What is the best dog bed for the house?

There is literally a jungle of dog beds on the market, which makes it very difficult to choose the right one from all the pretty pictures. Unless you have seen one in action that you like, it is anybody’s guess what the bed would actually be like once you have bought it and used it for a month or two. All too many beds will be worn out far too early and you can waste a lot of money on pretty dog beds that don’t last.

Most people, who love and care for their dog do have dog beds in various places in the house, car and kennel and all these will tend to be a bit different due to their end use. The kennel one needs to be a totally waterproof and robust dog bed and probably don’t need to be any specific colour, just very practical. The same counts for a dog bed in the boot room if you have a place for the dog to dry off before it is allowed in to the rest of the house.

The dog bed for the car will need to deal with a dog jumping in directly from a wet and muddy walk and will therefore need to give a wet dog warmth and comfort on the journey home. It also needs to be ultra easy to clean so you don’t end up with a smelly car. A wipeable waterproof bed, perhaps with a practical cover is ideal.

Dog Beds in the Living Room.

In this little advisory article we just want to concentrate on the best dog beds for the living room. Here at Tuffies we mostly have medium to large dogs and although we also make dog beds for small dogs, we cater mostly for the larger breeds and hence these become the centre of our studies as far as comfort and performance in dog beds go. House dog beds can be either a mattress type dog bed or a basket type dog bed.

If you have a very “hot” dog, for example a New Foundland dog or a Malamute, they will undoubtedly want to sleep on an open mattress type dog bed with a nice cover so they don’t get too hot indoors.

However, we wanted here to concentrate on what MOST dogs enjoy: to be in a deep basket or anything that is cosy and appeals the ancestry feeling of a natural den. Dogs can, if they are not busy with playing, working or walking with their master etc, easily sleep for 19 hours a day. For that reason, they should of course have the best possible dog bed and it can not be denied that the Tuffies Nest Dog Bed is simply so perfect. This bed has high sides, but not too high. The dog can lie deep down in the base of it and feel safe and secure and warm. If he wants to keep an eye on what is happening round the house, he can rest his head on the side. We do make all the nests with the option of a dropped down front, but in our opinion this is only necessary if the dog is very elderly and has problems lifting his legs over the side. The full nest with sides all the way round is much more appealing.

The Perfect Combination in Dog Beds and how they are Constructed.

The nest that we make here at Tuffies is heavy and extremely sturdy. We think that our luxury dog beds should be more like a piece of great quality furniture than “just” a dog bed on the floor. The sides have segments, all filled carefully with layers of materials built up to a  comfortable and well built surround for the dog. In the middle, we place a thick cushion with a futon mattress covered with the same top quality fabric as the sides. Further, this cushion comes fully covered with a comfortable fleece that is very easy to take off and wash.

Waterproof Fabrics.

The Tuffies Nests are made from either of two fabrics.

We supply the Durasoft, which is a super strong texturised Nylon, which is coated especially for Tuffies with an extra heavy duty Polyurethane coating to ensure that it stays waterproof and remains subtle and flexible and quiet. This fabric feels like a heavy canvas, so it is like a great and heavy duty upholstery fabric. Dogs that shed a lot of hair will deposit some on the surface of the Durasoft, but it is very easy to vacuum off. To clean this nest you simply take the middle cushion out and put the fleece in the washing machine and then you can sponge the cushion and nest sides down with hot, soapy water, rinse in tap water and allow to air dry.

Our Wipe Clean fabric is very smooth and while you can wash it in the same way as the Durasoft, you can also, as an alternative, simply wipe it with a damp cloth. This is fantastic for dogs that tend to drool a bit and leave slobber on the high sides of the bed. If you like to give your dog plenty of treats in his bed, the Wipe Clean is a great option for that too. All smells and grease can be wiped off daily without too much effort.

The Fabulous Nest Dog Bed Cover.

So to put the cherry firmly of the cake of dog beds, Tuffies can also supply FULL covers for the nest beds. This has got to be the most wonderful dog bed ever. The nest cover fits under the cushion and right over the sides of the nest. Your dog will love the super soft and warm feeling of being totally enveloped in fluffy warmth, but you will love this bed too. This almost totally takes away the hand washing of the waterproof dog bed because you can take the entire nest cover off and put it in the washing machine. Dogs, no matter how little they enjoy mud and outdoors, still tend to be a bit mucky. Their beds do need a clean frequently and with the washable cover it is extremely easy with a big effect. It is a thrill to put the fresh cover back on the bed where it makes the whole thing look all new. You can of course also have two or more designs in your cupboards so that you can renew the look of the bed each time you wash the cover.

In our opinion the Tuffies Nest Dog Bed with full cover IS the best dog bed for the house. Great construction, sturdy and long lasting. Easy to keep clean and dogs adore it. What is there not to like.

Why NOT have one of these Fabulous Dog Beds?

There would only be a small number of reasons for not loving a nest with full cover. One would be if your dog suffers from house dust mite allergy. If this is your situation, it is advisable to start off with just a Tuffies Mattress Bed in Wipe Clean material. This can be wiped clean every single day and there will be absolutely no mites living on this bed as there are no places for them to hide. If you see an improvement in the allergy, you can start adding a washable cover that you can wash often. The Wicking Cover is very good as it can be washed at 60 degrees and is nice and spongy for the dog.

Apart from the allergy reason or due to a dog with a very hairy, heavy and warm coat, the BEST dog bed for the house will always be the nest bed with full cover. Just can’t beat it.