[Hevxxx99]

I have a friend who has two labradors that are kept outside in a stable. They have a pallet to sleep on as anything else gets completely trashed.

Anyway, these dogs are getting elderly now and I'm wondering about buying them a "present" of a comfortable bed. Has anyone discovered anything indesructable? I'm wondering about a well sown up wool sack full of straw (in case they get into it). I wouldn't want to cause them digestive trouble with something like hollow fibre or polystyrene balls.

Any other thoughts please?

[SallyintNorth]

I haven't yet tried them myself, although I keep looking at the website, but Tuffies dog beds and mattresses have been highly recommended - one range is completely waterproof, one completely chewproof, etc.  If you search 'Tuffies' by 'jaykay' you'll find the thread where they were discussed before. 

[in the hills]

If you don't want to spend too much what about making some little raised sides for the pallets and filling the space with straw.

Being raised off the ground is a good thing for kennel dogs. Beds placed on the pallets will likely just slip off.

We use vet bed gold for our chewy lab but she is in the house and it would just get filthy outdoors. Also quite expensive at about £40.

We did buy a bed from a market stall once.Looked like a much cheaper version of the beds mentioned by SITN. Stallholder said that it was  used a lot by local farmers etc for dogs kept outdoors because it could just be hosed off to clean.

[twizzel]

I haven't yet tried them myself, although I keep looking at the website, but Tuffies dog beds and mattresses have been highly recommended - one range is completely waterproof, one completely chewproof, etc.  If you search 'Tuffies' by 'jaykay' you'll find the thread where they were discussed before.

]


We have 3 Tuffies beds- a 110x68cm mattress, a puppy Tuffy for the car and a large nest. The mattress is coming up for 4 years old and still looks like the day we bought it, no chews, rips. Instead of stuffing it has a proper mattress which is why I think they tend not to chew, I don't think most dogs like the feeling of the cheap stuffing inside a normal dog bed. The nest is over 12 months old and not lost shape or anything. Just hose down, wash with soapy fairy liquid and rinse off, then leave in the sun to dry for a couple of hours. The mattress and puppy tuffie survived a litter of spaniel puppies, infact the puppy bed was their first bed in the whelping box.


They do a totally indestructable bed but also have a raised bed now which might be good for your 2- keeping them off the floor. Whatever you go for if its a Tuffies bed you won't be disappointed, they are expensive but last forever

[lord flynn]

Tuffies beds are amazing-well worth the money. Another useful thing is Thermatex dog mats-they wick away moisture and all of my dogs will sleep on them when they are wet-whereas they won't on other beds. Again, not cheap but they last forever and wash well-much better than vet bed.

[Buttermilk]

Tuffies beds are amazing-well worth the money. Another useful thing is Thermatex dog mats-they wick away moisture and all of my dogs will sleep on them when they are wet-whereas they won't on other beds. Again, not cheap but they last forever and wash well-much better than vet bed.

Not sure that they would suit dogs that eat their bedding though.  I have used a raised wooden bench bed, with  and sides and wood shavings as bedding.

[SallyintNorth]

I've just switched my dogs from straw to shavings, as the one dog has a skin problem I can't seem to get on top of.  So far, it's not helped . 

[in the hills]

Not wanting to steer the thread off course but do you mind me asking what kind of skin problem your dog has Sally in the North?

Our Flattie went to the vets a few weeks ago with thumb nail sized reddish patches appearing all over his tummy area.

Vet said it was caused by certain bacteria found in undergrowth.It was common but he had seen far more cases this year than he would usually expect. Course of antibiotics cleared it but it is coming back now!

Vet said he thought the mild wet winter could be the cause.

[SallyintNorth]

Skip's had sore patches in summer for a long time, usually controlled by giving him Frontline.  This last two years, I've had to keep the Frontline going all year.  If I'm late with it one month, he gets a red raw bare patch - or several.  Up until very recently, this would heal and the fur grow back once I gave him his Frontline. 

The last few months, I've needed to put Sudocrem on any sore patches as well as keeping up with the Frontline, but just recently even that doesn't seem to be keeping on top of it.

So I completely cleared out their pens, removed all straw and dust, laid sand on the floor and wood shavings in their beds. 

It's not helped, so I think we'll be off to the vet with him.  (They've previously said to just keep on with the Frontline and do it every 28 days, but that's clearly not now working.)

[twizzel]

Tuffies beds are amazing-well worth the money. Another useful thing is Thermatex dog mats-they wick away moisture and all of my dogs will sleep on them when they are wet-whereas they won't on other beds. Again, not cheap but they last forever and wash well-much better than vet bed.

Not sure that they would suit dogs that eat their bedding though.  I have used a raised wooden bench bed, with  and sides and wood shavings as bedding.

Our spaniel ate every single bed ranging from old duvets, vet bed, proper dog beds, nests, mattresses etc until we got the Tuffies mattress. If you have real proper chewer they have an indestructable bed too.

[Old Shep]

If you are wanting a DIY bed, I once made one for my Mum's old farm dog who was allergic to straw.  Got an old landrover tyre (could be any tyre I suppose, sized for the dog)  and an old sack (you know the white man made type - made out of the stuff that builders bags are made out of?).  Half stuffed the sack with an old angora fleece that wasn't worth doing anything with (sheep fleece would work too), put the sack into the tyre and continued to stuff it  so that it went right into the tyre where the inner tube would go until it was really tight, tie up with string and tuck the opening in too. No edges for the dogs to chew but a comfy bed raised off the ground.  For really bad chewers you could cut a circle of tarpaulin and tuck it in on the top side?

[devonlady]

Sally I too have a dog with a chronic skin problem, so bad that I was accused of neglect. The vet finally put her on steroids which (fingers crossed) are working. She still has scabby eyes and ears though which need treating every day.
As for bedding, mine have cheap duvets covered with charity shop duvet covers.

[SallyintNorth]

Thanks for that, devonlady.  Thankfully, his eyes and ears seem okay; it's mostly his rump and random patches across his upper body.  The rump actually looked much calmer this morning, so I'll see how he does over the weekend. 

He'd destroy a duvet on the first day, if I gave him one - which was why I'd been looking at the Tuffies website again.

Given that they'll be halfway-house dogs when I move (living less completely outdoors, up to becoming totally resident indoors if they'll adapt to it), I think I may be as well getting a couple of Tuffies for them in any case.  Given the reviews given on here, on this thread and previously, it'll be money well spent.

Now... do I get one big one they can share, or two smaller ones...?  Skip's 12, and I shan't replace him when he goes; Dot's only 8 and I hope will give me a good few years yet. 

[Old Shep]

just a warning on the Tuffies beds - very good quality but not all dogs like them. I invested in 6 with fluffy covers for my five ( an extra one for when they swap round - they are not spoilt honest!!!) We hear them in the night scraping and scraping their beds (as if they were nest building) so I'm not sure they like them.  Years ago I had a couple of tuffies too that I washed with a hosepipe - some water must have got inside and they smelled like an old dish cloth - dogs wouldn't go near them and I had to throw them away!

[doganjo]

Same here, my dog sitter moved to England and left all her dog sitting stuff with me (said i was her best client  ) including a couple of tuffies.  One week later my pup had scrabbled a tiny hole and pooped on one of them - tried to clean it but ended up throwing it.  So they're not absolutely perfect.  And the other three wouldn't lie on the second one she left - maybe didn't like the smell of a previous occupant - so I gave it away.  But I reckon they're probably still the best on the market overall