Bedding for working dogs

greenpeter

What bedding would you use for working dogs? Hay, Straw, wood shavings, saw dust, paper, cardboard ect

boomerang

Hay or straw - warm but dusty (not good for the dogs' lungs) and can be infested with mites.

Wood shavings or sawdust - messy, sticks to the dogs' coats, doesn't insulate very well, particularly once it gets any way wet.

Shredded paper - clean, cheap, warm, but a divil to clean up, especially when soggy!

Cardboard - doesn't offer much padding or heat.

Of the above options, I'd probably go with the shredded paper.

If I were you, I would buy plain, plastic dogs beds and put waterproof, chew-proof dog matresses in them, with old towels or blankets on top that you can put through the wash or chuck out once they get dirty and torn. That way, the matresses themselves stay clean and dry and the dogs get maximum heat and comfort after a hard day's work.

One lady I know is very resourceful, she gets old horseblankets (waterproof and tough) makes pillowcases out of them on a sewing machine and sews old pillows in to them. They're cheap, warm, soft and hard-wearing and says her greyhounds have yet to chew through them.

looserock

Rubber cow mats from DeLaval or similar, the ones made from car tyuires are best.

boomerang

We use those to line the floors of the kennels in the dogs' play paddocks. (This is where the dogs are exercised during the day - they sleep indoors at night.) Only problem is they don't offer any warmth or protection from cold and draughts... And you certainly couldn't have greyhounds for example sleep directly on them as they'd get callouses and sores on their bony prominences.

artieanna

The trouble with dogs beds is you don't want to create a place where fleas will thrive and you don't want a bed where dogs will overheat (if they have a good wooly coat).

For a long time now we have used the small bits of turf (turf moul) as a bed for our dogs, the dogs love it and dig it and roll in it.

boomerang

Well all I can say is, my two dogs sleep in plastic beds with soft mattresses, blankets and towels, and they've never had fleas! (One is seven this year, the other will be six.)

It wouldn't be the end of the world even if they did get fleas - I'd just treat them with Frontline or Advocate and put all their bedding through the washing machine on a hot wash.

If they get too warm in their beds, they stretch out on the floor.

LadyTBolt

looserock wrote: »

Rubber cow mats from DeLaval or similar, the ones made from car tyuires are best.

Likewise, in our kennels we use 1.5 inch thick solid rubber mats and they work a treat, and they are chew and scratch proof. I can't recommend them enough.

I could only imagine if our working dogs had plastic beds with soft matteresses and blankets they'd have them shredded in no time.

greenpeter

Its a hard one to call but really like the sound of the rubber mats so i'm goin to give them a shot. Thanks for all the comments

boomerang

Best of luck but I just can't see how the dogs are going to be warm on just the cow mats... They're basically like the rubber floor mats in your car, only slightly thicker.