Hi
Can anyone recommend a really good dog bed? We are getting a Golden retriever pup in the New Year and want to be well prepared. So many different beds are available so I thought that it would be best to get some recommendations please.
Thanx in advance
Rach

a large Cardboard box.  Until the pup is well past the chewing stage.  If yru likely to travel with the dog a crate may be a better option than a bed.

with some vet bed, comfy, cozy, easy to clean

I like the plastic oval beds like this, they last forever even with chewers and you can put something nice and comfy (and washable) in it like vetbed, then when pup has stopped chewing you can move to duvets etc :)  If you get one that will do when the pup is adult too you need never buy another bed :)

Well, if you really want to go OTT :-D I have these. I get the 55" rectangular beds with orthopedic foam mattress and I have yet to have a mattress go flat on me. The whole cover is removable for washing and the dogs love the bumper styles. (both goldens I might add)

I also have some great, big, cheap duvet style beds. I get them at the local farm shop for about £20. For me the most important feature is the ability to stuff the whole cover in the washing machine.

Edited to add, neither of mine are bed chewers. My first dog was not inclined to do it, my current puppy has been invited not to ;-)

I really don't know how people's pups destroy their stuff. None of my puppies have ever damaged anything of mine, or their beds by chewing, probably because they are properly supervised.

I have a Golden. We have tried all sort of beds. When she was small we havd a crate with a blanket in it, now she has an old single duvet folded in half and a flat rectangular bed from pets at home. She doesn't seem to like anything too stuffed and woudl always chose to sleep on the floor over anyting else. these are the only beds she has ever used. She doesn't even really like sleeping on our bed.

>I really don't know how people's pups destroy their stuff. None of my puppies have ever damaged anything of mine, or their beds by chewing, probably because they are properly supervised.

Wow! To sit up all night with a pup to make sure it doesn't chew its bed or bedding when I would otherwise be asleep takes real dedication! I'm humbled.

I've never sat up all night with any of my pups. I have simply made sure that I am there during the day, and 'directed' them to chew appropriate stuff, which doesn't include their bed.

Maybe I've just been lucky, or maybe my breed doesn't chew as much as others?

My now adult bitch can be totally trusted to never chew anything which isn't hers, I never have to keep things out of her reach or put them away. I coudl also happily put my sunday roast on the living room floor and she wouldn't touch it unles I say it is hers. Again, maybe I'm just very lucky.

I think you have been lucky. 

I had never in 15 years until Lexi (my 6th dog) had any dog chew Vet bed, and she turned all of it to doilies.

Also not had any chew the plastic beds apart from baby pups as a litter put the odd tooth marks into them them. 

Now one of the ones in the kitchen has one corner remodelled from the current 11 months old pup who has been sleeping out of the crate for some months.  She has also chewed some of the edges of the framing and dog benches in the kennel (not hugely but enough to show the wood from under the timber coating.  That is just while slobbing about in there off her own bat.  This had not been touched by dogs or pups for last 8 years. 

She isn't a generally destructive pup but seems to like the odd sneaky nibble.  There are lots of appropriate things to chew hooves and bones and toys and the kind she likes like empty plastic bottles.  Thankfully unlike her Mum she hasn't touched any of the vetbed.

Unsupervised food is fair game.

My labs have the danish design beds and they love them. Wash easily too.

However I would never let a puppy have one, I'm sure they would find them very tasty

In 10 years I have never had a puppy chew that was until a few months ago when I brought in a 9 mth old lab for the showring and he is hell on legs if it is not pinned down then he takes it and chews it. It has got to the point that I am telling him all day and even if I'm sure there is nothing around he will bring me a dog bed or something!!!:rolleyes: I'm sure before I had him my blood pressure was fine, now I think it is sky high. I keep telling myself he can only get better but I would never leave him loose unsupervised as it stands.

Are they the Bia beds Freespirit10 and if so does your pup chew it, been thinking of getting one for the girls.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product_group.asp?dept_id=139&pg_id=339

They are the Danish Design Snuggle Bed Morocco .

My 9 month old takes the middle out and runs around with it in his mouth, however I have not had him long and he has not been raised in the house.
Mine love them, we had one but after them pushing each other out brought another one within 48 hrs. They are about £35 each for a large breed size.

Thanks for that, not the ones I am thinking of, Skye has a habit of pulling all the stuffing out of her bed until its completely flat then she is happy to lie on it.
Mary

We use single duvets folded over, vet bed, dog duvets with covers , fur covered beds........I like buying dog beds :D :D

Just out of interest how many other dogs and breeds have you had before and have you ever had more than one at a time ? Also have you got any children or work  and if you go out do you still use your crate  ? The reason why I ask is that if you are able to focus totally on your dog then other distracting factors in your home must be very minimal :)

Have only had Goldens myself, although at home growing up we had GSD's, a Boxer, Jack Russel and a border collie, so quite a few.

I have only had one dog at a time before. However, I have three children, the youngest of which is disabled, 4 (was 5) horses and work flexible hours on a self employed basis. My fiance is in the army, so works away and I am on my own other than one weekend a month. So I have plenty of distraction. :-)

Industrial cover eh!  I bet mine could make mincemeat of that in 5 minutes.  I can't understand why she must chew holes in everything we give her - only blessing is (touch wood) she leaves our stuff alone.  She has a fleece blanket in her plastic oval bed (edges chewed when we left her in kennels) which will be more holes than blanket soon.  The piece of carpet she had there originally was taken away when it started looking dangerous.  She loves sitting on the mats around the house so although I know she doesn't need anything soft I still feel the need to give her something.  When she was younger she just slept on the hard floor of her puppy cage - the blanket went and then the rubber mat.

My three have the oval plastic beds. Easy to clean just chuck 'em outside and turn the hose on them, they soon dry. They have vetbed inside them but often in the morning this is chucked out onto the floor.
Bernese don't really feel the cold and mine sleep in the conservatory and it gets very cold in there in frosty weather. There is a kick heater which will just keep the temp' above freezing...more for keeping the water supply unfrozen than for the dogs sake. I will often peep through the window at them in the middle of the night if I have to get up for a pee (Old age creeping on :rolleyes:) and they are quite often stretched out on the tiled floor!!! No pleasing some doggies!

Ive been really lucky mine are not chewers and only little dogs,they have several but the main one is a huge four poster complete with curtains.

We don't have room for 3 beds, we put vetbed on the floor, which they are comfy on.

Yep, Duibh is horrendous for destroying bedding too - ends up more hole than anything else and I have to throw it. Dorain used to shred vet bed when he was younger but he grew out of it. House is covered in beds though - crates with vetbed, pieces of other random bedding I buy at shows, 2 plastic beds, Dorain's duvet (he refuses to sleep on anything else at night, other bedding just isn't good enough :rolleyes: ). If anyone's come across anything non flatcoat shreddable do let me know! :D

>Well, if you really want to go OTT :-D I have these. I get the 55" rectangular beds with orthopedic foam mattress and I have yet to have a mattress go flat on me. The whole cover is removable for washing and the dogs love the bumper styles. (both goldens I might add)

We have been looking for a new dog bed for Shay and this one seems to fit the bill so I have ordered one (hoping the memory foam will be good for his arthritic joints and maybe make him less inclined to hog our memory foam bed!)  Thanks for the recommendation, Lori :-)  Neither of mine are chewers (thus far) so that hopefully will continue to not be an issue :D

I don't think you'll be disappointed. I should have mentioned the microfibre is suede-like fabric that is excellent for hair bears. It doesn't stick to the bed so easy wiping or hoovering between washes. It really stays clean.

Bonus! :D

We use a huge bit of vet bed folded in half it is a nice deep piled bed.

I use old duvets and duvets covers. I used to cut them up. Now I just use them as they are.
Gemma has a kingsize duvet in the back of the van. If she gets cold me or boss just double it over her.
The other 2 have 1/4 duvets and covers for beds, And have a duvet doubled over as a bed in my bedroom where they sleep at night!!!
If anyone asks me if I want a duvet I snap them up :) :)
Lea :) :)