Thursday, July 21, 2011

DoggyStyle: On Floor Pillows vs. Dog Beds

 I'm always trying to overcompensate for our wood floors by giving the pooches all kinds of floor pillows and mini-rugs to lay on. At first I used to feel kind of bad about buying floor pillows instead of real dog beds, but then I realized something:
The pooches actually prefer laying on the $15 Ikea floor pillow more than the will lay on the more expensive memory foam dog beds. Or they'll only lay on the dog bed if they're laying on the floor pillow first:
Though sometimes I wonder if they just prefer the most uncomfortable positions. Because even though they each have their own 'twin' dog bed with pillow:
They still prefer to squeeze two pitties on one bed:
Though I do wonder if the regular floor pillows are detrimental. Do dogs really need specific dog beds to protect their joints? Or is it all about marketing and any padded item will do?

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Pitties!!

Our mom just recently bought two large square pillows that look much nicer than true dog beds. We like them OK, although Sketcher seemed to like the memory foam old bed better. Mom is thinking about buying a memory foam topper and replacing the innerds of the pillow with that (since they zip open to be washable).

How Sam Sees It said...

That's a good question - I never really thought of it. Neither of our boys actually lay on their pillow but instead use it for sparring and dragging around the house.

Sam

In Black and White said...

I love that last photo of the two of them - so cute! I have wood floors throughout but the pooches are allowed on the furniture so the only time we used an actual dogbed was when Buster had to be confined to his crate for three weeks following an operation.
A lot of the time Billy just likes to sprawl out on the wood floor.

http://bwpaws.blogspot.com

Kate said...

We bought two huge orthopedic foam dog beds for Molly, and she does seem to really like those. I've noticed that Mel is using them more and more too. Molly weighs around 100 pounds though so I think she'd sink right to the bottom of a smaller bed (or cute pillow). :)

Unknown said...

Our two will use their dog beds on occasion, but since they are allowed on the furniture, they usually hang out on the couches. Though, Ollie does spend a good amount of time sprawled out on the wood floors. I live with weirdos, plain and simple.

Beth said...

How cute. They love each other!

www.truthaboutpitbulls.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I bought a really cute Molly Mutt bed that Turk adores, but Ginger prefers our wooly rug. I think that if your dogs like the IKEA pillows, then let them use those. If they weren't comfortable, they wouldn't sleep there! :)

Patty said...

That last picture is priceless! I have a few Costco dog beds around the house since they are fairly cheap and durable. She naps on them once in awhile but prefers the couches. Then again some days she prefers her crate which is plastic and has no padding.

brooke said...

Darwin is all about the couch (with her head on a pillow). But for her "bed" we just bought a papasan cushion since it's big enough for her.
I love that picture of Miss M all squeezed in a ball in her crate!

A Confessed Pit Bull Addict said...

I'm a big fan of the Molly Mutt products (http://www.mollymutt.com/). The stuff sacks can be filled with whatever works for your dog. We use regular foam dog bed inserts and add old blankets, additional stuffing from JoAnne Fabrics or whatever else seems comfy to me when I'm thinking about re-stuffing. When either the inside or the outside wears out, I don't have to scrap the whole bed - just the part that's past its prime.

Road Dog Tales said...

Hmmm, good question. We've gone through lots of different dog beds and some of us even prefer Mom or Dad's bed pillows. The main reason we originally purchased the Pet Cots is because of, um, incontinence issues and we've just stuck with them 'cause they're super easy to clean and we have the orthopedic (waterproof) pads and fleece covers to make them extra comfy although they won't win any House Beautiful awards :o

The Road Dogs

Two French Bulldogs said...

we say marketing...we love pillows just like yours!
Benny & Lily

Sarah said...

Given Sadie's love of a full (dirty of clean, she doesn't discriminate) clothes basket over any other dog bed in the house, I'm pretty sure it's just a marketing thing. So long as they're comfy, who cares if it's a dog bed or just a floor pillow? I do love the Molly Mutt duvet covers because you can stuff them with your old clothes/bedding/whatnot so that their bed is both stylish and has your scent, which the pooches love.

Of Pit Bulls and Patience said...

I'm fairly certain any padding will do, and every dog is different. My pups really like their dog beds (especially their new ones!) or the couch, but neither seem keep to lay on orthopedic type beds. Dogs are weird.

Kim @ Yellow Brick Home said...

To answer your question, hell no! Who needs doggie specific beds when it's IKEA to the rescue?! Jackie boy has an Ikea floor pillow, too. And he LOVES to curl up in a tight little ball.

Also, that photo of their twin beds is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Alanna said...

I've been wondering the same thing. My dog loves hanging out on the couch but I need something for her to sleep on (besides my own bed!). I'm a broke student so I was planning on buying some comfy materials cheaply and sewing it together on my sewing machine. Hopefully she'll like it!

Two Grad Students and a Pittie said...

What cracks me up is when Havi lies on the hard wood floor NEXT TO the bed!

http://www.twogradstudentsandapittie.blogspot.com

Pit Bull Mom said...

I've never thought of buying just regular floor pillows for the dogs! That is a great idea! Although Mikko tends to think smaller pillows are toys and carries them around and shakes them to death. I personally think that the dog companies are just trying to make a buck by selling special dog beds. Dogs will lay on anything! My two dogs and an occasional foster also sleep next to each other even if I have separate beds for them. It's a big pittie slumber pile! :) I'm curious if anyone has dogs that refuse to sleep next to each other.

aldrin james said...

In this article I learn how important to have a bed for dogs. I am just so happy to learn that. From now on I will make sure that my dogs sleep in their bed.

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Elmer Foreman said...

Great article and a nice way to promote online. I’m satisfied with the information that you provided Luxury Dog Bed

Nicholas lee said...

I was also looking for the petbeds... But I tried both pet beds and pillows... according to my experience the pet beds are better than floor pillows...

stvenmartinez said...

Thank you for writing about the orthopedic dog bed. It made with high-quality fabric and comes with chew-proof, and bite-proof. You can use it outdoor and indoor.

Sharon Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
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