Choosing a dog bed can be confusing at the best of times. How big should it be, what style of bed should you choose, what mattress is best for them? When you have two or more dogs to consider, then you need to think about the cost of buying one each or whether you can buy one larger bed for them both to share. We take a look at choosing a dog bed for more than one dog and whether they should share or have their own beds.
Should Dogs Share a Dog Bed
When dogs come into the world, they are accompanied by a litter of their siblings and they snuggle together for warmth and comfort with their mother. They are then taken away from the litter and put into your home, solo. It’s no wonder that they get separation anxiety and can cry on those first few nights home.
If you do just have the one dog, they will soon adjust to a new routine. However, if you are bringing home more than one dog than they won’t know any different and will be quite happy to share a bed. You could even have three or more dogs sharing a bed. You just need to ensure that you have a bed that is big enough to offer support and comfort.
Introducing a New Dog
If you are introducing a new dog into the environment where there is already a dog, or dogs, consider how your existing dog will react. How will they feel about sharing their space with someone new? If introducing a new puppy, the dog you already have could be quite happy to take on the role of protector. Alternatively, you might find them quite territorial, objecting to sharing their bed.
When introducing a puppy, it is worth thinking about a crate and lining the crate for the short term. A new dog bed for a puppy, especially at night time, is not the best idea when toilet training (even if the covers are washable). When the pup is toilet trained and you can trust them not to destroy the house at night, you may want to get them their own bed, or invest in a new bed – something that is new to both dogs, and encourage them to share that.
It’s not unusual for one dog to go off and find somewhere else to sleep if they don’t like the idea of sharing a bed. We recommend leaving something comfortable down for one of them to lie on should this be the case.
Choosing the Right Dog Bed for More Than One Dog
If you feel that a bed each is the way forward, buy beds that are specific to the needs of both dogs. It may be you have a small breed and a large breed. The smaller dog may suit a box walled bed, while the other may be more suited to a medium/large mattress. If however, you feel that they will be fine sharing, take into account the area that they cover combined when they are asleep. One might be a dog that curls up while the other likes to stretch out. They both need rooms to sleep stretched out so go for the largest option of dog bed.
While one bed for two dogs is a sound investment and will save money, you do need to think about a backup. A dog should have their own bed (even if they do share yours). They may like your bed at night, but dogs sleep a lot more than we do therefore, they need a comfortable place to rest during the day too. If your dog happens to fall ill, sustain an injury, have an operation or require isolating from the other dog/s, having a separate dog bed is a good idea.
If You Have More Than Two Dogs
For those with more than two dogs, like us, you need to think about the following:
- How much space do you have for beds?
- Who will share?
- How much space does each dog need?
- Will they be happy to share?
You probably have a good idea of how they sleep already but if that’s all cuddled up on your couch, getting them to share beds may be a bit trickier. One dog might prefer to sleep on their own, you might have two that are always together or they may all huddle as a pack. Identifying their sleeping patterns will help you work out how many bed you might need and who will share with who.
For more help and advice on choosing a dog bed for more than one dog, we would be happy to help. In the meantime, check out our dog bed selector or read our article here about the various size of dogs and choosing the right bed.
