While you may love the feeling of snuggling with your dog while you sleep, it could lead to a poor night rest for you and your dog. It may affect your mood and cause you to be less productive the following day.
Invest in a good dog bed is definitely worthwhile in the long run, but with so many choices out there how do you even choose the right one for your dog? These are some important considerations you should keep in mind before making the purchase decision.
1. Dog Bed Size
Probably this is one of the most important factors and you wouldn't want to get this wrong. First and foremost, measure your dog's length when they lay down on their side. This will give you a general idea about the dimensions your pet needs to be comfortable and add at least 5 cm on top of this measurement. There's nothing worse than a bed that's too small. Can you imagine trying to sleep with your feet hanging off the bed? Of course not!
Also, keep in mind whether your dog is fully grown when measuring. If it isn’t, you may want to select a bigger bed than you need, so you won’t need to replace the bed as quickly. The official doggo rules.. when you are in doubt, always choose the bigger bed.
2. Dog Bed Material
Singapore is a tropical country and it could get really humid especially after the rain. Our tip is to choose materials that are breathable and cooling. Synthetic fabric/fill such as polyester & memory foam tends to trap heat and release gas (off-gassing) which may cause your dog to feel hot and uncomfortable during the sleep/nap. This is one of the reasons why most dog just doesn't want to sleep on a dog bed and choose to sleep on the floor.
On the other hand, natural fabric and fillings such as cotton is a more ideal choice for our climate as it helps regulates the temperature of the bed. It keeps your dog cool during the day and keeps your dogs warm throughout the night.
Take a look at your pajamas, they are probably silk or cotton. Now you know why :)
3. Dog Bed Shape
If you already have your dog with you, take a day or two to analyse how your dog sleeps. Dogs that sleep stretched out completely need a big bed (rectangular dog bed). However, if your dog prefers to cuddle up on itself a smaller bed with sides to lean on (round dog bed or sofa bed) should suffice.
4. Special need
Your dog’s age or health issues can also play a role in the type of bed that you should get for him/her. If your dog suffers from sore joints or arthritis, choose a dog bed that has a firmer filling or orthopedic bed. This bed will provide extra support and comfort to your dogs by cushioning their joints against the hard flooring.
Dogs equipped with cooling pads can also be considered if your dog has a longer or thicker coating.
5. Ease of maintenance
Perhaps the second most important consideration when choosing a bed for your dog is to pick one that can be easily cleaned. Dog beds need to be cleaned often to control odors, fleas, and dirt preferably every week or two. Our advice is to choose a dog bed that has a removable outer cover that you could wash in a washing machine.
