No matter what size dog is your best friend, you want to provide them with a quality dog bed that will enable them to get good restorative sleep and wake up refreshed and healthy!
Large breed dog beds can be particularly challenging to find, especially for those with very large and giant dogs. However, the bigger the dog, the higher the quality is needed in a bed to ensure that they get the sleep they need.
So let’s see how to choose the best bed for your pooch!
Determining Your Dog’s Size Category
Your dog’s breed size is mainly determined by their weight at maturity. As a general rule, these are the weights that determine what category your dog’s breed falls into:
- Up to 18 pounds–Small Breed
- 15 to 26 pounds–Medium Breed
- 24 to 55 pounds–Large Breed
- 55 to 90 pounds–Extra Large Breed
- over 90 pounds–Giant/XXLarge
These general guidelines, along with your own dog’s height and length, will help start you in the right direction as you begin your search for the right dog bed!
Evaluating Your Dog’s Needs
In my opinion, nothing is more important than choosing a bed that meets your dog’s specific needs. You can buy the most expensive, top-rated bed in the world, but if it isn’t the right size or style or isn’t constructed with the right materials to be the most beneficial to your dog, it isn’t the best for your dog.
Here’s what you need to consider when evaluating your dog’s needs:
~ Young Age–The majority of your dog’s growth occurs in the first year, but he will still continue to grow, on average, up to about 3 years of age.
When purchasing a bed for a dog that is under 3 years old, you may want to factor in some extra growth when determining the size needed.
~ Older Dogs–Just like their owners, as dogs get older, their muscles and joints stiffen up more easily resulting in slower movements and possibly increased weight.
They may need a bed with extra cushion and firmness for greater support, such as an orthopedic bed, or a different style that is easier to get out of.
~ Medical Conditions–Larger breed dogs are particularly susceptible to joint and ligament problems that require beds that do not flatten and produce pressure points.
Also, dogs recuperating from an injury or from surgery may have special needs that your veterinarian can guide you with.
~ Weight vs. Size–While the size category of your breed is determined by their weight, 2 dogs with the same weight can vary greatly in length and height.
Those differences need to be addressed when evaluating the size of bed and fill needed in a bed for each of those dogs.
~ Daily Activity–Does your dog’s daily life include running outside through a creek and the woods chasing squirrels and rabbits or running around with children through the yard all day?
An active dog may need a more supportive bed to help him get the restorative sleep he needs to stay healthy. Also, a dog who’s getting dirty and bringing muddy paws through the house often will need a bed with a removable cover for washing in order to make it last as long as possible.
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Does My Dog Need an Orthopedic Bed?
One type of bed that may be right for your dog is an orthopedic dog bed. These beds are produced to eliminate pressure points and not flatten as your dog sleeps.
Older dogs, those with medical conditions, and large dogs susceptible to joint or ligament problems could benefit greatly from an orthopedic dog bed. Very active dogs will get a much more restorative sleep with a quality memory foam bed as well.
There are many great beds on the market today that provide orthopedic support to increase your dog’s comfort.
You can find more detailed information about the differences between an orthopedic and a standard dog bed at What Is An Orthopedic Dog Bed And Is It Right For Your Dog?
Choosing the Right Style and Size
There are so many types and styles of dog beds, how do you know which one your dog will love the most? First you’ll need to consider several of the various styles available:
~ Basic Rectangle Bed–Great for dogs who love to sprawl out, and you can find them with various inches of fill to keep even the heaviest of dogs from flattening it out.
~ Donut or Nest Bed–These beds are made with a cushion on the bottom and raised sides around it.
This style is especially popular with small dogs who like to cuddle when they sleep and helps them keep warm. However, any dog who likes to curl up will be happy with this type of bed.
My daughter has an adorable 2-year-old, 70 lb. American Bullie named Bruiser and bought a rectangle bed with 5 inches of foam for a large breed dog. Since my 2 German shepherds love to sprawl out on theirs, she was sure Bruiser would love it.
After 2 weeks of watching him refuse to sleep on it and constantly move all of her afghans in a ball to sleep on them, she realized that her snuggler needed a nest type bed.
The end result was that Bruiser totally loves his new nest bed, and I got a new bed for my dogs in our basement (present for all the babysitting I do)!
~ Bolster Bed–This type of bed has a cushioned bottom and is raised on one or more sides. Does your dog like to sleep on a pillow or does he lay with his head on the armrest when sleeping on the couch?
This type of bed may be just what keeps them the most comfortable (and helps keep them off the couch too!)
~ Cave Bed–Does your dog like to curl up inside a blanket covering his whole body? A cave bed can provide the comfort, security, and warmth that your dog needs.
For 17 years we had a Chinese Crested hairless dog named Fester Showtime (if you’re a motorcycle racing Jeremy McGrath fan like my husband, you’ll understand the name!).
This wonderful dog would spend 10 minutes pushing and tucking his blankets around until he had created the perfect cave for himself and would sleep there for hours!
~ Sofa Bed–Just as the name says, this type of bed is shaped like a sofa and is usually raised up a few inches higher than other styles.
For dogs who like sleeping on a couch, this is a great alternative for your dog to have his own comfortable bed that fits in your decor more like regular furniture.
Once you’ve determined the style of bed that best fits your dog’s needs, you’ll have to choose what size of bed is best. For sprawlers like mine, I measured them from nose to tail and then from the top of their heads to the floor to determine how large they needed to be.
Just like in choosing the style, measure your dog as he sleeps, making sure that you add in extra room to be able to move and stretch and if he has further to grow. If in doubt about choosing between 2 sizes, always purchase the larger size.
Large Breed Dog Beds–You Can Find The Best For Your Pooch
There are many dog beds on the market, and picking the right one for your dog can be confusing. Large breed dog beds, in particular, can be challenging due to the weight of these dogs and the joint and ligament problems that plague many of these breeds.
By observing your dog’s sleeping patterns, evaluating your dog’s needs, getting some input from your veterinarian if needed, and determining the appropriate style and size, you will have the tools you need to choose the best bed for your beloved pooch!
Hello!
I currently have a four year old small doggie who is happy to sleep on a little cushion.
We are thinking of getting a larger dog, something along the lines of a Staffy, Rotweiller or a German Shepard.
More than likely, they will be a rescue dog so it will be great to keep in mind where their sleeping space will be.
Your tips are great, especially in regards to adjusting to the needs of older doggies as in getting them an orthopedic bed.
Many thanks for your sound advice.
Your very welcome!
Hi Janelle! Yes, it’s so much easier to buy a bed for a dog under 18 pounds than for one with 93 pounds. And I’m happy I found your post. There are quite a few considerations we should include to make the best out of our purchase. After reading your post, I feel my best choice is Ultimate Dog Bed, orthopedic Memory Foam. Thank you very much for helping me to do a well informed purchase! Thanks!
I’m glad you found it helpful, and I hope your dog loves his new bed as much as mine love theirs!
I never knew that there were so many types of beds for dogs. The only ones I have ever seen are the ones in the store but they usually only have five to six different types. I’m so excited to look at all of the different beds for my dog now. And after reading your article will definitely get the right size for Lucy. Thanks for the info.
You’re welcome, and I hope Lucy loves her new bed!
Thank you! Good article and nice pictures. Thanks for the size categories. That’s good to know. Choosing a dog bed for bigger dogs sounds tricky because it will take such a bigger bed. I think the sofa bed sounds nice, because dogs tend to like the sofa. The cave bed sounds good, too. It’s good to give the dog a soft bed, they like it better than the harder floor surface.
If the dog is very very big, then can you just get them a human bed?
Thanks!
It does seem like a human bed would be great for a giant size dog! But there are considerations that may not make it the best choice.
A mattress made for a human is not going to have a removable cover to make it easy to keep clean. Plus, the covers of quality dog beds are constructed with material that is as chew resistant as possible. Many dogs like to scratch and chew on their bed, so a bed made for a dog would be much more likely to hold up.
Thank you for the explanation on dog’s weight category. We just got a new family dog and the explanation on how there growth occurs is very helpful. I wouldn’t want to get a bed that the dog would outgrow in the next few months. I would have never considered medical conditions in reference to the dogs joints and ligaments problem. The Bolster bed sounds like a great one for the tiny breed in our home. She likes to have her head raised. Thank you for these great and helpful suggestions.
Bolster beds are very popular, many dogs like to have the security and comfort of the bolster around them. I hope your sweet girl likes hers!
Hopefully, my Shiro will sleep on this bed rather than my bed or the couch. He is a husky and oh boy is fur and the dirst has ruined many of my couch and sheets! I love Shiro but it is time for for him to go to his bed. Thank you for the tips on how to get the right bed for my Shiro. I will go through all the list before I make the purchase. Shiro definitely likes the sofa bed.
My other concern is the maintenance. Is it easy to clean the sofa bed? Is there a sheet that I can cover it?
Many beds have removable covers to make washing easier, so you’ll want to make sure that the one you purchase has one. Our dogs run through woods and a creek on a regular basis, so I definitely know about ruined furniture, lol!
I know for sure that dogs needed a bed of their own, I just don’t know which is best for my Bella. Good thing this article serves as a guide to properly choose what’s best for our dogs. Aside from her weight, I think her behavior should also be considered. The Kuranda Walnut PVC chew proof dog bed seems to be a good option from her. Thanks for once again sharing essential information about dogs’ needs.
Your dog’s sleeping behavior is definitely a consideration when choosing your dog’s bed. Weight and size are important, but if the style of bed doesn’t fit with how a dog sleeps, a lot of times they won’t use it.
Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Janelle.
You have provided an important post for me because i have a lovely older dog and wasn’t sure how to pick a suitable bed for my her. I appreciate the tips on how to choose one, and I think that she needs an orthopedic bed.
I’m gonna share your post to a couple of my friends who have older dogs as well.
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, and I’d love for you to share it with anyone who could benefit from a great dog bed!
This is wonderful. We have two dogs a small doxie that we do have a bed for. But for some reason it never crossed my mind that our lab might enjoy one also. Maybe this way he will stay off the couch if he had his own bed. For him I am thinking one of the memory foam as he is older and slowing down.
An older dog would definitely benefit from a great orthopedic bed that gives his joints the support they need!
We had to look à while for a good dog bed for our Sammy. He is a huge golden retriever, and I really mean huge. So we had to be careful when searching one. I wished I saw your guide before, it would have made things much easily. Thanks for sharing it, it will help people.
I’m glad you found it helpful! We had a large Labradory Retriever years ago who would’ve benefited so much from one of these beds as well. So I was very grateful when I found out about orthopedic beds when our dog, Sasha, had her surgery.
I can really appreciate the importance of finding a suitable dog bed. My German shepard – rottie mix was 90 lbs and she was always sleeping on the coach to sprawl out, As she got in her older years, she had trouble getting on the coach and I had to go through the process of getting the right bed for her. There were all types of suggestions of very expensive to not so expensive beds for her. However, as you said sometimes, just because it is the most expensive, does not make it the best; as you say durability and one that was most beneficial to her needs was best. I can testify that the large orthopedic 7 inch bed was best for her, and she was very comfortable on it, She was my baby for 16 years! That is considered a good life span for a dog that size; and I feel a lot had to do with the help of the comfort of the orthopedic memory foam bed.
Thank you for such a detailed article on choosing a beneficial bed for a person’s large dog, and suggestions for the smaller ones as well.
Robert
Sixteen years is a wonderful life span for a large dog, and it’s terrific that you had her for so long! Giving her a quality supportive bed to get good, restorative sleep no doubt helped keep her so healthy.
It sounds like you were able to give her one that fit her size and sleeping style well to help her enjoy her bed. Thank you so much for stopping by!
The best orthopedic dog beds can help your dog to rest easily so she will wake feeling revived, and have your old dog acting like a puppy again. There are dog beds available in the market, and it can be very challenging to locate the best orthopedic dog bed, particularly if that you need an orthopedic dog bed for a dog that can’t get up or lie down easily.
This writeup will be of great help to many.
Regards!
I hope so! Thank you so much for stopping by!
The orthopedic bed is so cute! I think every dog owner should get one, we invest a lot to get the best sleep, why not invest in our dogs too right? Especially the older ones, mine is over 10 years now I think and it’s a like a grandmother with children so all she does is sleep the whole day and observe while accompanying me when I’m working at home.
An orthopedic bed is a great choice for an older dog! I wish I had found these beds when we had our sweet Labrador Retriever years ago. The last couple of years of his life I noticed that he got up and moved around a lot when sleeping. Now I know it’s because of the pressure points that were created from not having a quality, supportive bed.
Just like you said, we invest a lot to get the best sleep, so we should invest in our dogs as well!
Hello Janelle,
Thank you so much for this. I have a Jack Russell and a Border Collie, two very different beasts. The Jack Russell loves whatever bed we get her until such time as it is for her to shred it to bits. The Border Collie doesn’t stay in one place for long and moves around multiple times throughout the night.
With the tips you’ve provided here I hope to find the bed he’ll love. I’m still bot sure how to address the shredder though.
Thanks again,
Scott
For your Border Collie, a great orthopedic bed may be just what he needs, and my best recommendations are reviewed at 8 Best Orthopedic Dog Beds Worth Your Money.
A friend of ours has a wonderful Jack Russell, and he is an avid chewer as well! K9 Ballistics and Kuranda both have great beds for them, and Amazon has a great selection of chew proof beds that you can check out.
I had no idea that there were so many options for large breed dog beds, it most certainly can be a challenge to get just the right one for your pooches! This article has laid all the selections out and explained which might be best depending on the conditions.
Since you have been so thorough with this post, I am going to ask the family what they think after reading through this post. We will make this a purchase that all have chimed in on. Hopefully, the right one too. There is one or two that I like (the Bolster Bed and the Sofa Bed) based on what our dogs like when they sleep, but let’s see.
Really this was an eye-opening and useful post. Lots of information that we can take action with for our pooches and for our own peace of mind too. Thanks!
When we looked for an orthopedic dog bed after Sasha’s surgery, it was definitely an eye-opener at all the great choices. Our concern at that time was a bed that would support her healing best and, luckily, she loved it!
Wow, how helpful can this get, this is a really great post, never knew I had to look out for so much before deciding what kind of bed best suits my dog, Their weight, sleeping patterns and health are all a part of what needs to be considered, great!…I’ll check out these beds you’ve recommended for mine, thanks Alot
You’re very welcome, and thank you for stopping by!
Hi Janelle – thanks for this information, I totally agree, purchasing the right dog bed is a big decision. I find that the size of the bed comes into play too. Some dogs love a ledge to rest their head on and others like it flat and just want to spread out and flop over. I have boughten so many different beds over the years and some have been wins and some have not been. I appreciate your article because it makes me think about why my dogs like certain beds and no others and I should probably just to continue to buy the same kind once I know there is a winner. ~ Lyndsay
I’m glad I found it helpful! The great thing is there are so many different dog beds out there, so when you find a shape your dog likes, you should be able to find that shape in many different sizes and types–both standard and orthopedic beds.
I really want a big dog but I have been really procrastinating with looking for a dog. And everyone says you shouldn’t look for a specific dog but i don’t think that’s true right?
I’ve always considered the size and disposition of a dog in relation to what I can handle. If you have the room for a large dog, the ability to give it plenty of exercise, and are able to train it properly, then you should get whatever breed you really like. I have a sweet spot for Labradors, German Shepherds, and Huskies since I’ve owned those breeds at different times in my life. It’s good that my husband is a fellow dog lover!
Hi Janelle, thanks for this post. Thankfully I only have a wee dog who loves his nest bed although he does tend to try and share the cat’s bed at times to.
He fits in the bed no problem but gets himself into some strange positions while he is seeping but he seems comfortable enough.
When I was growing up, our Chihuahua used to love to sleep in a dirty clothes basket in the basement. I don’t know how many times he came upstairs in the morning with a pair of underwear wrapped around his neck!
Thank you for visiting!
I have really never put quite this much thought into my pet beds. Now I see I have much more to consider to make sure my dogs are happy. I like the big round beds for my 80lb boxer. I have a very old Westie so I think I need a good shorter bed for him, because his legs don’t work great anymore.
Thank you for a lot a great and useful information for our dogs.
You are welcome and thank you for visiting our site!
This is great information. I’m learning by trial and error with my dog but your article has given me things to consider that I hadn’t thought about before. Like the removable cover…I need that for sure. I live in a cabin on a hiking trail so my dog does a lot of hiking and gets dirty. That would definitely help. Thanks.
I can relate to needing a removable cover–it’s amazing how dirty they can get when you have active dogs that run outdoors! Thanks for stopping by!
We all need to invest in our sleep, so why not invest in your dogs sleep to?? Theyre part of the family too, and its refreshing to see that somebody else feels the same way. Thank you for your post! Im excited to see more.
Thanks, David!
Since childhood I loved dogs. My kids too love dogs. We were wondering about how to bed a dog if ever we take one. So this blog of yours came at the right time in our life.
That’s wonderful, thank you!
Wow, this is a fantastic site. I have 2 dogs, and and I definitely need a guide for picking out dog beds.
Thank you, and enjoy those 2 pooches!
Wow, I had no idea that so much went in to selecting a dog bed! It is very clear that you are very conscious about the well-being of your dogs.
This post is very thorough and very easy to follow, so thank you for taking the time to do that. Thanks to this post, there will be happy and well rested dogs everywhere!
Those were my thoughts exactly when we needed to purchase a bed, there were so many choices and things to consider. Thank you!