What Size Do I Need?

Choosing the right bed for you cat or dog can be a wee bit confusing. Follow these guidelines and you (and your pup) should be pleased with your choice.

1. First Measure Your Dog

The first thing you should do is measure your pet while they are sleeping. We recommend measuring during slumber because this is the most accurate measurement of the real estate required for comfortable slumber. Using a tape, measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail. If they are slightly curled, measure across directly from base of tail to nose, rather than following the contour of the spine.

2. Observe their sleep patterns

Most dogs do one of two things: sleep stretched out horizontally or curl up into a tight, cosy ball with their nose tucked in. The "stretcher" tends to be larger breeds, often with their head spilling over the edge of the bed. This is also a more typical position for dogs suffering pain or aching from arthritis. "Stretchers" are inclined to prefer cushion-style beds for obvious reasons. Frequently, like our two pups, two dogs will share a larger bed in what we call "the dog pile". If this is a likely case for your dogs, definitely order a size larger so both have ample room on the cushion.

If your pet likes to curl up – or prefers the security of a cushion around them, you would be better suited with our sidewall "snug" style bed. This typically is most preferred by smaller dog breeds like terriers, pugs, etc. as well as short coat breeds that enjoy the cosy warmth from the "snug".

3. Choose The Right Shape:
When it comes to selecting the right shape for your dog, consider they way they sleep. Large breed dogs usually prefer to sleep on their sides - sprawling out as they fall asleep. A cushion-style bed would be the best choice for this sleeping behavior.

Smaller breeds tend to curl up on their beds and they are better suited to smaller, more square shapes. Of course some dogs, like our German Shorthaired Pointer, Maggie, do both. She starts out curled up and then sprawls out as she begins to dream about chasing rabbits or squirrels. A rectangle is still the best choice.

4. Choosing the right size:

Once measured, you can simply add 15-20cm (6-7") to the length and that would be the ideal bed size. If you are not sure, or your pet is still growing, we always recommend to go up in size.