Search forum
Back to German Shepherd Dog
Liked top 20
ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > Most Hygenic Bedding? (22 replies)
Most Hygenic Bedding? by mikemanu on 19 July 2012 - 09:39 |
| Hello, what bedding do you use for your dogs, i've used various bedding including, some i've bought from the local pet shops "sponge padded" they don't last long, i've made my own from old duvet's & lined it with a waterproof sheet that did'nt last long, i've used old blanket's but they tend to smell after a few days i was thinking of using Straw/hay but not sure if any good, How often would i have to change the Straw/Hay if i use that, thanks for any advice |
mikemanu by SitasMom on 19 July 2012 - 11:40 |
i use anything that can go into what washing machine. old blankets or stuff that is purchased at the pet store. most of the time, my dogs prefer to lay on the floor becasue its cooler. |
by Eldee on 19 July 2012 - 12:05 |
| Sheets dried with Bounce on top of a sealy posturpedic pillow top mattress in the master bedroom. Most hygenic for her, not so hygenic for me. |
Eldee by Sunsilver on 19 July 2012 - 12:06 |
| I buy old quilts and blankets at the thrift store. They are easy to wash, and when they get too many holes chewed in them (I run a boarding kennel, but one of my GSDS is a champion chewer, too!) I just toss 'em! |
Sunsilver by laura271 on 19 July 2012 - 12:53 |
| I buy fleece (synthetic) pads from a medical supply store (used to prevent bed sores) for about $15 each. They last forever (going on 1.5 years now), are easy to clean, and come out of the washer almost completely dry (hang outside or put in the dryer for ~10 minutes). However, neither of my GSDs are bed chewers. My mom works in a nursing home and she suggested I buy one originally since Senta was getting calluses on her elbows (calluses disappeared the first month). |
laura271 by Sunsilver on 19 July 2012 - 13:50 |
| I don't recommend straw or hay, as it's too hard to keep clean. It provides a great place for fleas to breed, too! When my ex-business partner had her puppies here, she used pine shavings for their outdoor bedding. They were absorbent, and really helped to keep down the odour. |
by GK1 on 19 July 2012 - 13:58 |
| I have yet to spend a nickel on bedding. Old blankets, quilts and sheets are more than sufficient. Add a capful of bleach to the laundry for sterilization. The other obvious is to keep the dog's coat reasonably clean and parasite free. |
by BoCRon on 19 July 2012 - 14:10 |
| I have a few brands that I like. I have 2 or 3 Molly Mutts beds. These are basically a duvet type bed. You buy the cover and you buy an inside nylon type bag. Then you can stuff the inside bag with whatever you want. I use old pillows, towels, clothes, whatever. You can wash the "stuffing" if you need or you can toss it and start again. I like these because the covers are very nice looking (not like the cheesy crap at big box stores which for some reason think all big dogs are hunting lodge dogs and all small dogs need pink leopard print). I also love the Big Shrimpy beds. We have 3 in our house and they have lasted for years. I bought a few extra covers just to change the look and have a back up if I need it. The covers I have are microfiber so don't tend to stain or wear out like most. They are pretty pricey beds, but honestly I've yet to replace one, whereas I've thrown out a dozen of the cheaper ones from Petsmart or Costco over the last couple of years. We have 8 GSDs and one Lancashire Heeler that are in the house regularly, which is why I have so many :). These are just beds we have around the house, I don't put anything in crates. |
BoCRon by mikemanu on 19 July 2012 - 14:54 |
| cheers for that, i have read that straw or hay is good flea prevention, |
by Hundmutter on 19 July 2012 - 15:05 |
| With one house dog, who is a chewer - and often swallows what he chews - I did not give any bedding at all for years ; but he started to get elbow sores from lying on floors and the bare plastic in his crates. So a couple of years ago I put a rubberised board into his car crate, and then a friend gave me a 2nd hand 'duvet' style bed for the house, when she upgraded hers. Don't know which petco made it; it comes with two zippered cotton covers, so one on & one in the wash. Much to my surprise he hasn't chewed that up, and seems happy to have a softer surface now he's older (still likes lounging around on my none-too-thick carpet some of the time, though). For outside kennels bedding, if you can get a suitable supply, I have always liked shredded paper. Not always cheap exactly, especially in decent quantities, but dogs seem to like it better than straw or wood shavings; and they can burrow into a pile of paper, unlike a flat bit of vetbed or blanket. You only hoick it all out and replace it every few days or when it gets wet (or soiled if your dogs are not kennel-clean); so the frequency kind of depends on your local weather. While clean & dry, it will 'fluff up' again a bit for re-use. As someone else said above, fleas etc depend more on your pest preventative measures on the dogs. I have not known paper harbour anything particularly - except occasionally the odd beetle that wanders in (& then out again). I have found it 'walks' less than straw - although some bits inevitably stray outside the kennels. IMO Also a good bedding for whelping / raising pups on, though aware not everyone will agree with me on that. Then you have to clean it out more often, obviously. |
Hundmutter by TingiesandTails on 19 July 2012 - 15:12 |
| I swear on Kuranda dog beds. Easy to clean, aluminum frame, indoors or outdoors (easy to hose off) and great for larger breeds as weight is taken of joints. Initial price is relatively high but they last forever. |
TingiesandTails by Prager on 19 July 2012 - 15:25 |
| Where is the bedding going to be used? In the kennel or your house or dog house? |
Prager by fawndallas on 19 July 2012 - 17:23 |
| With my lab, anything cheap (love free) that I will not cry when he destroys; usually old blankets. Rose has never been much of a distructo dog, she likes her fluffy dog beds. I usally look around for the cheapest; never pay more than $20. Most of the time, the covers can be washed, so I just have to replace the inside if needed. Puppies really messed up Rose's bed by games of tug of war and who can pee the longest. That one was tossed by week 6. Now they generally prefer the floor over anything else available. When my big male GSD was younger, nothing survived him more than 24 hours, so eventually, his option was floor, floor, or floor. Now that beds can last at least 4 - 5 months with him (even at going on 5 years), I get him the big dog beds (still not pay more than $20). Never really tried shredded paper or wood shavings. I did straw in the dog houses years ago for the winter; all of it was shoved out into the yard by the dogs I had then. Was not worth the effort after that. We generally have very mild winters and the dogs come inside most of the time during the winter anyway. |
fawndallas by mikemanu on 19 July 2012 - 20:28 |
| we're lucky enough to have a cellar which has 3 seperate rooms, in 1 of the rooms (his room) i've built a 8ft by 4ft "kennel/bed", for when we need to go out & leave him for a bit which is hardly more than an hour a day that he's on his own, but long term i want him to sleep there overnight & was just wondering whats the cleanest bedding, i was prepared to put straw or hay in there cuz i've read in various dog books that they are the cleanest and discourage fleas as well, not sure if thats true though never used them before |
by fawndallas on 19 July 2012 - 20:48 |
| Since your dogs are indoors: Fleas will only be there if they are brought in. If your dogs gets fleas outside, nothing in their kennel/bed is going to help "scare" them off the dog. If you do find something, let me know. Fleas are a real pain in the rump this year at my house. Unless there is a medical need for a special bed, I think it is really a matter of what you want to do. Dogs are not really that picky. If your dog is a destructo dog, nothing will survive. If your dog eats the stuffing... a regular bed might not be the best choice. ~~~~~~~~ If you really want to pamper him, a futon mattress is the next best thing to sleeping in your bed (according to Rose, my girl). Rose highly recommends your bed though. "Snuggling with your human when you are all muddy and stinky is dog heaven."  |
by EddaSG on 19 July 2012 - 21:30 |
I use a Wooly Paws Pet bed from Shepherds Dream. Made out of pure Eco wool, organic cotton and hemp. Nice heavy covering fits over cotton mattress that is easy to take on and off for washing. Raw wool can be used in summer or winter and breaths to keep the dogs cool or warm. My girl loves it. I have recently ordered a duvet cover and stuff sack to put together a bed for my newest fellow gsd. I have lots of raw (washed & corded) wool bits I want to use to stuff the stuff sack. The properties of raw wool are wonderful, even bedding for humans but not always inexpensive. |
EddaSG by Vom Hundhaus on 19 July 2012 - 22:03 |
| coolaroo dog beds..i have 8. buy on amazon fo about $27 and sell replacement covers foe 410. off the gound the material breathes and wash with clorox 1:10 or favoite cleaner. my puppies are on them at 4-5 weeks they love them.. |
Vom Hundhaus by Prager on 19 July 2012 - 22:19 |
| Any bed/ matrace/ pillow with cedar shavings in it. |
by EuroShepherd on 19 July 2012 - 22:52 |
another good bed/blanket option is a moving blanket. Very tough, heavy duty blanket that you can find at some storage facilitys/moving van rental places (I bought one at a Public Storage) there are plenty of places to buy them online too. They hold up pretty well to chewers, even if/when a dog chews a hole in it or chews the corners off it's still usable. I bought mine back in 2004 and I still have it, it's the only dog bed/blanket that has ever lasted me more than 2 years. |
EuroShepherd by TingiesandTails on 19 July 2012 - 23:19 |
| if you have cats they will pee on cedar shaving dog beds... |
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!