Feeding Frenzy in the Living Room...
April 15, 2010 11:35 PM Subscribe
What is the toughest dog bed in the world?
My dog is the Destroyer of Beds. Actually, she's the destroyer-of-anything-with-stuffing-in-it-of-which-beds-feature-prominently. She ate her 4th dog bed in 5 months today and I am getting sick of buying new beds but am too soft to make her lie on the floor. Plus she whines if she doesn't have a bed (cause and effect is not her strong suit). The beds tend to survive until idle and occasional chewing and/or clawing reveals their innards at which point stuffing-madness overtakes her and they are dispatched in short order.
I need a bed that either has no delectable white fluffy stuffing or is made of sturdy enough fabric that daily wear and tear won't readily reveal said stuffing. Complication: the dog is 50lbs and has incredibly strong teeth. Are there Kevlar dog beds?
Cabelas used to carry chew proof beds but don't seem to anymore and my local dog stores are no help (she has eaten everything they carry).
btw- this is not separation anxiety- she eats beds when I'm at home too and will also eat non bed items if they are proven or suspected to contain stuffing. Her crate (that she stays in 4-5 days per week while I'm at work only) has had a towel in it instead of a bed. Towels are not eaten. Fleece blankets are sampled, then abandoned when it's determined that they contain no stuffing.
My dog is the Destroyer of Beds. Actually, she's the destroyer-of-anything-with-stuffing-in-it-of-which-beds-feature-prominently. She ate her 4th dog bed in 5 months today and I am getting sick of buying new beds but am too soft to make her lie on the floor. Plus she whines if she doesn't have a bed (cause and effect is not her strong suit). The beds tend to survive until idle and occasional chewing and/or clawing reveals their innards at which point stuffing-madness overtakes her and they are dispatched in short order.
I need a bed that either has no delectable white fluffy stuffing or is made of sturdy enough fabric that daily wear and tear won't readily reveal said stuffing. Complication: the dog is 50lbs and has incredibly strong teeth. Are there Kevlar dog beds?
Cabelas used to carry chew proof beds but don't seem to anymore and my local dog stores are no help (she has eaten everything they carry).
btw- this is not separation anxiety- she eats beds when I'm at home too and will also eat non bed items if they are proven or suspected to contain stuffing. Her crate (that she stays in 4-5 days per week while I'm at work only) has had a towel in it instead of a bed. Towels are not eaten. Fleece blankets are sampled, then abandoned when it's determined that they contain no stuffing.
I have dogs that like to eat stuffed bedding too, so I started using plush bath mats for their bedding. They're soft and have a cushiony feel, and the dogs seem perfectly comfortable with them.
posted by amyms at 11:44 PM on April 15, 2010
posted by amyms at 11:44 PM on April 15, 2010
Best answer: For the cots, Kuranda was the company I was thinking of.
posted by Sufi at 11:48 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Sufi at 11:48 PM on April 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
So why not just use a folded up fleece blanket? Easy to wash, easy to make into a little nest, easily stored when not needed.
posted by barnone at 12:09 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by barnone at 12:09 AM on April 16, 2010
There are also beds made out of ballistic nylon. This one claims to be chew-resistant but not chew-proof.
Finally, I bet you could train her not to chew. Limited access to the bed, only while you're monitoring, and begin to reward good, calm behavior.
posted by barnone at 12:18 AM on April 16, 2010
Finally, I bet you could train her not to chew. Limited access to the bed, only while you're monitoring, and begin to reward good, calm behavior.
posted by barnone at 12:18 AM on April 16, 2010
Response by poster: I forgot about those dog cots. She was sleeping on one of those when I adopted her in fact (wait a second!@!!).
barnone- sorry should have mentioned, I have concrete floors in half of my house, including the room I hang out in many evenings and she whines like a whiny beast if there is no bed to lie on. I don't want her on the couch so I need to provide an alternative.
posted by fshgrl at 12:21 AM on April 16, 2010
barnone- sorry should have mentioned, I have concrete floors in half of my house, including the room I hang out in many evenings and she whines like a whiny beast if there is no bed to lie on. I don't want her on the couch so I need to provide an alternative.
posted by fshgrl at 12:21 AM on April 16, 2010
Don't know how big your dog is, but my family solved this problem with a collection of towels for our Dachshund -- she likes to take stuffed toys apart at the seams.
posted by Truthiness at 12:30 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by Truthiness at 12:30 AM on April 16, 2010
I second the recommendation of Kuranda dog beds. I ordered one for my dog, who chews on dog beds just like your dog does. You can buy cozy fleece covers for the Kuranda bed for about $10 each. So far, for whatever reason, my chewy dog has nipped the corners of the fleece cover but hasn't destroyed it completely.
posted by grayber at 2:52 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by grayber at 2:52 AM on April 16, 2010
Have you taken a look at Orvis? I can't speak to their dog beds, but I have doggie place mats for the floor that are kick-ass.
posted by cestmoi15 at 4:17 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by cestmoi15 at 4:17 AM on April 16, 2010
Get one of these. Nearly impossible to chew. There are less expensive models out there, but I'm at work and can't look too much right now, sorry.
posted by InsanePenguin at 4:43 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 4:43 AM on April 16, 2010
I had two bed destroyers (and couches, and carpets, and, and, and) and I found that they could make short work of any 'indestructible' bed made of ballistic nylon.
I also recommend the Kuranda dog cots; though I don't use them, I know many dog rescuers that do, and swear by it.
I read that you don't believe it is separation anxiety, but I am curious - how old is your dog? You say that you adopted her, and her rate of bed destruction was over 5 months. Have you had her for only five months?
I ask because my two destruct0rs eventually grew out of their desire to destroy stuffed beds and couches. Once I realized they were going to de-stuff anything I gave them, I started giving them cheap fleece blankets, folded up. Now they are almost 4 years old, and while they still want to destroy stuffed toys, they have absolutely no interest in destroying their beds. It could be a behavior that she grows out of; many dogs are basically puppies until about year 2 or 3.
posted by Seppaku at 4:50 AM on April 16, 2010
I also recommend the Kuranda dog cots; though I don't use them, I know many dog rescuers that do, and swear by it.
I read that you don't believe it is separation anxiety, but I am curious - how old is your dog? You say that you adopted her, and her rate of bed destruction was over 5 months. Have you had her for only five months?
I ask because my two destruct0rs eventually grew out of their desire to destroy stuffed beds and couches. Once I realized they were going to de-stuff anything I gave them, I started giving them cheap fleece blankets, folded up. Now they are almost 4 years old, and while they still want to destroy stuffed toys, they have absolutely no interest in destroying their beds. It could be a behavior that she grows out of; many dogs are basically puppies until about year 2 or 3.
posted by Seppaku at 4:50 AM on April 16, 2010
Best answer: We ended up building dog beds out of 2x4's, sanded all the corners so they were round, stained them and attached some casters. We line them with lots of fleece blankets which are much easier to launder than the pillow type beds. Our three dogs are between 70-90lbs and they have withstood a lot of over the years.
Remember to lock the casters after you move it! A running behemoth of a dog generates lots of momentum and when they dive into bed you get a rather amusing, but plaster destroying, surfing dog.
posted by stormygrey at 6:48 AM on April 16, 2010
Remember to lock the casters after you move it! A running behemoth of a dog generates lots of momentum and when they dive into bed you get a rather amusing, but plaster destroying, surfing dog.
posted by stormygrey at 6:48 AM on April 16, 2010
N'thing the Kuranda beds. My dog sleeps on one with a blanket on top. Buy one for your dog and donate one to a shelter!
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:32 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by buxtonbluecat at 7:32 AM on April 16, 2010
But I was basically suggesting using the fleece blanket *as* a bed on the floor. They make large ones, or you can go to the fabric store and get it by the yard. One trick is to build a box out of plastic or wood, and line it with fleece blankets. It's easy to wash and keeps them from pulling the blankets all over the place.
Those cots are fine too - I just think they're ugly :-P If you put a blanket on them they're even cozier for the dog.
posted by barnone at 8:01 AM on April 16, 2010
Those cots are fine too - I just think they're ugly :-P If you put a blanket on them they're even cozier for the dog.
posted by barnone at 8:01 AM on April 16, 2010
Best answer: I don't know how durable they are -- I've had every intention of contacting the maker -- but I've had my eye on these dog duvets for a while now for my own German Shredder, who chewed a six inch hole in her brand new holiday present dog bed within hours. She loves to de-fluff anything she can get her paws on, but doesn't seem to have anything against the fleece blankets that have been lining her crate since the most recent fluff incident. So my tentative plan is to get one of the stuffable bags and fill it with fleece blankets and old towels and see how it works out. I'll be monitoring this thread with great interest, though -- good luck!
posted by alynnk at 8:49 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by alynnk at 8:49 AM on April 16, 2010
The fleece blanket we keep on top of the dog's Kuranda cot has plenty of chew-holes in it, but the cot itself has held up quite nicely.
posted by mneekadon at 9:10 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by mneekadon at 9:10 AM on April 16, 2010
Try a dog bed from LL Bean - if the dog destroys it you can return it as not satisfied and get 100% of your money back and you are no worse off.
posted by mikepop at 9:26 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by mikepop at 9:26 AM on April 16, 2010
Response by poster: I read that you don't believe it is separation anxiety, but I am curious - how old is your dog? You say that you adopted her, and her rate of bed destruction was over 5 months. Have you had her for only five months?
She is young (<1>
She is usually very good about only destroying her own stuff but once ripped a big hole in a comforter that I was asleep under because the corner of it was fell down near her bed. We refer to that little incident as down-pocalypse.
posted by fshgrl at 10:03 AM on April 16, 2010
She is young (<1>
She is usually very good about only destroying her own stuff but once ripped a big hole in a comforter that I was asleep under because the corner of it was fell down near her bed. We refer to that little incident as down-pocalypse.
posted by fshgrl at 10:03 AM on April 16, 2010
Response by poster: Hmm, that was weird half my answer disappeared. Anyway I don't think it's separation anxiety because she eats stuff when I'm home more often than not. Yesterday she quietly sneaked into the bedroom and silently ate her bed while I was in the kitchen. I think it's just fun. She's a year, I'm sure she'll outgrow this someday!
posted by fshgrl at 10:06 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by fshgrl at 10:06 AM on April 16, 2010
Best answer: A Perla dog bed, lined with blankets might work well for your pup. I got a couple of them because one of my greys is a very energetic nester. These beds are so durable, I'm expecting them to last my lifetime. With various blankets, of course.
posted by vers at 11:47 AM on April 16, 2010
posted by vers at 11:47 AM on April 16, 2010
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posted by Sufi at 11:42 PM on April 15, 2010