dog bed

[Lesli310]

I was wondering what kind of things your dogs sleep on. We have a loveseat but I want to get rid of it, it kinda stinks. I've cleaned it and it still stinks. In my room I have big pillows that I got from Petsmart but I hate washing them every week. Last week my washing machine got stopped up and It ran all over the floor..too much dog hair and grit. So i took the whole pillow not just the covers and put them in the BIG washer at the laundrymat that cost me like $20 to wash and dry and took close to four hours. I dont know what else to do my babies can't sleep on the floor and Toester WILL NOT lay on the floor.  Help!!!

[Icerotti]

Our boys have the pillows too. I understand were you are coming from on the washing thing. Farley pees on his at least once a week still God I hate potty training.
Puck like old comforters-- sometimes you can find them at the  second hand stores or goodwill type of stores cheap. He gets them when he goes to the kennel after going through 2 pillow beds and one wicker bed there. What ever goes now I know is not coming back
For my first rotti when she was getting a little older my dad  built an elevated bed out of 2x4s and plywood. It was really big. Then he padded the top and covered it with carpet remnants.  Then we would just put a blanket on top. She loved it.hhmmmmmm I think I may give him a call--I wonder were that went.

[Lesli310]

we use a lot of  Fabreze. Today I was looking at baby beds in the store but they cost too much maybe I'll try a second hand store. I was online the other day looking at dog beds it's cheaper to buy them a twin sized bed, but I still need something for the little time that they are outside. I like to let them run on cool days so they can work off the energy.


ice rottie I thought Toester was the only one that peed on her pillow. When she was a pup she would get up pee on her pillow then lay right back down beside it. Everyone said that dogs dont mess where they sleep.....well mine DID.

[shangrila]

Zoey doesn't like to spend much time on her beds - she prefers the cool wood floors even though I wish she would spend all of her time on the cushioned bed. Since she only uses her beds for occasional naps and extra special treat time (whenever she gets a toy/treat she's excited about, she always runs to her bed to play with it there). Anyways, since she doesn't use them much we don't invest too much in them. Right now she has two. One is a big fluffy one with a removable cover, so I will take the cover off and wash it when it starts to smell too bad (which isn't too often luckily). The other has no removable cover but was cheap enough that I won't stress out when it eventually gets ruined - it was like $50 at target.

[Jason]

I bought a heavily discounted comforter at the discount store (ugly as sin), and sewed a large pillow-type case to put it in. Now, I'm no seamstress, but it just needed to be two pieces of fabric and a zipper. So I fold the comforter twice and stuff it in this (it ends up being about 3'x4'). When necessary, I wash the case. When absolutely necessary, I wash the comforter. The comforter lasts a lot longer this way and washing the case once a week gets rid of most of the hair and dirt (plus it is smaller and fits in the washer better).

My girlfriend made a really nice one with a large piece of high density foam and fabric. Unfortunately, the foam doesn't fit in the wash so after a few months it smelled bad enough to be tossed out.

I tried the expensive store bought beds but they never last very long. They get holes and rip very easily.

-Jason

[shangrila]

I think it's cool you guys made DIY beds. I tried that once - when zoey was a pup I cut foam eggcrates the size of her crate, put two on two of each other, and then covered the whole thing in vynil (I bought a kids bed protector and cut it to the size I needed). I was so proud of myself for making a crate cushion for $10 that I could wipe off if  and disinfect if she had an accident and she could be more comfortable in there. But it only lasted a week before she decided it looked tasty   

[Lucysdad]

Lucy has 2 beds,

1st is the one in the bedroom. It's an inner spring crib mattress, wrapped in orthopedic foam, with a heavy cotton cover (Mom sewed it, she's really good). Lucy's been sleeping on this for several years and it's the best we've tried so far.

Bed #2 is new this summer, basic large (giant?) Cooleru with a foam pad with cover(thanks Mom, she does love the grandpup). The cover is really important 'cuz while cleanable and comfortable and breathable, the mesh material stretched in the cooleru frame is slippery and Lucy had a very had time getting in and out. This settup is light weight, portable and even breakes down for travel. It's her outside bed on the back porch, she prefers it first thing in the morning when she can lay in the sun there.

Her favorite place to sleep is the lawn in the back yard, she'll follow you around and beg till you let her in the back.......... .............

If anyone needs pics let me know. I can take some later today

[Icerotti]

Sure, I would be interested  in some pictures. Thanks

[Lesli310]

I went to the Goodwill store yesterday and got a couple of blankets and put then out on the porch and they laid on them and seemed fine. Last night it was such a great night not too hot or cold so I firgured hey why not let them sleep outside on their new beds....BIG mistake....it looks like it snowed in my back yard one of the comforters was a feather one. now my neighbors might call the police on me for killing chickens in my back yard. I got four blankets for likr 20 bucks for one night. At that rate I'll spend 620 a month in dog bedding. Lucy send my the pix

[Lucysdad]

I think this will take 2 postings, here goes.......... ..

First the crib mattress,

The photos show how it went together pretty well. Be warned it takes a h*ll of a lot of contact cement to glue foam to vinyl. And then you want it to out-gas real well befor you bring it in the house (much less let your pups sleep on that smelly toxic stuff)

[Lucysdad]

And now the outdoor/portable Cooleroo,

Demonstrated by Lucy doing her best Carol Merril impersonation,

[Lesli310]

I went out today and I got 4 Coolaroo's and they love they Onyx tried to eat hers but other than that its working out well. Now lets see how long it last.

[Icerotti]

Thank you for the pictures Lucysdad. That looks like something Puck wuold really like.

[Lesli310]

well, that didnt last too long thay have eaten the coolaroo's. Big hole in the middle of one and Thor's working on another. Anymore ideas?

[Lucysdad]

well, that didnt last too long thay have eaten the coolaroo's. Big hole in the middle of one and Thor's working on another. Anymore ideas?

I'd send Lucy's crib matress bed, but shipping would be vicsious. She's only sleeping on the coolaroo now, prefers outside even at night.

If you have a goodwill or some such you can probaly find a good innerspring crib matress. After you glue on the orthopedic foam wrap the whole works in balistic nylon or kevlar cloth or something similar. That oughtta fix 'em............ .....