hi... im hoping to buy a lab soon and was wondering what was best for its bed. Ive read about crates, but my mother in law just uses a regular dog bed with a blanket, any advice?

if you run a search (button at top right of screen) and type in cage or crate you'll find lots of previous threads on this subject.
Going on a previous question you have an outside run and kennel to use when you're not there I believe - I am the same and because of this have not ever felt the need to crate as I know the dogs are only in the house when I am and won't get up to mischief (well not if I watch them properly ;) ) Each to their own though - take a look at past discussions - peoples views are varied and quite strong arguments are made for and against.
Whatever you decide don't spend a fortune on a bed while the dog is young - they have a habit of chewing them :D Until the dog is about a year old I've always stuck with a plastic bed with fleece in it. The one the current pup uses is rather chewed round the edges as she teeths but while she chews that she's not chewing anything else ;) I personally move onto soft oval beds once the chewing stage is over.
Sara :)

hi,
Ive got a five month old boxer bitch call Nellie and I was recommended a crate so we got one, the first three night I slept downstairs on the floor with a duvet and her, I read somewhere there was nothing wrong with this and I have to say it was the best thing I did as we built a very strong bond with each other, but after that I left her for one night on her own in her crate and she cried all night which I recognise was my fault for not introducing the crate properly, so we decided just to leave her downstairs in her bed but she came upstairs and slept in the bedroom and has ever since then. She has a bed in the bedroom and one downstairs now. But she is a boxer and loves just to be with us so I am pleased to say it works for us and the only bad thing she has ever done is nick socks and take them to her bed so I guess I am lucky. She has never chewed a thing in the house and just plays with her toys and chews, she just seems to have an amazing respect for our things. Dont ask me how I did it but luck springs to mind. Anyway a crate didnt work for us but I know it does for a lot of people especially if you have a busy household. I think the main thing is to decide what is best for you and your dog.

Hope this helps

Sam and Nellie x

I have to confess Sammi that every dog I've owned has slept in my bedroom ;) We have never had problems with sleepless night worrying about them settling or anything.
I bet if a survey was done it would be surprising how many owners do this (there are quite a few on here :D)

Both my dogs sleep in my bedroom in there beds but most mornings I wake up and there is one or both dogs on the bed.

Karen

I have to admit that not only do our two sleep in the bedroom, but they sleep in bed with us. No problems with pack order, no problems with anything. They know their place, and boy they do keep us warm in the winter:) All growing up the dogs always slept with us.

Wendy

In one house my family were in (RAF so we moved a lot!) my bedroom was over the kitchen where the dogs slept. There was a storm and the dogs were making a racket, desperate for company so came up and slept on my bed. I had a large rough collie sleeping alongside me, and a border collie over my feet, on a single bed. Needless to say I didn't get a wink of sleep after they settled and it didn't happen again!
LynnT

LOL - don't know that I could handle the 'furry dogs' sleeping with us. I grew up with mini-dachsies and now have a whippet and whippet-x.

Wendy

Now those I could have coped with! :D
LynnT

One of my Pharaoh's sleeps downstairs in the front room in a cage under
the stairs (open planning). The other 3 are in our bedroom, one caged
& 2 share our bed !
I guess you'd call them spoilt !

Pam
p.s. when they get to hot they lie either side of the bed on vet beds.

I have 2 labradors on the bed, a rotti who sleeps wherever she like, a lab x who sleeps on the leather sofa in the sitting room (think he likes it cos he can see his food bin from there - open plan house but with dog gate going into the kitchen), 18 wk old lab in the bedroom next to the bed but in his crate and 3 dogs who sleep out in the kennel.
During the day they all lounge on the sofas or beds and I normally end up sitting on the floor!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't even stand my kids getting into bed with us! especially the 4 year old as he squirms and wriggles and kicks so I am not going to let Ruby as she is all legs and bony elbows! :D AND she has a terrible wind problem :p ugh! no thankyou!
Sammi my pup is also a boxer bitch (brindle & white) she is 16 weeks. Arn't they gorgeous. Ruby has also never really chewed anything. The only time I take precautions is when I go out I put the kitchen Bin in the downstairs Loo ! :)
Ali

Ok downstairs in the kitchen in cages are 2 males and 4 female schips.

Then upstairs in the bedrooms I have mother and daughter (schip) with me usually mother on her bed on the floor daughter on my bed. Then my youngest daughter takes her pomeranian and 2 boxer x puppies to bed with her. Not all these dogs are ours either some are only lodging for various amounts of time but if they're happy together they stay with ours and sleep with them.

During the day I've usually got 6 - 7 dogs free roaming again mixture of ours and lodgers then the remaining 4 share time out in the yard usually 2 bitches and a dog with the 2 dogs swapping over during the day.