How long should a dog bed last?

[howlyip]

Truthfully? I bought a bed from foster and smith about4 yrs ago. Really it was bought for size, it's huge, I bought it so all 3 dogs, over 40 lbs. could sleep on it.

It's not that it is falling apart, it's Dixie, whenever I pull the inside out to wash the cover, and leave it anywhere she might get it, she does and proceeds to chew it. So the fluff and wood stuff all come out. My mom sewed it up nice once, and I guess she will have to again, if she will do it.

But in reality, when you have multiple dogs and puppies, how long would you expect it to last?

[Trademarkbark]

At my house, a year is awesome, so I can't imagine a 4 yr old bed!

The PetSupermarket near me has big dog-sized beds for $19.99. They might get torn up, but for $20, I can forgive. Malcolm has a $50 bed, but he's an old guy and takes care of his stuff now (he was the worst puppy for beds though).

[Tatyana]

i hear Costco has huge beds for relatively cheap. I think I've seen them at BJ's too.

[UpwardDog]

4 years sounds pretty reasonable to me. My dogs ae pretty easy on their stuff (knock on wood) but the stuffing gets packed down and lumpy over time.

[emmas_mom]

I find the ones with the foam chip stuffing last only a year or two - and I don't have any chewers. It's just that the stuffing doesn't hold up and, as Upward Dog says, gets lumpy over time. Plus some of my old guys are leaky and the foam stuffing really isn't washable. After tossing out three big beds in the past couple of months, I finally went out and bought a hunk of memory foam which I cut to size, some waterproof covers to fit, and put their old washable covers on them - cheaper than buying good quality beds ready-made, and more lasting than lumpy stuffed ones.
However, I also have a raised bed by Petmate, which we got for Charley as a pup. She's thirteen now and it still looks like new - yet it has been slept in every night for 13 years!

[RobinS]

Beds dont last long here....we have something that sneaks into them at night when everyone is sleeping and chews holes in them......moths I guess...black and white ones I think...har har har. My dog beds are small, but Gina digs her way to the center of the earth whenever gets in them, between that and the "moths", they last here six months to a year. I also am very fussy about washing....all dog bedding gets washed weekly and the dog beds get washed once a month, so they get worn out.

[QBert]

well, the sofa came with a two year warranty, and my bed with five years...

[howlyip]

So I should be feeling good then? The thing is with a little needle and thread it'll be good as new. Just a bit smaller. But I am thinking I need to buy a backup, just not $100 dollar one, in case we need it right away.

At least hubby was understanding in my frustration enough to say it was ok to get another one. My dog gear has to last years, so I watch it ever so carefully!

[Pchan]

costco has GREAT beds for $20-30. all of ours love the one we have, and it's held up nicely!

[Jen]

I love the Costco beds! Mine don't last more than a year, but that has to do with slobbery chewers (even just chewing on their toys, R&B manage to produce enough slobber to totally disgustingly stain their beds) and Roscoe's stress management technique of shredding fabric.

At $20, even I don't feel too bad buying new ones.

[Claire]

I have SO many beds around that none of them gets really worn too much. When I had Frieda, as a puppy she chewed it and as she grew she would suck wads of it to go to sleep, so I was replacing the covers pretty regularly.

When Rudi & Sophie came to our home at 4.5 y/o, all that chewing stuff was over and they were really easy on their bedding. I bought a couple of crate beds from Orvis with super-duper tough covers. To this day they are holding up and that's 9 years later!!

Years ago, someone from i-dog alerted me to a great bed from Canada that had "peas" in it. It's called Drop 'n Flop. Doesn't collect any odors and Sophie, in particular, LOVES it because it conforms to wherever she flops on it! Except for a new cover, this bedding will last a lifetime. The peas have a nylon cover over which I put a washable cover. I highly recommend it.
You can purchase additional "peas" which might be good depending on the size of your dog. It can be a little flat otherwise.

But for covers? ORVIS rocks!

[BassetLover]

I have had the same bed for Yogi for about six years. I got it from Foster and Smith, it's one of those really thick foam beds that looks like a couch. Even I am surprised at how long it has lasted! He has a second one upstairs of the same type and that one is at least five years old. Only thing I don't like is that it's hard to pull the covers on and off. The covers are wearing out a little bit now though, mostly from when he digs in the bed which he doesn't do all the time. I have sewed it back together once, not very well but it worked.
I had the slumber ball for my last dog and it really flattened out quick, due to the cedar chips and whatever fill they put in there so I wouldn't buy that type of bed again.
I do want to get him another bed eventually, similar type but a little bigger.

[dogcrazy]

A Prison Bed for dogs?!! What will they think of next? How did they know I harbor a houseful of canine criminals? :-)

I ordered this bed for my 100+ lb puppy. It is tough, waterproof, and has resisted the efforts of all 5 of my dogs. Granted, we've only had it 3 months but it still looks like new and has not sagged one bit despite the big guys using it like a trampoline. I wasn't sure the dogs would like it because it has a slick feeling cover, but they do. I was going to make a fleece slipcover for it but never got around to it. The best test it's been put through is incessant digging by my 7 lb toy dog with very sharp tiny toenails. Didn't even leave a mark on it. It's always my toy dogs that destroy the dog beds with their nails.

I was thrilled with the price as well, but be forewarned the freight charge for the big size bed is $20. Ouch.

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/product.a ... 0AND%20bed

All the best,
Carol

[dogcrazy]

Sorry, the link above won't stay current. To see the bed, click the link and type in Prison Bed in the search function. Here is the description of the bed as listed on the site:


"Bed is based upon Prison beds in current use. Made of solid care densified polyester, they are designed to support the weight of prisoners so are ideal for large heavier dogs. Bed provides extra support. PVC covers are waterproof, fire resistant and Antimicrobial, they just wipe clean. Excellent for outdoor or kennel use. "

Carol