Photo: fishki.net I want my beloved pet to have all the best: its own place, its own bowls and, of course, its own cozy bed. You can go shopping for a long time and choose houses and bedding - and still not decide. How not to miscalculate what your dog will really like? In fact, nothing is simpler! Dogs feel great love and care, and the best bed for them would be a homemade bed!
Round bed
Small decorative dog breeds are very fond of round beds: they are warm, safe and you can hide from the outside world. You can make it yourself in literally a few hours using the simplest basic pattern. The diameter of the bottom depends on the size of your pet, which can be measured when the pet lies down comfortably - on average, it is 25-65 cm.
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The advantages of a homemade lounger-house
Small dogs prefer house-shaped beds. It can be made from an ordinary cardboard box covered with fabric. The advantages of self-production are as follows:
- low cost (the price of a finished bed is 3-4 times higher than the cost of fabric purchased for a homemade bed);
- dogs love warmth and comfort, they sometimes also want privacy, just like people, a lounger-house provides this to the fullest.
The dog will definitely not freeze, even if you take the house out onto the loggia or veranda. A small house can easily be converted into a carrier.
Dog sofa bed
This type of bed will require a little more time and skill. Separately cut out parts for the bottom and a long side from thick fabric and fill them with holofiber or any other filler. The bottom can first be strengthened with thick cardboard, and then a pillow can be placed inside.
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What should a good dog bed be like?
Pets love to lie on the sofa or chair. This is not always convenient for the owners; claw marks and fur remain on the furniture. It quickly becomes unusable. To prevent this from happening, the dog is trained from the moment it appears in the house to have its own place - a lounger.
For the big dog
A good sun lounger should be:
- made of soft but dense fabric;
- more than the dog itself by 15-20 cm;
- have small sides up to 10-12 cm high (dogs love to watch their owners, high sides can interfere with this, the dog will not want to use the lounger).
Important! It is unacceptable to use leather or its substitute for sewing a lounger. This is an unsuitable material that easily loses its appearance.
The service life of a leather lounger is several times less than a similar design made of another fabric, for example, denim.
Blanket and lounger in one product
Bed from a sweatshirt
If you have an old warm sweatshirt left over, you can use scissors and thread to turn it into the perfect dog bed. Turn the jacket inside out and sew the collar, leaving a small hole. Then sew a line from armpit to armpit, sew the sleeves to the side and form the sides. All that remains is to fill the bed, put a pillow inside and sew all the edges.
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Photo: kotsobaka.com
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How long do dogs live and how to extend their life?
How to determine the size of a bed
It is very important to determine the size of the future bed. To do this, it is best to take approximate measurements when your pet is in a relaxed, comfortable position. I took my measurements something like this.
This is Jack's favorite pose!
Well, if you carry out measurements according to all the rules, it is usually recommended to do it as follows:
- To determine the width, you need to measure your dog from the base of the tail to the tip of the nose. If the lounger has sides, it is recommended to add 10-20cm to this size. If you are sewing a dog bed, the value must be increased by 20-30cm.
- To calculate the width of a dog bed, take measurements from the paw pads to the four-legged croup. Increase the resulting size by 2 times.
If you look at the photo, this is roughly what happened to me.
Plywood bed with legs
To make your pet a real royal bed, you will need a sheet of plywood, several boards, stable metal legs and fasteners. Assemble a box from plywood with boards using self-tapping screws, or immediately take a ready-made pallet. Screw the legs, carefully sand the entire structure, prime and paint on top.
All you have to do is put a suitable size pillow inside - and your dog’s bed is ready! You can complement it with a toy box or decorate it with letters, laying out the name of your pet. To make your pet's sleeping place mobile, use wheels instead of legs.
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Photo: berkem.ru
What you need to know
A dog bed is designed in the same way as a cat bed. But in order to properly make a dog bed, you need to keep in mind that:
- The dog was domesticated by man much earlier than the cat. If domestic cats freely interbreed with wild forest cats and produce viable fertile offspring, then nothing is heard of dog-wolf hybrids. Therefore, genetic connections with ancestors (ancestral memory) in dogs are much weaker than in cats.
- Dogs are exclusively terrestrial animals. A poodle or lapdog can jump on a cabinet, but they cannot climb a tree.
- Dogs' claws do not retract. They are thicker, stronger, less curved than cat ones and therefore almost never get tangled or stuck.
- The skin glands of dogs, by their nature active pack hunter-drivers, are more developed than those of cats - ambush predators. If a wild cat needs to hide and wait in order to feed itself, then a wolf or wild dog must clearly mark its path so that the leader can properly organize the hunt of the pack.
- A pack of canine predators is a terrible force in nature: neither a bear, nor a tiger, nor a wild buffalo or elephant can cope with it. Dogs do not need to disguise themselves while on vacation. On the contrary, members of the pack must smell each other. All dog lovers have smelled a dog, but who has ever heard the smell of a cat? Therefore, dogs are not as neat as cats: they do not wash themselves and their toilet skills are less developed.
At home, these differences do not affect so much and a cat bed will generally fit a dog of the same size. The main difference is the padding. Sintepon or holofiber are definitely not suitable: they tightly hold grease and fall off from it. Furniture foam rubber grades from 35 to 45 are more suitable. But the best option is coconut fiber. Under the dog it is practically forever, and the padded bed does not need to be washed: just rinse vigorously in hot water or rinse under a strong hot shower; The coconut filling dries quickly, almost simultaneously with the fabric. You can often buy coconut fiber much cheaper than new at a car service center. Due to the same qualities, coconut is used to make the top padding of car seats.
Note: the upholstery fabric for a dog bed is the same as for a cat bed, except for fleece, flock, microfiber, etc. fluffy, retaining grease and other secretions. Jeans, linen, any synthetics will do - thanks to the same skin glands, dogs are less sensitive to static electricity, less than us. Experienced villains know that putting a guard dog down with a stun gun is impossible.
The second is the origin of the dog breed. We will touch on some nuances of this kind further, but for now let’s wrap it up: dogs of indoor decorative breeds have almost completely lost the memory of their ancestors and, while resting, sometimes fall apart in the most shameless way, see fig. on right. Therefore, a bed for a miniature lap dog should be approximately the same size as for a medium-sized mongrel.
How to make a large bed for a small dog, see the video below:
Video: bed-pillow for a small dog
With bigger ones there are more problems
With a bed for a large dog, the situation is more complicated, but not much, you just need to know what’s what. And the main thing is that the dog is sleeping. He will not sleep well, will not feel the full care of his owner and will not be able to respond with the same canine affection.
Each dog has its own preferred sleeping position, see fig. And depending on the breed and personal, individual.
How do dogs sleep?
But, just like humans, a dog’s favorite sleeping position can change with age and depending on circumstances. It is advisable to arrange a sleeping place for a dog so that the dog can sleep sweetly on it once and for all, from puppyhood to senile decrepitude. There is a way, this is a transforming bed, see below.
The second problem is the weight of the dog. More precisely, the mass of her body, which may be greater than that of a human. If you've ever slept on the floor, have you woken up stretching sweetly? And why? Because people toss and turn in their sleep. Dogs too. And the hard floor seems to transfer every movement of the sleeper back into his body.
Simply put, for a more or less large dog to sleep normally, he needs a kind of bed that “plays” a little under the one lying on it. Therefore, branded dog beds are often made on a rigid frame (item 1 in the figure) with an elastic bottom raised above the floor.
Beds for large dogs
For a puppy, it is possible to replace this with a wooden cat bed (item 2), only the mattress padding needs to be different, see above. For an adult dog, it is advisable to make a simple bed (item 3) with slats from planks or strips of plywood 6-12 mm thick. Dogs do not understand human aesthetics, and ergonomics are simpler for them, so a dog bed can be a very simple wooden frame with slats and a mattress, pos. 4.
Note: the bed-bed is also good because the place for the dog can be located anywhere in the house - the dog will not be blown out from below, but from above it will warm his own fur well.
From a dog’s point of view, a rookery on slats is generally a royal luxury, but not completely obligatory. And a person could have a great night's sleep on a wide bench in an old peasant hut, if there was at least some kind of damper between the mattress with the body and the floor, a kind of spring of at least 2 plates. Therefore, a bed for a large dog can be made in different ways, see for example. video clip:
Video: bed for large dogs
Bed from a suitcase
For small dogs, a larger old hard suitcase will do, which will turn into an excellent bed in just 20 minutes. You just need to cut or remove the top and put inside a mattress made from a piece of foam rubber covered with fabric. And further decoration, painting, legs and other little things are at your discretion.
Photo: cat4you.ru
Photo: lisa.ru
Useful tips
If the owner does not know how to sew a dog bed, it is better to seek recommendations from specialists. So:
- round beds for large dogs must have sides;
- the side for the oval-shaped lounger is sewn separately, attached to the main product at the end;
- A cover is required, it’s better to have several at a time;
- if the sleeping bag is filled with sheepskin, then it must be ventilated in the snow in winter;
- straw and hay harbor insects and need to be changed frequently;
- The bed is regularly fluffed to make it more comfortable for the dog to sleep.
The puppy can use the sleeping bag as a diaper, so it will have to be supervised. The bed is always sewn to the size of an adult dog.
Regular rectangular sleeping bag
You can sew a dog bed with basic cutting and sewing skills; you don’t need to be a master. It's not hard at all. If you have an old sweater on your household, then you don’t have to sew anything; a sleeping bag is made from it, simply by folding the sleeves in a special way. Experts advise regularly cleaning and ventilating blankets and the place where the dog sleeps.
Bed with fringe
An unwanted fleece blanket can be turned into a warm and cozy bed with fringes. This fabric is convenient because you don’t necessarily need to process the edges, so just leave 4-5 cm for the fringe and cut it. Place a pillow or filling inside and tie the fringe ribbons together. You don't even need a needle and thread for this bed!
Photo: bloglovin.com Photo: ratatum.com
Photo: ratatum.com
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Lounger with sides: step-by-step sewing instructions
This type of lounger is difficult to make. You will need any waterproof fabric or jeans, holofiber or foam rubber to fill the pillow, and a zipper. Then follow the instructions:
- A large piece of fabric is laid out on the floor and a basin is placed on it, tracing its contours with chalk to form a circle (two more circles are cut out of waterproof fabric, they are necessary for the pillow).
- Cut out the bottom of the lounger from the fabric.
- The jeans are cut at the seams, each leg has 2 halves (long rectangles of equal width are cut out, they will be used to sew the sides).
- Sew the two halves of jeans together from the wrong side and turn them over onto the face.
- Lay out the finished sides and mark with chalk on them the location of the vertical seams necessary to give the product rigidity and maintain its shape (every 20 cm, not forgetting to fill the space with foam rubber before sewing).
- The bottom is attached to the sides, with the seams inward.
- Circles of waterproof fabric are sewn together, leaving room for filling with foam rubber, and turned “on the face.”
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The pillow is placed on the bottom of the lounger and the pet is invited to try it out. You can leave a hole in the side of the pillow by inserting a zipper there. As soon as the fabric becomes dirty, remove the foam rubber and wash the pillowcase.
From a sweatshirt
Bed in a case
If your dog already has a bed, but it is worn out and looks unpresentable, the easiest way is to cover it with a cover. Carpet fabric or other dense and wear-resistant material works well. If you make the cover with a clasp or ties, it can be easily removed for washing.
Photo: animalsik.com
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Photo: fb.ru
Materials and tools
Let's talk a little more about the materials and tools that will be required to make the lounger. Basic tools:
- scissors;
- fabric marker or soap - for marking;
- measuring tape and ruler;
- needles and threads. The latter must be durable;
- tailor's pins;
- sewing machine (ideally, although the bed can be sewn by hand if desired).
Tailor's pins
We choose the material depending on the animal’s fur type and size. And special attention should be paid to padding . So, all kinds of holofiber and padding polyester can be used, but they are better suited for beds intended for small dogs. These materials are bad because they absorb odors easily and quickly, and they also quickly lose volume. We recommend replacing them with foam rubber, or even better, with coconut fiber. The latter hardly wrinkles, is easy to clean, and dries quickly.
Foam rubber as padding
Exterior finishing materials may vary. Denim, cotton and linen, tapestries, and a number of synthetic materials are ideal options. They are easy to wash, they are dense and durable, which means they are durable, and they practically do not create static electricity.
Advice! Avoid fleece, microfiber, flock. These materials have a pile that quickly gets dirty, is difficult to wash off dirt and is difficult to clean from wool. Although for smooth-haired breeds such fabrics can be safely used.
Cotton (fabric)
Color matters too. It is best to make a bed from a material of a dark color or with a small print. Too light options will quickly get dirty, and the bed will require frequent maintenance, and in between it will look untidy.
For a lounger, it is better to use dark material with a small print.
Do not decorate the bed! Beauty is not important to a dog, the main thing for it is to be comfortable. And all sorts of bows and beads will only disturb the pet. In addition, some animals begin to chew the decor and may choke.
Bed in the chest of drawers
An old dresser can be transformed into a cozy dog nest with minimal effort. It is enough to remove the bottom drawers, guides, fasteners and other potentially dangerous parts. The bottom and walls can be reinforced with thin sheets of plywood, and then the chest can be sanded, sanded and painted from the inside. All that's left to do is put the right size pillow inside!
Photo: be.decor-modern.com
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Preparation of patterns and drawings
A very important and responsible stage of independent work is preparing a drawing for a rigid frame and patterns for a soft case. If desired, the master can use ready-made templates that can be found in the public domain today. The drawing must display the following parameters:
- Rigid frame dimensions.
- Dimensions and shape of each part.
They also show on the plan diagram the places where fasteners are used in the structure, the shape of the upholstery and pillows (if provided).
Bed from a stool or table
Using the same principle, an upside down stool or bedside table can also be used to make an excellent dog bed. Primer, paint, decoration, pad - all remain unchanged. The peculiarity of such a house is in the long legs that rise up. Complete the design with a light, airy canopy - and you will get a real royal bed!
Photo: pinterest.ru
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Pillow model
A comfortable, compact bed, presented in the form of a large pillow. It has no restrictive sides or rigid frame. Can be suitable for both large and miniature pets. Instructions on how to sew a dog bed:
- Using a pre-prepared template, two textile parts are cut out.
- The parts are sewn right sides together, leaving a window for the filler.
- After hand stitching, you must sew the contours of the cover using a sewing machine.
- The resulting cover is turned right side out.
- Stuffed with filler (polyester, batting, foam rubber).
Sew up the left window and decorate the pillow if necessary. For practical purposes, you can sew another removable cover for such a pillow, which will allow you to quickly clean the sleeping area.
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Dog beds – photos and ideas
There are many more ways to make a dog bed with your own hands, and it is impossible to go through them all at once. So don't limit your imagination! And we offer you some more interesting photo ideas!
Photo: moi-zhivotnye.ru Photo: nazya.com
Photo: fetisova-natalya.blogspot.com
Photo: pinterest.nz
Photo: dendog.tmweb.ru
Photo: labrador.ru
Photo: klkfavorit.ru
Photo: pinterest.dk Photo: livemaster.ru
Photo: livemaster.ru
Photo: dogly.com
Photo: pesiq.ru
Photo: glorypets.ru Photo: shorcuts.us
Photo: zen.yandex.by Photo: vseprostroy.ru
Photo: dogica.com Photo: milestostyle.com
Photo: klkfavorit.ru
Photo: mastersamodelok.ru Photo: str-mebel.ru
Photo: all-avito.ru
Photo: komod-pet.ru
Photo: aloli.ru Photo: guide.alibaba.com Photo: pinterest.cl
Photo: zen.yandex.ru
Interesting models of sun loungers
The most interesting models of soft dog beds can be made with your own hands using available materials. For example, sew a cozy and warm pillow for an old suitcase.
Also distinguished by its original design is the lounger, sewn from an old quilted jacket and blanket. The bedding can be placed on the bottom shelf of a chest of drawers or the tier of a loft bed.
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Benefits of a DIY bed
This is important for proper socialization, prevention of inflammatory joint diseases and simply for the pet’s comfort.
The lounger can be purchased at the store. But if you have sewing skills, you can sew it yourself.
Homemade beds have a number of advantages:
- ideal sizes for the size of the dog;
- significant savings;
- the ability to choose a material whose color matches the interior of the house;
- choosing the shape of a bed for the room;
- the ability to choose the texture of the material based on the pet’s characteristics: coat length, tendency to allergies, heat-loving nature.
When choosing a sleeping place, you are not limited only by the size of the dog; it is important to consider the posture during sleep or rest. Regardless of the breed, your pet (Labrador, Husky, Boxer, etc.) may prefer a soft or hard base. All this can be taken into account when making a homemade bed.
Review of original dog beds
It is ideal if the sleeping bed harmonizes well with the style of the interior - it does not feel like a random thing. You can get creative and create a place for your dog using completely unexpected items.
A practical option for an eco-style interior or cottage. You just need to treat the old box with a protective impregnation and apply the pet’s initials using a stencil and paint. Then place a suitable size pillow inside.
Don't rush to throw away your old hard-frame suitcase. It will suit any interior, creating a unique vintage corner. You can unfasten the covers or simply lift and fix them on the wall, and lay bedding inside.
An old bedside table or chest of drawers can become a cozy place for your pet to sleep and relax. By the way, they can be painted to match the background of the interior or aged. To arrange a convenient place, all lower parts are dismantled and bedding is laid out at the bottom.
A good and practical option for small breeds. The owner's clothes retain his scent for a long time - the pet will feel closeness and be less bored during his absence.
Believe me, your four-legged friend will definitely appreciate your efforts and reward you with love.
There is also this option: a painted tire with bedding placed inside. This is a very controversial decision. An old tire releases toxic substances, especially at elevated room temperatures. The dog may get sick.
I made a bed with sides two years ago from velor. My dog hardly sheds, so I wash him once every two months with safe detergents. I shake it out or treat it with adhesive tape twice a week. The bed still looks good - there are no signs of wear on it. I think that it will last another year, and the dog will not have to get used to the new place.
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How to sew
Which bed option for small dogs should I choose? The answer depends on the experience of the craftswoman. Anyone who sews well will have no difficulty in making a classic version of a bed. For beginning craftswomen, a round or oval design with an elastic band or cord along the outer edge is suitable.
Oval or round bed
How to sew:
- cut out two identical pieces for the top and bottom of the base. Size: area of the dog nest plus the height of the sides;
- natural or synthetic filler is placed on the bottom, two parts are sewn together along the inner oval or circle;
- All that remains is to fill the side with filler, sew it, thread a strong lace or elastic band along the outer edge;
- tighten the rope or elastic band, raise the side, fix the ends so that the dog does not untie the cord during play;
- If desired, you can make several transverse lines, divide the oval or circle into segments: this way the sides will become even larger and more comfortable.
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Sleeping pillow
How to proceed:
- you will need a piece of fabric taking into account the type of hair the dog has: smooth material or fleecy;
- lay the fabric on the table, measure the length and width for the future product. It is convenient to draw with a flat piece of soap;
- All that remains is to fold the material in half so that the wrong side is on top, sew three sides, on the fourth widest side it is enough to sew 2/3 of the total distance on a sewing machine;
- Turn out, add filling little by little, straighten inside. Once the required density has been achieved, carefully stitch the remaining distance manually with strong threads;
- The pillow for small breed dogs is ready. You can safely put the soft base in a basket or on a bedding so that your pet can rest comfortably.
