Beds & Mats
Do Dogs Get Cold at Night? A Hobart Winter Answer
What I learned nursing dogs through Hobart winters, which ones actually feel the cold, and where a warm bed fits in the picture.
Beds & Mats
Sizing, washing, cooling and joint support for dogs and cats, written from a cold Hobart winter and a hot Aussie summer.
Beds & Mats guides (20)
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Self-Warming, Heated, or Just Warm? Sorting Out Winter Pet Beds
Self-warming, electric, microwave or just well-padded — what each type of winter bed actually does, and which ones I'd buy for which animal.
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Why Does My Dog Sleep on the Floor Instead of the Bed?
Nine times out of ten in an Australian summer the answer is simple — the bed is too warm. Here's how to tell, and what to do about each cause.
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Cooling Mats and Elevated Beds: What Works in an Australian Summer
What actually cools a dog in an Australian summer, why gel mats struggle in Queensland humidity, and the free option that beats all of them.
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How to Size a Pet Bed: Why the Outside Measurement Lies
Why the external measurement on a pet bed listing misleads most buyers, how to measure your dog properly, and the signs a bed is the wrong size.
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How to Wash a Pet Bed (and Why It Matters More in Australia)
A vet nurse's washing routine for pet beds, why Australian dust and humidity make washability essential, and what never goes in the machine.
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Waterproof Liners and Non-Slip Bottoms: The Parts Nobody Looks At
The unglamorous parts of a dog bed — the liner, the base and the zip — decide whether it lasts a year or three.
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Red Dust, Coastal Sand and Wet Dogs: Australian Beds Take a Beating
Red dust, coastal sand, salt and humidity — why Australian conditions wear out pet bedding faster, and the washing routine that actually works.
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Beds for Older Dogs: What Actually Helps Sore Joints
What a good bed genuinely does for an older dog with stiff joints, what it does not do, and the five things worth checking before you buy.
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Memory Foam, Egg Crate or Fibre Fill? What's Actually Inside a Supportive Bed
What's actually inside a supportive pet bed, why density matters more than thickness, and which fill suits your dog or cat.
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Why Cats Choose the Box: Covered Beds and Feline Security
Why your cat prefers the box to the bed you bought, what enclosed beds actually offer, and how to pick one they'll use.
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Cat Beds for Anxious Cats: Does an Enclosed Bed Actually Help?
An honest look at whether an enclosed bed helps an anxious cat, what actually reduces feline stress, and how to choose one.
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The First Bed: What to Buy for a Puppy (and What to Expect It to Cost You)
The first bed is very likely to be chewed, and that's normal. What to buy, what to avoid, and when to stop buying cheap.
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Puppy Toilet Training and the Bed: Why Fit and Washability Decide Everything
Two weeks of puppy nights, a soiled bed and a chewed one later, here is what I tell every new puppy owner about bedding.
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Do Dogs Need a Bed? And How to Choose One They'll Actually Use
Straight answer on whether dogs need a bed, and how to pick one by watching how your dog already sleeps.
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Sofa-Style, Flat Mattress or Raised Cot? The Three Shapes Compared
Sofa-style, flat mattress and raised cot compared honestly, including what each shape gets wrong.
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Why Greyhounds Need Softer Beds Than Almost Any Other Dog
No body fat, no coat, prominent bones — why retired racing greyhounds need more padding under them than almost any other dog.
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Beds for Bulldogs, Dachshunds and Dogs Who Don't Fit the Chart
Standard beds are cut for a generic dog. What to buy instead when the dog in front of you is broad and flat, long and low, or built like a whippet.
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Travel Beds: Getting a Dog to Settle Somewhere That Isn't Home
A familiar smell in an unfamiliar room is the whole trick. How to get a dog or cat to settle somewhere that isn't home.
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One Bed Is Never Enough: How Many, and Where to Put Them
Why one bed is almost never enough — how many to have, where to put them, and what changes when there's more than one animal.