To preface this discussion: I must explain that Denali is usually not allowed on our bed (only when I invite him, and then he is only allowed on top of the duvet cover. He is however, allowed on our couch when there is one of his blankets on it. I do this to keep it clean. Before getting Denali I was a bit neurotic about keeping our couch clean, but I just love being able to cuddle with him on it, so I made a compromise. Denali has about 4 or 5 blankets (2 fleece and 2 matelesse that I purchased from Ikea and TJ Maxx) that I rotate through on a weekly basis. If one blanket gets too dirty (or smells), I just wash it. That way, our couch is always clean, never smells of dog (I hope!!!) and Denali is able to cuddle with me while I watch TV.
Because he is not allowed on our bed on a regular basis, he primarily sleeps in his crate or his new dog bed. After reading a number of books on green living, see references for recommendations, I decided I would spring for a new organic bed for Denali trading in the $12 TJ Maxx one we had been holding onto. The choice to go organic was to avoid the exposure of pesticides, chemicals, and toxins that would usually be found in a fabric. I also wanted the inside to be soft, sustainable, and to not off-gas. Denali loves sleeping and on his days off from daycare he will sleep most of the day, so I thought it was a good place to invest in his health.
After a lot of research for green or eco-friendly dog beds I found an awesome company, West Paw Design. West Paw has stellar customer service, great reviews, offers returning customers discounts on their beds (if they have previously purchased one from them), and great PVC and pthalate-free dog toys which also are guaranteed to last (they will give you a free replacement if the dog destructs the first toy)! It was a bit pricey, at about $195, then an additional $140 for replacement covers (so I can wash them whenever they get dirty and he still has his bed.) But, I couldn't be happier. All of their beds are OEKO-TEK rated safe. And how they are made of recycled plastic bottles. Organic dyes. And another perk, it is made in the USA in the good ol' state of Montana.
They also have several different styles of beds depending on how your dog sleeps. Of course, Denali likes to sleep in three main positions (sprawled, cozy nested, and belly up.) POST PICTURES. So, I got the biggest bed they sold (not custom), and it looks great. We decided on the dark blue color (blueberry) so it camouflages dirt and drool and his fur. He almost blends into it. If you're not set on organic, they have a lot of great striped beds that are super cute!
Now he still sleeps in his crate about half of the time, so we still have that ugly thing in our room, but we found a creative solution a comfy crate pad/ bed. We have the Midwest Canine Camper in the biggest size they sell. See my post on crates here. With these measurements, it was hard to find a bed that fit that was inexpensive. *Note we purchased this before we splurged for the West Paw Design bed--I had originally hoped that we could slowly move the WPD bed into his crate, but he seems to like having the choice of two different locations in our bedroom.
We wanted a washable cover, and a bed for under $40 because we had already gone through three in his puppy stages. We were at Ikea shopping for something else, when we wandered into the baby section. We found the infant crib mattress, and realized that it was practically the same size as Denali's crate. Even better it was $29! And we could get four fitted bottom sheets for $8. Now, Denali has a comfy crate pad (about 3" thick that's sheet I can wash every week or whenever it needs it. For a cheap alternative to a bed that would have fit in his crate, this substitution is awesome! And we saved x amount of money off of one of the beds from Foster & Smith. While it is not organic or sustainable, it is a good solution for now and until it wears out, we think we'll keep it. We figure we might have another puppy along the way in the next year...so we'll have to keep our cheap options handy for crate training.
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