Dog Blankets or Dog Beds…What is Best?
Posted on January 13, 2026
Dog Blankets or Dog Beds…. What is Best?
Dog Beds back in time.
In the old days many dogs had no dog bed at all. In fact, they were not really considered indoor animals and were kept in kennels. Some might have been allowed in the house in the day-time, but would be kennelled at night. Straw might have been there for the lucky dog, but sometimes a wooden bench would be all. And sadly, some dogs still live like that. When you live with a dog or two in the house it can be difficult to imagine leaving a dog in a kennel with no bed. Older folk tell me that when they had dogs in the past, an old coat lying in the corner would be all the dog had to sleep on. There is no insulation or support for the dog in just rags straight on the floor.
Dog Beds are Always Best.
If you live with your dog or if you do activities with him such as field work, agility, sniffer work etc, your relationship will be close. With a close relationship with your dog you start to appreciate just how sensitive and loving they are. For that reason, it seems inconceivable that you would let him sleep on just a blanket on the floor. Dogs deserve a little bit of money spent on them for a good bed. With proper insulation in a good mattress you will extend the life of your dog. The almost inevitable onset of stiffness or arthritis will be much delayed with a good dog bed. You must look for a dog bed with a really good mattress that gives total insulation from the cold floor. The dog mattress should also be of a firmness that will give support. Just like humans, who appreciate an orthopaedic mattress, so do dogs.
A Dog Blanket Should be a mere Accessory.
Dog blankets have their place though. Dogs have an instinct for digging. This stems back to the need to make a nest in nature. They would dig around in their natural den or even in the open until they found it comfortable. A deeper nest is satisfying, and dogs just like to use their instinct and push something around. This is where a blanket can satisfy this. If you give your dog a nest-type dog bed with a blanket thrown in, he can dig and dig and be happy. Your dog will be digging the blanket round and round just like a wolf will dig natural bedding round.
One Very Important Dog Blanket.
There is ONE very good use for dog blankets however, and that is for absorption. If you take your dog out in the wet weather, which is almost inevitable for any dog owner, use a blanket. Obviously, if your dog has been in the pond or is soaking from wet grass, you can towel him down before he comes inside or goes in the car. But the next thing to do is to place an absorbent blanket in his dog bed for an hour or so. If you then remove the blanket your dog is dry and so is the dog bed underneath. It just helps delaying the washing and drying of the bedding.
