Tips Regarding Buying Dog Bed

 Here are my priorities when it comes to buying a dog bed:

1. Is it made in the US? (I won't buy one made in china)
2. Can it be washed in a normal washing machine?
3. Is it waterproof? (only really important if it is going to be used as a crate pad in the car)
4. Does the cover, if it has one, zip off? (makes washing the bed much easier and most foam bedding can't be washed.)
5. Is it the right size/shape? I don't like dog beds to take up too much room.

Most of the time I just fold up doggy blankets and those work just fine as beds. Easy to wash and so on. I do have crate beds/pads which can easily be washed as well. The only real dog bed I have is a round bed that looks kind of like a bean bag (but it has stuffing not beans). It was hand made and I won it in a silent auction that was raising funds for the local rescue group here. The cover zips off so that washes nicely.

So, the theme here is that any bed you get should be able to be washed frequently and easily. :)

 My tip is go to your local fabric store, and buy two fleece remnants. You can often get pieces just under a yard, which should be big enough for most dogs. Make a tie blanket. Basically, you put one on top of the other, cut fringes, then tie the fringes together. It makes an excellent, super cheap dog bed. I made several this way, using fabric I bought on Black Friday, so I think it was 75% off. That's what I use for the crates. Of course, I was not picky about my fabrics. I my only requirements were that it be neutral or girly for Callie, or boyish for Luke. So, he has navy and grey, and a sage green and brown with paw prints. Callie has pastel pink and purple. If you were picky, you could just wait till what you liked when on sale.