogs are innately attracted to areas where their masters have sat down or rested; it’s predominantly a scent attraction. This is the reason that dogs will often frequent your furniture or bed, despite your best efforts to keep their fur and hair off your fabric. There are a few steps you can take to keep your pets from sleeping on the furniture. First, designer dog beds will often attract an animal to sleep at the same location. After your dog has slept in their bed a few times, they will associate it as ‘their space’. There is a variety of small dog beds available, but most of the time pets aren’t too picky (but obviously a Great Dane won’t fare well in a bed half their size!).
If your dog continues to sleep on the furniture or your bed even after you’ve given them their own bed, try disciplining with a whistle if they get up on the furniture, and remain consistent with the practice. After a time your dog will come to understand that they’re not supposed to be on the furniture.