Get the size right
Weight is a good place to start: every product page lists the weights each size suits, and our size guide has them all in one place. To be sure, measure your dog from nose to the base of the tail while they sleep, and pick a bed at least that long. If they’re between sizes, or sprawl out when they sleep, size up. Large and XL dogs especially need room to stretch their legs without hanging off the edge.
Older dogs and sore joints
Older dogs, and dogs with arthritis, hip dysplasia, stiff muscles or a healing injury, need a bed that supports them. Look for thick, contouring foam that doesn’t flatten under their weight, so hips and elbows never reach the floor, and a low edge that’s easy to step onto. Every one of our orthopedic beds has memory foam or orthopedic foam inside.
Bowsers makes the Oslo Ortho Bed, on cool gel memory foam with a low front, for older dogs and dogs with arthritis, and the Isotonic Memory Foam Mattress for large breeds and older dogs. Paw.com’s PupRug® Faux Fur Orthopedic Bed is flat, on memory foam, and low enough to step straight onto. American Dog’s Furvana™ Rectangle Bed and Armor™ Rectangle Bed are flat to the edges, with 3 to 5 inches of shredded foam it designs for older dogs and sore hips. If your dog struggles to get up or lie down, talk to your vet: a good bed helps, but it isn’t a treatment.
Dogs who run hot
Plenty of big dogs get a lovely new bed and still sleep on the kitchen tile. Often it’s because the floor is cooler. For a dog who keeps choosing the floor, try one of our cooling beds: Paw.com’s PupChill™ Cooling Bolster Bed puts cool-to-the-touch fabric over a cooling gel layer and memory foam, and Bowsers’ Cool Gel Memory Foam Mattress has cool gel in its memory foam.
Bowsers’ raised Yugen Pet Lounger is nylon mesh that lets the air through, and a low, flat pad with a smooth nylon top instead of plush fleece, like American Dog’s Armor™ Crate Pad, works too. Dogs who sleep belly up are often cooling off.
Diggers and chewers
Some dogs dig, scratch and circle before they settle, and some chew whatever they sleep on. American Dog’s Armor™ beds, like the Armor™ Round Bolster Bed, are 1680D ballistic nylon all over, with zippers hidden away from teeth. No bed is chew-proof, but Armor™ is the toughest choice we carry.
Accidents, drool and muddy paws
A waterproof bed keeps the wet out of the foam. American Dog’s Armor™ beds are waterproof all over, and Paw.com’s PupCloud™ and PupLuxe™ beds have waterproof liners under covers that come off for the wash. On top of any bed, or the sofa, a PupProtector™ waterproof blanket keeps it clean and goes in the washer.
Allergies and sensitive skin
Dogs with allergies or sensitive skin do best with bedding that’s easy to keep clean. Pick a bed whose cover comes off for the washer, to keep dust, dander and odors down: most of ours do, and a spare cover means there’s always a clean one on the bed. Our care guide explains how to wash each brand’s.
Little dogs
Does your little prince or princess like a special place of their own? Small dogs often love a bed with walls: a soft hideaway to curl up in, like Paw.com’s PupPouf™ Faux Fur Donut Bed, made for small dogs, Modern Beast’s 24-inch POD Bed, the Small Furvana™ Round Bolster Bed, or the X-Small Furvana™ Cloud Bolster Bed, with an edge to rest their chin on.
Burrowers
Some dogs like to sleep under something, nose and all. Bowsers’ Canopy Bed has a faux fur canopy over the top, like a blanket to burrow under, and its Canopy Cozy is a covered den in ultra-soft faux fur.
The patio, the deck and the dock
An outdoor bed is made for outside. Paw.com’s AirX Foam™ Outdoor Dog Bed is an open lattice that water drains straight through, so it dries in minutes after the pool or the rain. Bowsers’ Terrace Bed and Sun Lounger come in its outdoor fabrics, dyed through the fiber so they resist fading in the sun, on waterproof bases.
