What Do Your Dog's Sleep On?

[Dragonfly9]

Hello,

I was wondering what is the best surface for our dogs to sleep on.

At the moment our dogs sleep on a tiled floor in an outdoor, covered pen during the night (anywhere in the garden during the day). I recently tiled the sleeping area (was concrete) to try and reduce the number of places for ticks to hide. Are tiles too hard for a dog to sleep on? If so, what sort of bedding is suitable in this hot, humid climate, which also does not attract ticks/fleas etc. (The dogs live outside all the time).

I don't want the dogs to have skeletal problems later in life due to an incorrect sleeping surface.

Thanks!

DFly

[H2oDunc]

The floor for crying out LOUD!!!!! they are animals and have been sleeping on the floor for the past million or so years with no ill effects!!!! Thats what animals do!

[billd766]

None of my dogs have ever slept in the house in Thailand. They are outside dogs and always will be.

[Dragonfly9]

The floor for crying out LOUD!!!!! they are animals and have been sleeping on the floor for the past million or so years with no ill effects!!!! Thats what animals do!

Thank you for your prompt reply. I appreciate that dogs sleep on the floor and have no intention of elevating them.

Our dogs sleep wherever they want to during the day, (usually in a hole dug in the soil of my vegetable patch or flower bed ) and I am not being precious about where they sleep, but ................during the evening we enclose them in a pen for their safety and this pen has a solid floor.

What I was referring to was whether using 'tile' as a floor covering was suitable. A friend who owns kennels in Europe mentioned to me that tiles are frowned upon in kennels due to them having no real purchase and the animals slipping as well as being too 'hard' (dogs would not naturally choose to sleep on tile - usually dirt, soil, sand etc.). In a cooler climate certain bedding is often used such as hay, straw, blankets etc. but obviously that would not be suitable for the Thai climate.

It was just a general enquiry as to what other dog owners use as flooring in their dogs 'kennels' to give me more ideas.

Yours, firmly grounded,

DFly

[Cuban]

We have indoor dogs (Pattaya) and outdoor dogs (up country).

The indoor dogs sleep on tiled floor - but when there is a choice seem to prefer small foot mats - sort of thing you wipe your feet on outside the bathroom - might be a cushioning effect or the floor tiles are too cold.

I appreciate that dogs sleep on the floor and have no intention of elevating them.

Outdoor dogs generally the bare earth floor under shade - but do like to be elevated and sit on the current wooden staircase at times - I have assumed that this was because there is an increased breeze so it was cooler and they can catch the scent of the local animal activity.

When the new house is built I am looking to include such a doggie observation post as part of the entrance to the house - outdoor dogs know their task is to protect the house so considering this role I think makes for a happy dog.

As for natural dog sleeping quarters - I was under the impression that dogs circled a few times before sleeping as a throwback to flatten the grass prior to create a bed. I've not considered providing extra bedding - I might go shopping tonight to see if fido likes the idea?

[Nienke]

Rough cement floors often give those ugly callus patches on a dog's elbows and hocks. Tiles as Dargonfly9 already mentioned are often too slippery, but the forming of callus is avoided.

Non-slippery tiles may do the trick.

Some of my (older) dogs prefer the tiles as it is cooler. Otherwise they lie on the grass or in the sand in the shade. They refuse to lie on a mat, cloth or whatever, as it is plain too hot for them.

When it is cold, though, they do prefer to lie on something soft and warm.

Nienke

[puuchai299]

My two goldens have many choice of surface to lie on,even the outside garden benches with soft cushions on,but they seem to pick the tiled floors or the blockwork flooring in amongst the plant pots.They spend most of the night awake barking at the motorbikes coming past.Tiles seem to be cooler for dogs to lay on...

[aries27]

Some of my (older) dogs prefer the tiles as it is cooler. Otherwise they lie on the grass or in the sand in the shade. They refuse to lie on a mat, cloth or whatever, as it is plain too hot for them.

When it is cold, though, they do prefer to lie on something soft and warm.

Nienke

mine too. in warm places like TH and PH, dogs would want a cooler surface and tiled floors are best. i figured if he wanted a cloth or fabric type, he could always choose to sleep on the foot rugs, etc. but he doesnt so he is probably feeling too hot for a warmer surface. but when we put on the aircon, and he stays right in front of it (!), he likes to snuggle on something warm, and only do i put out his towel for him to lie on. he also likes to lie on bamboo floors (like in a treehouse). anywhere cool, i think just like people...

[traveller5000]

Mine sleep on the heavy wooden outdoor seat. I used to give them 2 blankets but they tore it and ran away with them.

[wilko]

Me!!!

[MsFigure]

I brought a couple of dog beds from Australia that are supposed to filled with bean-bag beans, but since it's been impossible to find the beans here - I filled the inner case with mattress foam which we replace every few months. The bed has a durable canvas cover that it easy to remove and clean. The main reason for their beds is that we have alot of areas that are tiled or paved and I do want to reduce & protect their elbows.

When they have run of our whole property, they do prefer shaded grass or sand - but they (mostly our girl) also liks the laundry with the fan blowing on them and will either lie on the bed, tiles or one another. The only times they are exclusively indoors is at night and more often than not they always prefer their beds.

[Beardog]

The grass outside in the night. We let him sleep in the living room in the day. Our Retriever figured how to open the front screen door & shut it behind with his head & kicks inside if it is to hot for him.

[elfe]

depending on the dog they either prefer soft/warm beddings at least at night, or the bare tile or concrete floor. some dogs feel hotter than others. in the day many of them also sleep on sand/soil under bushes etc. most of them would love to sleep on rags or blankets but these get torn and played with by some dogs latest in early morning after waking up...

when cold at night, like in rainy season, i give the dogs outside door mats to sleep on. of course they will be used as toys later if i don't remove them.

some of the dogs are allowed to sleep in bed with me, the ones with short hair love it, others with lonigish hair prefer to sleep next to the bed or under it on tile floor.

softer ground like grass or beddings are definitely better for the ellbow and other parts of body where the dogs ly down.

[timekeeper]

Hello,

I was wondering what is the best surface for our dogs to sleep on.

At the moment our dogs sleep on a tiled floor in an outdoor, covered pen during the night (anywhere in the garden during the day). I recently tiled the sleeping area (was concrete) to try and reduce the number of places for ticks to hide. Are tiles too hard for a dog to sleep on? If so, what sort of bedding is suitable in this hot, humid climate, which also does not attract ticks/fleas etc. (The dogs live outside all the time).

I don't want the dogs to have skeletal problems later in life due to an incorrect sleeping surface.

Thanks!

DFly

my Great Dane mostly sleeps where HE wants to.

[xerostar]

In Oz we can buy similar beds to the one shown below.

In Thailand I had the local blacksmith weld up a steel tubular frame and we used a second-hand

burlap rice bag to form the cover.

Everyone in the family was very skeptical, but amazingly the dogs knew immediately what it was for!

It's warm enough on those cool mornings and cool on a hot day as any breeze flows underneath.

They find it soft and yet it will not get damp.

We kept the bed on the front verandah in a shady spot and they love it.

Replacing the cover is both quick and cheap.

[MsFigure]

Hey xerostar, I saw those framed beds AFTER I bought the bean bag beds but my pups are due for new beds so I plan on bringing a couple back for them on my next visit to Aus (Perth girl here ).

[Dragonfly9]

Hey xerostar, I saw those framed beds AFTER I bought the bean bag beds but my pups are due for new beds so I plan on bringing a couple back for them on my next visit to Aus (Perth girl here ).

Thank you everybody for your helpful (and amusing!) replies. Photos really help and I am particularly impressed with the dog bed used by Xerostar. I would imagine it protects the joints of heavier dogs and the through breeze underneath looks wise.

I also like the idea from MsFigure of the 'foam' beds which can be easily washed and also look tick/flea –proof. I'll look at Shower mats (non-ribbed so ticks can't hide) and outside mats as a temporary measure.

More suggestions most welcome. Has anyone else tried the Oz dog beds?

Thanks again,

DFly

[Sheryl]

Plenty of dog beds for sale in local pet stores. My dog has 2, one in his house (yes, he has a nice little wooden house of his own) and one for outside.

As soon as I bought them he dived in and has never slept on a hard surface since.

I wash the beds periodically and spray them afteting washing, and again weekly between washed, with an anti-flea spray. Plus I use friontline spot-on the dog monthly. No problems at all.

Of course, where he wants to sleep is in bed with me, but that privilege has already been claimed by the cat. So he has to settke for 1 night a week when we go to stay at my niece's place and the cat stays home.

Animals feel discomofrt from hard surfaces just as we do. Buy the poor fellow a bed!

[MsFigure]

Just found my Shamu book and have scanned the bed page for you

[ignis]

My 3 will sleep anywhere, but the female always sleeps on a mat in the day, all 3 will spend a lot of time in the garden watching the world go by [only 63 houses so not a lot to watch] mostly the 2 boys will sleep on the sofa in line with the fan, or the floor.

At night the older male 11yrs old will always follow me upstairs, the other 2 will come up during the night, I always wake up with all 3 on the bed.

[Dragonfly9]

Just found my Shamu book and have scanned the bed page for you

Thank you for sending the scan.

I've looked at the Shamushamu website but it directs me to stores based overseas. Do you know if they have an agent/supplier in Thailand? I dread to think of the postage plus import tax there might be bringing a dog bed into Thailand! I'm interested in the bed with the Husky dog on it (off the floor).

I think any soft bed I put on the floor will attract ants, ticks and fleas. I did a trial run with a plastic 'shower mat' and the ants soon nested underneath the mat, which was not good.

This is really why my question was for sleeping materials for an Outdoor kennel, a material that will not attract nesting, biting critters.

Thanks again for your help!

DFly9