The Best Dog Beds for Active Dogs.

The best dog beds for dogs that are very active are dog beds that give great support, great insulation from the cold floor and that are waterproof. All these features are essential for keeping the clinical symptoms of stiffness and arthritis at bay.

In the Wild.

As with humans and all other mammals, dogs will, when they feel like it, run around and play and have a little burst of energy till they feel good and exercised and out of breath. It’s a nice feeling. Look at horses, cattle and sheep in a field: They run about and stretch their legs, they play with each other and enjoy a communal race round the field till they all stop, get their breath back and go back to grazing. Wild animals that hunt will do the same when they are young in order to get the balance and learn how to twist and turn and pounce on the prey. Adult predatory animals also have little sprints around just to keep the muscles going and sometimes to show off. When they hunt, they have a purpose and run, sometimes to and exhausting extent in order to catch and eat their prey, but these hunts are rarely going too far beyond what they physically can cope with unless food is very scarce. The hunted prey also only run for as long as it takes to escape (or otherwise for the unlucky ones).

Domestic Animals

No wild animals run long, hard distances for the sake of it. Only creatures influenced by humans will do that. We have bred horses for long distance running/work and for lightning bursts on race tracks and we have bred horses to pull ploughs in the fields. We have also bred dogs for racing and for several types of work such as Search and Rescue and for hunting (gun dogs).

As for all these purpose-bred animals we have bred our dogs to be as keen as possible for the hunting. When we run dogs like pointers on a grouse moor, the dog runs for many, many hours hunting. He will search and point and, if everything is going to plan, a bird is flushed and shot upon which he will retrieve it. All is good, the bird is admired and put in the bag. The dog is off again and so it goes on. Sometimes a day’s hunting can produce 8-10 birds for the bag, which is of course far more than a dog would need to eat for himself. He has been bred to keep on going, sometimes two or three days in succession. The hunting dog like this is bred for the best conformations to be as healthy as possible in order for him to hunt without injuries for as many years as possible. He is also bred for the enthusiasm. If a dog is not loving the hunting, he will be useless as a working dog. When I take my three pointers out on the moor, they are absolutely going out of their minds with enthusiasm over the work they love. It’s a job keeping them calm and I hunt one at a time quickly so they all can let off some steam and relax a little. My German Wirehaired Pointers will go for days.

Gaia flushing a grouse.

I remember once when I had three days on the trot working the dogs with friends, Gollum (my German Wirehaired Pointer male) was in his prime and so incredibly enthusiastic. I remember him hunting and pointing and retrieving at the same steady pace each day. A precise hunting dog that never lost his concentration over the three days. However, when we got to the afternoon of the third day and finished, I opened the back of my truck and begged him in to his lovely robust, yet soft bespoke dog bed for the back of the car and he simply could not make the jump. I had to lift this 32Kg strong wirehaired monster in. Bless him.

Pontus here shown on his bespoke waterproof dog bed with soft cover.

Pet Dogs.

We must not forget that pet dogs of many breeds are just as enthusiastic because they are still bred to run and when you take them for a walk off the lead, they will run far more than a wild animal will bother to do. Many of us take our dogs along on the bike ride and they get a good stretch and lots of exercise. These dogs also need to be looked after in their physical lives with a perfect diet and perfect dog bedding.

That is Why Excellent Dog Beds are Needed.

When dogs are bred to run more than just a leisurely burst around the garden or more than a quick hunt for one meal, their brains want to run more than their physique is quite ready for. In other words, working animals LOVE their work, but it is up to us to help them looking after their bodies as much as we possibly can. Perfect nutrition is essential, but not the subject here. The second most important thing is to make sure that dogs have a dry, supportive and comfortable dog bed to lie on in between the days of physical strain. Here at Tuffies we make just that.

Transporting Working Dogs.

After a long day in the field as a gun dog or a sheep dog, the long drive home is very important. I have once sat in the back of my truck on a January day and I was absolutely shocked how cold it was. Imagine you have had the dogs out working in cold, wet weather and you then drive home, maybe over two hours. You are sitting in the front of the truck in perfect temperature while the dogs are getting a chill. On that occasion it was because I had forgotten to close the window at the front and the draught was unescapable and very, very cold. Of course this is just a matter of remembering that after the warm summer and autumn, the open window is no longer a benefit, it is a risk.

Where the dogs sit is also important. It is a bouncy ride in the back of a truck and you definitely need some padding, but most of all some insulating bedding. In the back of my truck I have a bespoke made dog bed so that the entire floor is covered with a waterproof dog bed approximately 12cm thick with a Luxury Fleece Cover also. This gives just perfect comfort for tired dogs.

Working Dogs at Home.

Once you have got home with your working dog or your enthusiastic pet dog, make sure that his long sleep at home is also done in a waterproof and cosy bed. The Tuffies Nest Beds are ideal for this as the tired dog can get right in to the bed and snuggle down with absolutely no draught. Once he has had a good sleep, he can also lie with his head up on the side, watching the world while still resting those old muscles.