Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Decor: Quest for the Perfect Dog Bed and Hardwood Floors

For the longest time I thought I wouldn't be a responsible dog parent unless I got our pooches the perfect bed. The first bed I ever got Miss M. was plush, warm, and ended up like this.
As she matured, Miss M. was able to use her beds for sleeping. I looked into a couple of options, and I actually liked this bed from Target's Boots & Barkley brand (not available online). We like it because it has this has this insert,like shredded memory foam, that actually molds to the pets' bodies. I like that the colors are simple; black 0n one side and beige on the other. When I first got this bed, they wouldn't get out of it for days.To make our house even more comfortable for the pooches, we started using oversize pillows on the floor to give them other alternatives to rest on.
The 20 inch variety is perfect for the pooches to sit and even curl up on, plus they look nice. This is Miss M's favorite place to sit in the living room:
Right now I like this one from Ikea, this from CB2, and this from West Elm. The brown and white pillow on the couch was actually a silk pillow Miss M used to sleep on, despite what you'd think of her sharp claws, it was never damaged and after a dry-cleaning I took it back.
But despite all of my searching and planning, I noticed the pooches spend an inordinate amount of time just laying on the hardwood floor:
Even with the sheepskin nearby, Miss M often prefers to lay on the floor:And Mr. B will sprawl out on the hardwood like swine:And especially when Miss M thinks this is a comfortable position:I wonder if the dog beds are really for making dogs comfortable? Or are they to make us more "comfortable" as owners?

17 comments:

Unknown said...

Our pups love the wood floor as well, especially Ollie. Though they can be on the couches, I'll still find one of them on the floor at times.

I guess if they don't mind, we shouldn't either. I'd buy them beds, but they keep destroying them!

Mack said...

I want a soft, snuggly bed so bad! And mom won't buy me one! Just because I like to rip em open in the first 12 seconds and completely de-stuff it - I don't see her point.

Boy those two pooches sure look comfy.

Anonymous said...

I don't have any dog beds down in my apartment for the guys yet (I usually spend my money on treats). Jordie prefers sleeping on either my bed or my kitchen chair that has a comforter as a pad on it. Most times, Petey prefers to sleep on the floor in whatever room I'm in but some days he'll go into the bedroom and hop up on my bed (I guess his bones ache more on those days). Roxy has never attempted to go on the bed (I think she's afraid of it as it is an electric hospital bed) and will sleep on the carpeted floor, usually where I can trip over her. I've been thinking of investing in one of those memory foam type beds so I can put it against the wall in one of Roxy's favorite spots and hopefully, she'll use it and I won't have to trip over her anymore.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I LUVS dog beds. We have hardwood floors and I'd just rather stand there than lay down on 'em. I did what Miss M did to my first dog bed, too. So right now I just have a cheap dog bed and some blankies in my crate. My mom thinks that maybe I've "matured" enough to have a better dog bed. Thanks for telling us about that Boots and Barkley one. We'll check it out!

Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie

Unknown said...

My two dogs at home like to sleep in weird spots well. My little yorkie would prefer a human bed at night and a lap during the day to her beds which are in her crate and laying around the house, although sometimes she will sleep in her crate one. And my golden much prefers the floor, we think that it is because it is colder then carpet, his bed, or a human bed. The pillows are a creative idea!

Anonymous said...

Dex prefers the hardwood floor, too - especially after a walk on a hot day.

Maybe it's how some people prefer a firm mattress, while others prefer a softer one.

pibble said...

Yeah, the dogs are weird. We give them soft things to sleep on and they choose the floors. I guess they're just cooler on the floor! Ollie, the newest and littlest, likes the dog beds and pillows, but has a tough time balancing on the pillows. It's a kick to watch him try to balance on the pillow and roll off...

Rescued Pittie Family said...

I have been cut off from buying Haleigh Anne any more beds.
Since their crates have to be integrated into the decor of our home I wanted them to be pretty.
And like you, I thought I was a bad parent if they did not have nice beds.
I got Haleigh and Greighson the Boots and Barkley red and gray beds. They were super comfortable to sit on for me and I just knew they would love them.
Greighson's has held up great.
But Haleigh Anne has eaten two of them and God only knows how many quilts and blankets too.
LuLu and Abbey have hand-made beds but there is no way I'm spending that kind of money on Little Miss Goat Dog.
Right now she's sleeping on an old quilt of mine that she does not find so tasty.
It's pretty - thank God - but not as nice as it would be if she could have a pretty bed like her brother.

And Little Miss Goat loves to sprawl out on our hardwood floors too - I bet it's because they're nice and cool and they can spread out.

In the wild dogs don't have luxuries like beds and air conditioning so I would be willing to be you're right. It's more about our comfort than theirs.

Dexter said...

Well, one likes to have options is really the moral of the story. The perfect nap requires the perfect surface for the moment.

Slobbers,
Mango

Mary said...

My dogs prefer the floor during the warmer months because it's cooler on their bodies. And none of them have their own beds. The entire house is their bed, really.

Kate said...

They are so darn cute! It's usually a temperature thing for my dogs. They sleep on the tile when it's hot, and the carpet when it cool (no hardwoods in our house). They still prefer a human bed over any dog bed though ...

The Adventures of the LLB Gang said...

Too cute!!

Mine actually like to lay on beds in the living room (where it is carpeted) but like the cool feel of the tile in the kitchen best!

kissa-bull said...

we love to do boff lay on the floor when ish kinda hot out or on pillows when its cold out. eighter way as long as we are laying its all good in our world

pibble sugars to all
the pittie pack

Kari in Alaska said...

Mesa and Baily lay on our tile to cool off. Other than that they loooooove comfort

Two French Bulldogs said...

soft..is our number one priority
Benny & Lily

houndstooth said...

I think it depends on the dog! In the summer, Bunny will often lay on the floor. Lilac, at almost fifteen, is always on an orthopedic dog bed. The thing looks horrible, but she is in love with it and Bunny often likes to lay with her. Blueberry used to lay on the floor or anywhere else she happened to plop down, but now she's pickier. I guess at eight she's feeling the floor isn't as soft as it used to be. In the winter none of ours lay on the bare floor, though!

the booker man said...

i think beds are cozy for pups. booker and asa each have a nuzzle nest (http://www.petedge.com/product/Nuzzle-Nest-Beds/43835.uts) and fleece blankey that they l-o-v-e, but sometimes they just want to sprawl out on the floor, especially if they are hot. booker and asa like to lie on the hardwood floor or tile when they are warm because it feels cooler on their skin.

the booker man and asa's mama

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