Why a Quality Dog Bed Matters

So, you’re looking for a new bed for your canine friend. It could be that you’ve had the dog since he/she was a puppy and now they’re growing larger and need a full-size bed. It could also be that their old one is worn or just looking tatty. Whatever the reason, when you purchase a dog bed online, quality matters most of all. Let’s assume you’re clear on the size of the bed you want, that’s good. Now you should consider quality.

Here are the reasons you can’t just consider any old rubbish when it comes to your dog’s bed:

Reason 1: A Good Bed Promotes Good Health

Joint health is a serious concern in many dog breeds, especially pedigree dogs. Not being able to sleep in a comfortable and supportive bed each day can contribute to these joint problems from an earlier age. This is especially true when you consider how long on average your dog might spend in its bed each day (see below).

A quality dog bed gives plenty of room for the dog to stretch out and lay in different positions without any of those compromising their joint health. If the bed is too small and joints lie awkwardly for long periods, it can exacerbate existing issues and bring potential problems forward.

Reason 2: They’re Often Easier to Clean

Quality dog beds are made from high-quality materials that will stand up better to a good and rigorous machine washing regime without pilling, ripping or otherwise becoming damaged. Keeping the beds clean is another critical factor to your dog’s health, so it follows that the beds that are easiest to clean are the best ones for your dog to use.

Reason 3: Your Dog Spends a Lot of Time There

Different dog breeds are more active than others, of course, but most experts say that the average dog still spends up to half of their day sleeping. The larger the dog, the longer they will tend to spend sleeping. Even supposedly “active” dog breeds like whippets and greyhounds are often very couch-potato-like when left to their own devices.

This being the reality, it follows that investing in a high-quality dog bed is a must. Humans only spend about a third of the time in bed sleeping, on average. That’s less than your dog, and yet you’re quite happy to invest in your own 8 comfortable and blissful hours by splurging on memory-foam mattresses and pillows and impossibly soft duvets and blankets. Why not do something similar --- proportionally, of course --- for your dog?

Reason 4: It Will Last Longer

A good bed will last longer and that’s just a fact. Cheap dog beds are a false economy because they either succumb to the effects of washing as we mentioned above, or the dog easily chews or scratches their way through it, or they just fall apart and you have to buy a new one. Investing in quality will save you money in the long run.

Reason 5: Dogs Need Their Own Space

You might assume that your dog sleeping in your bed with you is cute, and it might provide amusing Instagram pictures, but the long-term impacts are far from desirable. Dogs have a natural territorial instinct. When you permit them into your bed, they will sooner or later start to think of it as their own and will resent you turfing them out of it.

The fact is that dogs really do need their own space to call their own. Videos of owners occupying their dog’s bed for fun and recording the results are entertaining, but what you’re seeing is the dog perturbed by someone occupying what it sees as its own personal territory. Their space keeps them sane, happy, and comfortable, and gives them a safe place to go when things go wrong. If they do a “no-no” they can retreat to their space to reflect. It’s a must.

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