How to choose the sleeping basket for your dog? As a dog owner, we all know that our pet will need a bed. Does your dog prefer to lie on the ground? Does its basket help it regulate its temperature? Is it thick enough? Have you ever wondered if your dog sleeps well? So how do you choose the right bedding for your dog? Should we choose for it? How do you teach it to love its basket and make it feel especially safe there?
Why is the choice of a bed important?
The primary purpose of choosing the bed for a dog is so that your dog can rest or sleep. It is therefore important to make the right choice. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential in humans and dogs. Good sleep is essential for your health. It allows the proper functioning of the body, the renewal of cells and the preservation of the mind.
In addition, sleep plays an important role in the brain and memory faculties. It is while the dog is sleeping that its brain downloads, integrates and assimilates the different information it had had during its day. Lack of sleep can cause your dog to have trouble concentrating and therefore learning. You should not therefore minimize its sleep. Finally, having a good sleep will limit stress in the dog.
Your dog will only be active 20% of its day, which means it needs at least 12 to 14 hours of sleep a day. It is therefore essential for the dog’s health that it likes its sleeping place and that it seems comfortable to him!
Which material to choose and which shape to choose?
When we talk about dog beds, we can easily see that there are hundreds of different ones, because they are not all made of the same material! Your dog may therefore like several materials. In particular, you can find:
- plastic baskets and mats: plastic is durable and easy to maintain.
- leather baskets: leather is damaged quickly, but your dog can find some comfort in it.
- fleece and fabric rugs: these are often very pleasant for dogs, but can be difficult to clean because the hairs gets stuck in them.
- wicker baskets
- As with the material, the shape of the basket may vary and may not appeal to all dogs. The basket should be a safe area for your dog. Here are the main beds that you can find in store:
- a round or rectangular basket, with or without rim
- a closed basket where the dog can
- carpet
- a mattress
- a sleeping niche where the dog can curl up
Of course, the notion of comfort will be specific to each individual, so we cannot guarantee that the material will appeal to all dogs. In contrast, a dog may like many kinds of baskets and mats. It is also interesting that a dog can, like humans, change its taste as it grows, ages and experiences.
Choose the right basket according to dog’s needs
The choice of bedding must also be made according to several criteria which will vary throughout its life. You can select a bed according to:
Your Dog’s Age: Puppies are not the same size as adults. It is therefore advisable to opt for a bed large enough to make the dog feel comfortable. So you may have to buy another bed if your dog grows. I would add that if your puppy tends to eat its bedding, it is best to take a plastic one, because it is the one that will resist the longest!
Health issues: when the dog has physical health problems, such as joint, hip or elbow problems, it is essential to provide daily relief to your dog by offering it, for example, an orthopedic mattress. For a mattress to be considered orthopedic, it must be more than 6 inches thick. These beds pay particular attention to supporting the spine, back muscles and the dog’s weight distribution.
So there are a lot of different sleeping arrangements.
Learn your dog to feel safe in its bed
The basket can quickly become a source of stress for the dog if certain rules are not respected. Nothing is ever insignificant when we want our dog to feel good where it is! To get started, arm yourself with rewards! These can be treats, but also your dog’s favorite toy.
Stand not far from your dog’s basket and lure him with his reward to bring it to its bed. Once the paws are in, give it to him. You will need to repeat this exercise several times, so that your dog understands that it is great to go on this bed that you have assigned to it. You can also give it an occupancy toy in its bed to settle in. Repeat this exercise a few times, until your dog gets settled spontaneously.
Remember that the bed should be in a strategic place in the house. This means, that your dog must be able to have its peace. Indeed, sleeping in a passageway, next to a door, below a staircase is not ideal since your dog will be constantly disturbed! But remember, bed is first and foremost for resting and sleeping.
The main rule is that you should never punish your dog in the basket, send him there as a punishment or even disturb him when it is there. If you punish your dog when it is in the basket, it will no longer feel safe there. If you disturb it, it will no longer trust you and will be afraid to fall asleep peacefully. This kind of attitude can cause the dog to protect its basket and behave aggressively towards its handler. Keep in mind that you would not like someone to wake you up all the time throughout your life.
So, which bedding does your dog prefer?