Vetbed?

MRSCARNEY

LillyJ wrote: »

He is a lab x rottie.

He is impecably behaved in the house other than this one thing, and as long as he doesn't get shut away when there is a visitor in the house it's fine! I think he might just have got his way and we might just have to let him sleep in the living room on the sofa.

The problem is I can't just remove his bedding when a visitor comes because the kitchen floor has laminate and he would have no where to sit.

Sounds like it is an attention thing then. Maybe someone with labs/rotties will have experienced this and can give you some good advice. Good Luck !

LillyJ

MRSCARNEY wrote: »

Sounds like it is an attention thing then. Maybe someone with labs/rotties will have experienced this and can give you some good advice. Good Luck !

I think it is an attention thing. He is a the dog equivalent of the Beckhams - always has to be in the spotlight! He really thinks that all humans only exist to stroke him and play with him, so when one doesn't want to he gets all muddled.

chez22

I work at a kennels and we use vet bed for all the reasons other posters have stated. They aren't indestructible though and we have one dog that has ripped 3 to shreds. I usually find when you put a clean bed in, that is the time they will drag it around. Once it smells more "doggy" they seem to leave it alone.
Elsien- My mums dog started doing exactly the same about 18 months ago, he used to be happy to be left for short periods but then got really destructive and started sitting on the furniture - he was opening doors to get to the sofa! He also started taking himself for walks and barking for no reason. We have put it down to old age and installed a baby gate to stop him wrecking the place!

Krystaltips

Could you not get a cheap rug or carpet sample for him to sit on and lift his bed when you have visitors? Actually... My dog used to sleep on carpet offcuts in his basket, they make a lot less mess when ripped up... He was a rotty cross too... Never appeared cold...

Nomad25

Thing with normal bedding, rugs, etc. is that they absorb moisture - then your pet has to lay on damp stuff. Vetbed 'breathes' all the moisture goes through [look under a piece that a dog/cat has been laying on]and your pet lays on dry bedding. Much nicer.

LillyJ

Nomad25 wrote: »

Thing with normal bedding, rugs, etc. is that they absorb moisture - then your pet has to lay on damp stuff. Vetbed 'breathes' all the moisture goes through [look under a piece that a dog/cat has been laying on]and your pet lays on dry bedding. Much nicer.

Is it like sweat that goes through? I don't think he is a particularly sweaty dog!

LillyJ

Krystaltips wrote: »

Could you not get a cheap rug or carpet sample for him to sit on and lift his bed when you have visitors? Actually... My dog used to sleep on carpet offcuts in his basket, they make a lot less mess when ripped up... He was a rotty cross too... Never appeared cold...

We could I suppose. He would probably rip that too . It might be a good idea for him to just sleep on carpet inside his bed actually. He doesn't rip rugs or anything, just bedding! Weird!
The only annoying thing with moving his bed is it's massive.

I wonder if it's a rottie cross thing? They do have some strange ways I have found, despite being absolutely gorgeous!

hethmar

Nope, my rottiexlab was a wonderful calm girl - never ripped a thing in her life bless her. They are all individuals though arent they.

I have several bits of vet bed some on the floor in the kitchen and some on sofas for the boys to lay on. Ive also got something called a reflector bed or some such which I thought would be of comfort to one dog who was poorly as a pup. None of them have been ripped up and the vet bed is wonderful to wash - it dries in hours.

What a pity it wasnt a solution for you

LillyJ

hethmar wrote: »

Nope, my rottiexlab was a wonderful calm girl - never ripped a thing in her life bless her. They are all individuals though arent they.

I have several bits of vet bed some on the floor in the kitchen and some on sofas for the boys to lay on. Ive also got something called a reflector bed or some such which I thought would be of comfort to one dog who was poorly as a pup. None of them have been ripped up and the vet bed is wonderful to wash - it dries in hours.

What a pity it wasnt a solution for you

Actually I may have spoken too soon. I picked up all the bits up and was just left with the original shap vetbed but with edges missing. He has since curled up in his bed for a snooze. I am going to try him with it for longer (as I have no other bedding for him anyway!) and hope he gets used to it. I think it will be easier to wash than a duvet as well.

I had guests earlier and put him in the upstairs spare bedroom which has a comfy rug, and left his bed downstairs. He didn't rip anything (as usual, it's only his bed), and seemed quite calm and contented. This may be the solution. He isn't normally allowed upstairs though, and I am reluctant to let him think it's normal.
One of the guests went upstairs to play with him (the other was scared of dogs), and said what a beautiful, calm and gentle dog he was, which made me glow with pride! Sad I know!

suki1964

Not all dogs actually like anything in their baskets. many dogs just like the hard basket and with young fit dogs,as long as the basket is out of a draught theres no problem with that. Sure as they get older they seek some comfort as we all do. But usually its us soppy humans that feel the need to make their beds cosy ( when really the poor dog is roasted)

My older cocker loved his plastic bed with duvet and this cocker wouldnt touch any type of bed with a bargepole, He sleeps where he wants, in the summer thats usually in the porch or bathroom, most mights on the floor of my bedroom, early hours of the winter mornings he jumps up on the bed for a warm.