Best Dog Bed That's Comfy & Sturdy

October 14, 2020 3:22 PM

I have a 30 pound Terrier and 67 pound pittie/border collie. Is there a bed that suits them both?

They sleep with me at night but would like beds for the living room and to send them to "place" as needed during the work day. They aren't chewers but will scratch their beds to plump them up or make them cozy, so the beds need to be made out of sturdy material.

Thanks for your suggestions!

posted by mulcahy to Pets & Animals (15 answers total)

LL Bean has a pretty sturdy bed with a cordura cover that I have used for years.
posted by suelac at 3:38 PM on October 14, 2020

And another requirement - under $100.
posted by mulcahy at 3:39 PM on October 14, 2020

I have three of these dog beds in my house for my greyhounds. It would be big for your terrier but the terrier will be able to nestle into the curve of it, and it will fit the border collie well. My greyhounds are 60 lbs and 90 lbs, so a big size difference, and they both find different ways to sleep in it. My little one is a nester too, and she barely digs at it because it is so comfy as-is but she hasn't ruined it the way she has ruined more mattress-like ones. I think because it actually CAN be poofed up and it gives and moves as she nests vs the firmer kind that resist movement so the surface fabric takes all the force. I had to throw out a bed I bought at Petsmart in less than a week because she ripped right through it so fast.

They start out really poofy but do flatten over time. In this pic the one on the right is new and the other one is maybe 6 months old. We have an even older one upstairs that's flatter but the dogs still use it.

The one thing I don't love is washing it. You can take the filling of the bolster out via a zipper and wash the remainder so the main cushion and the cover get clean (and re-poofs a bit) but there's no way to clean the bolster filling itself. But for the price, esp if you have one of those 20% off coupons, it's a good bed IMO.
posted by misskaz at 3:54 PM on October 14, 2020

If you have a Costco membership, the much beloved Kirkland dog beds are less than half your maximum price point and in my experience hold up at least to moderate pawing. I've had 70 lbs fosters use them without a problem.
posted by Candleman at 4:03 PM on October 14, 2020

If you know how to sew, you could rig one up really easy: Foam Online will sell you foam cut to size. and you can cover it however you'd like. We did this for our beasts, and used a canvas that has held up pretty well. Cost less than $50 IIRC, but this was a while ago.

A 36x24x4 slab of memory foam is $36 bucks, but you can order any dimensions you want to for your house and the appropriate coverage for the pooches.
posted by furnace.heart at 4:20 PM on October 14, 2020

Cannot provide input because puppy photos haven't been shared yet. :)
posted by Kitchen Witch at 4:26 PM on October 14, 2020

I think a bed sized for your larger dog should work fine. My late dog was 115 lb, and when she wasn't in her bed(s) the cats would happily use them.
I have been fond of the beds from "whole shrimpy", I believe still available online.
posted by maryrussell at 4:32 PM on October 14, 2020

Mizkaz - Please thank Roxy Sox and Big Frank for their input and adorableness.

Kitchen Witch - I beg your pardon. Here is Dermot, Jack Russell terrier mix and here is Nemo, pittie+border collie. I should have requested photos of dogs using the beds being recommended!!
posted by mulcahy at 6:01 PM on October 14, 2020

I just bought this Kirkland/Costco bed at the store, but I see it's also online, though with fewer color options than what I chose from. It's very sturdy and the memory foam base is thick and very substantial and the sides sit up nicely instead of flopping around. The cover zips off for washing. My 65lb boxer/pittie loves it.
posted by quince at 6:50 PM on October 14, 2020

The style I use is the 42" round one without pillow top, which you can see pictures of on the category page linked but the links the specific product page aren't working. Pretty much the same thing as the one quince linked to but no sides. If your dogs like cuddling with each other, it's probably large enough for them to do so.
posted by Candleman at 7:35 PM on October 14, 2020

I had a zillion dog beds over my dog's life and the PetFusion Ultimate Pet Bed was, by far, the best and sturdiest. My dog was 45 lbs but tall, and the bed was huge for her. The corners are very cozy for nestling.
posted by quiet coyote at 8:26 PM on October 14, 2020

Another recommendation for Costco dog beds. If you don't have a membership find someone who does. Their dog beds are excellent and half or less the prices at other places. And returns are always really easy at Costco ...
posted by anadem at 8:53 PM on October 14, 2020

I got an amazing dog bed at Orvis. They are expensive but have good sales and if you get a promo code online, should be well below your budget.
posted by stillmoving at 10:07 PM on October 14, 2020

I'm not sure what you mean by "suits them both" - 1 shared bed, 2 identical beds or just 2 in the same style? Anyway, dogs have different preferences but one of the many beds belonging to my very spoiled dog is a cot-style that seems comfy enough and holds up well to occasional scratching. We just have the cheap amazonbasics one and it's fine but if you want to splurge, I've heard that the Kuranda cot-style beds are exceptionally tough.

We also have the round costco one and several memory foam beds which are good too but definitely aren't nearly as sturdy and an enthusiastic scratcher would probably wreck them.
posted by randomnity at 7:39 AM on October 15, 2020

4th-ing the large round costco ones (the website appears to be breaking a bit, but perhaps this or this link will work?). I own two of these, and they're great, but I'm not sure if they'd be big enough for your bigger dog, unless they like to sleep curled up. My long-bodied 28-lb dog fits perfectly in it with his head on a bolster, but he always sleeps stretched out.)

Regardless of which bed, the costco ones are an unbeatable value. I believe they're slightly cheaper in the store ($35-40, I can't remember exactly), but honestly the online price is still very reasonable given the quality and the cost of shipping.
posted by mosst at 7:43 AM on October 15, 2020