Which dog bed is right for my breed and sleeping style?

Choose a dog bed by how your dog sleeps first, then by size. Burrowers want a cave, curlers want a round bed with a rim, sprawlers want a long flat sleeping area, leaners want bolsters, and older dogs want a foam base with an easy way in. Measure your dog stretched out and add room, so nothing hangs off the edge.

Breed is a starting point, sleeping style decides

Breed gives you a rough idea of size, but two dogs of the same breed can sleep in completely different ways. Spend a few evenings noticing where and how your dog settles, then match the shape below.

Burrowers dig under blankets and sleep with their nose tucked away. The Corduroy Tunnel Cave Bed gives them a long tunnel to stretch out under cover, and its front flap buttons shut for a proper den or opens flat as an open bed. It is a small-pet bed: the M suits dogs up to 4.5 kg (10 lb) and the L dogs up to 6.8 kg (15 lb), and both fit cats too.

Curlers sleep in a tight ball and like something to press against. The Donut Bed has a raised bolster rim to curl against, long-pile faux fur and a non-slip dotted base that keeps it still on wooden floors. Diameters run from 40 cm (16 in) to 110 cm (43 in): the smaller sizes suit cats and small dogs, and the largest is for a big dog. It arrives packed flat, so fluff and reshape it by hand after unpacking.

Sprawlers sleep flat out on their side or belly, legs stretched, and they need length more than walls. The Rectangular Orthopedic Bolster Bed lists its sleeping area separately from its outer size (the L sleeps 72 x 50 cm, or 28.4 x 19.7 in), and its bolster on three sides gives a head rest without eating into the stretch-out space. It runs M to 3XL, for dogs up to 16 kg (35 lb) through to 60 kg (132 lb).

Leaners like to press their back against something or rest their chin on an edge, so a three-sided bolster suits them. The Sofa-Style Bolster Dog Bed has a padded back and two arms around a sponge foam base, so they can stretch out or curl up against an arm. Sizes run M to 2XL, from dogs up to 25 kg (55 lb) to dogs of 60 to 70 kg (132 to 154 lb).

Dogs that run hot abandon their bed for the cool kitchen floor or sleep belly up. The Elevated Woven Cooling Bed raises them on a curved bentwood frame, and air moves through the woven mat and underneath. It suits cats and small dogs: the Oval is 59 x 38 x 20.5 cm (23 x 15 x 8 in), and the mat lifts out. For a bigger dog that runs warm, a flat bed without deep bolsters, placed in a cool spot, is the simpler choice.

Older dogs need support and an easy way in. Look for a foam base, a low height and an open side, so they are not climbing over a wall. The Calming Orthopedic Bolster Bed has a memory foam base under ribbed corduroy plush, a bolster on three sides with the fourth left open as the entrance, and anti-slip backing that stops the bed skidding when they get up. It runs from S, for dogs up to 2 kg (4 lb), to XXL, up to 45 kg (99 lb). The Rectangular bed is another option, with a low step in at 18 to 24 cm (7 to 9 in) high. If your dog has stiff or sore joints, ask your vet what else might help.

Giant breeds run out of options fast. The Jumbo Orthopedic Sofa Bed has a memory foam base and a three-sided bolster, and goes all the way up to XXXL at 135 x 100 x 33 cm (53 x 39 x 13 in). The Sofa-Style 2XL and the Rectangular 3XL are the other big options.

How to measure your dog for a bed

1. Wait until your dog is lying down, stretched out on their side.
2. Measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
3. Add 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) for most beds, so paws and nose do not hang off.
4. Add closer to 30 cm (12 in) for big sprawlers, or where bolsters take up part of the bed.

Then compare with the right number. For a round bed, that is the diameter. For a bolster bed, use the sleeping area if it is listed, since the walls take up part of the outer size.

Check the weight guide too. On the Rectangular bed, the weight limit is the maker's guide for the foam, and a dog near the top of a size sleeps better one size up. Finally, measure the spot where the bed will go: the Rectangular 3XL takes up 127 x 94 cm (50 x 37 in) of floor.

Covers and washing

Here is how each bed cleans, so you can pick one that fits your routine:

• Donut Bed: machine or hand washable, and it washes whole, with no cover to wrestle back on.
• Corduroy Tunnel Cave Bed: the cushion lifts out so you can wash it separately.
• Calming Orthopedic Bolster Bed: a removable, washable cover, with waterproof backing that keeps accidents off the memory foam.
• Rectangular Orthopedic Bolster Bed: the cover comes fully off and goes in the washing machine inside a laundry bag, and a waterproof inner lining protects the foam.
• Sofa-Style Bolster Dog Bed and Jumbo Orthopedic Sofa Bed: zip-off washable covers over a waterproof inner layer.
• Elevated Woven Cooling Bed: the woven mat lifts out of the frame for cleaning.

A waterproof layer is worth having for puppies, older dogs and anyone who comes in with wet paws.

Still not sure?

Email contact@honeyandpaw.com with your dog's stretched-out length, their weight and how they like to sleep, and we will suggest a bed and a size.