Pet Bed Success.

A pet bed is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Your dog should have at least one bed. Having his/her own bed sets boundaries. A good quality pet bed gives your dog something that is "his/hers." It is a safe place to go, a secure place, a comfortable, warm place to hang out.

Sleeping on the floor is not good for such dogs or any dog for any length of time. Small dogs can easily get injured jumping up and down on furniture or your bed to sleep.

DogCheapSleeps.com. They are hose tested and leak proof. With a unique Velcro closure and vinyl cover, moisture will not get into the 4" foam padding. Just wipe clean with a wet cloth.

Inexpensive, free shipping, and best of all, handmade in America!Your dog will appreciate the investment in his/her health and comfort for many years to come!

If your dog is a “nester” place a blanket on the bed and your dog will enjoy circling around and making the perfect comfort zone. If your dog is a “stretcher” who sleeps with his/her legs sprawled out a larger square or rectangle bed is best. Sanitation is a real concern; buy a pet bed that is washable and easy to maintain like those sold at

Having your dog sleep with you is not a good idea, although it may seem like an enjoyable thing for you and the dog. Your dog will see this as you being submissive to him/her; this is not the signal you want to send if you expect to obedience train your pet. Having a separate bed for your dog will help control the spread of hair and dander.

Another benefit for your dog having his/her own bed is that the proper bedding provides support for your dog’s back and joints, especially older dogs with arthritis.

House Guests and Your Dog’s Bed

I’ve noticed that when guests come over, my dog retreats to his bed after greeting them. His bed is a source of safety as well as “his place” in the house. He keeps his toys and blanket there and retreats there often. His bed is out of the way of traffic and this works well.

Over the holidays we had guests stay overnight. We had to move his dog bed across the room in order to fold out our sofa bed. He was really quite off until we moved the dog bed back into his regular spot. The regular spot was now under the sofa bed and he couldn’t get to it. This was something we hadn’t thought of – that he would be disturbed by his bed moving across the room and that it being under the sofa bed would also upset him!
Thankfully we had an extra dog bed we use for camping which he gladly accepted across the room where he could sleep undisturbed. After arranging his blanket and toys on it, he was perfectly secure and happy once again. Our guests were also relieved that he stopped whining and pacing back and forth over his dog bed being moved or under the sofa! Everyone had a restful night.

Having people over for a visit can be really disruptive to your dog’s sense of safety and place in the house. It is a good idea to have another safe place for your dog to be in. It’s important to keep an extra bed handy for these occasions.
 

Check out the complete line of beds for any size dog. They are hose tested and leak proof. With our unique Velcro closure and vinyl cover, moisture will not get into the 4" foam padding. Just wipe clean with a wet cloth.

Inexpensive, free shipping, and best of all, Made in America, USA!

Corner Chewing

Our puppy Buddy, a Golden Retriever, fixated her chewing on the corner of her dog bed. We are on dog bed number five now with every one having at least one blown out corner! This type of destructive chewing is not uncommon during puppy-hood however; it has become expensive to replace dog bed after dog bed. We considered the material the beds were made of and found that Buddy had a particular liking to chew soft materials and the fluff that came out of the corner must be a joy to play with and-or eat because she doesn’t stop chewing until the entire corner is gone and the fluff is everywhere. We began purchasing soft toys and encouraging chewing and releasing the fluff of those rather than her bed. Finally, we discovered DogCheapSleeps.com and the days of buying Buddy a bed every other week ended. The bed purchased at DogCheapSleeps.com was not only made of soft vinyl and waterproof (thus easy to clean) it was also made with a specially designed Velcro closure that Buddy wasn’t able to get a hold of for her chewing pleasure. With that said their chew proof dog beds are as indestructible as they come. DogCheapSleeps’ beds are constructed with a really durable grade of leather soft vinyl, and the closure method is unique as it is sewn back into the cover out of sight. If your beloved chewer just cannot resist, DogCheapSleeps.com will even send vinyl scraps for minor repairs, with the purchase of a bed. Once your puppy grows out of the chewing phase, replacement covers are also available.
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Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks.” Is this true?

Absolutely not!

Dogs of any age can be taught just about any trick you want to take the time to teach them. The big difference between teaching a puppy and an older dog comes down to one thing: attention span.

Younger dogs can focus for shorter periods of time and therefore have a hard time paying attention while learning. Teaching your puppy anything can be quite a process. Older dogs, on the other hand, have established longer attention spans and will pick things up a lot quicker.

It’s actually good to consistently teach your dog new things over their life span, especially when you can start with a puppy. Dogs develop their personalities at a very young age and it never really changes, much like an adult. Therefore, learning how to train your dog from day one will help you teach them new skills ten years down the road. Also, without something to keep them busy, dogs of any age can get bored. A bored dog can become an anxious dog, which can lead to excessive barking, chewing and many other behavioral issues.

Teaching your dog throughout his life also enforces the hierarchy of your family that is necessary in their life. You are communicating that he should look to you as the pack leader, or Alpha. A dog who loses sight of this chain of command will, through natural behavior, seek to be Alpha and think that they are leading the household. This can lead to aggression towards you, your children or anyone they meet.

Here are some simple steps that can be applied to teaching dogs throughout their lives:

Never call a dog over to you so you can punish him. This confuses the dog, making him want to run at the sound of you calling for him. This can send a very complicated message for future training.

Always reward positive behavior. In fact, it is better to reward positive behavior than to scold for the negative. Rewarding your dog instantly teaches him that his behavior was correct, and he will continue to strive for that attention. You do not need to use treats to reward your dog. Giving him treats every time he does something right can lead to an overweight animal, not to mention, a big disappointment when he expects one and doesn’t get it. Use treats sparingly. A hearty, “Good boy!” and a pat on the head does a fine job.

Use conditional stimulus. Instruct a dog to a do a simple act using a simple command. If the dog responds, reward him. If he does not, don’t reward him, but no scolding is necessary. Just try again. This works especially well with older dogs who are happy to learn and more than happy to receive your approval.

At the end of a long day of training, make sure to reward your pup with a comfy dog bed! We offer many sizes, colors and types! They are waterproof and virtually indestructible! We offer free shipping on everything we sell and it is all custom made, right here in America! And while you’re looking around, stop by our dog forum and say hi!

Dog Exercise: Properly Exercise Your Dog

Similar to humans, lack of exercise in dogs can lead to poor health conditions such as obesity, heart problems, bad bone structure, emotional and behavioral issues.

What are helpful ways to properly exercise your dog and insure a long life?

Here are some suggestions to get your pup active that won’t break the bank.

Get him involved with other dogs. In an earlier blog, we discussed proper etiquette while visiting a dog park. That can be fun activity that also enforces socialization. It can also be as simple as letting them play with the neighbor’s dog or a friend/family member’s friendly pup.

Walking your dog is an excellent dog exercise and a great way for both of you to stay in shape. Let your dog carry something on the walk, even one of his toys. Be loose on the leash during walks. Let him explore other people and other dogs. This is natural way to feel comfortable around others. This also negates "leash aggression." A dog that guards against everything and anything is an anxious dog, which comes with its own set of problems.

Hide his toys around the yard or on your walks. Hide yourself in the same fashion.

Teach him how to retrieve. This is an exciting way to get them running and jumping, to bring you back the object you’ve thrown – a perfect dog exercise! Of course, there are risks of over exerting your dog with this one, as they never know when to quit. Judge this exercise according to your dog’s age and current condition. Throwing a ball too high or letting your dog fetch for way too long can affect the bones and joints in an adverse way.

You can even give your dog a work out in a dark room. Take his favorite toy into one, hide it, and then have them seek it out. This can lead to hours of fun and exercise. Put his favorite treats in an upside down bowl. He will spend lots of time trying to figure out how to get at them. Make mazes in your yard out of old furniture or boxes and have him navigate a specific way through.

A well exercised dog will be more calm and apt to be less nervous about being left alone. It will improve his bones and joints, as well as his heart and lungs. A healthy dog that gets a lot of dog exercise actually looks better too!

As an added bonus, you should look and feel better. Remember that dogs rarely exercise alone. They will often wait for someone or some animal to come along and interact with them.

After a hard day of dog exercise, a great way for your dog to get some rest is to get them their very own dog bed! We offer high quality, low cost, water (and urine) proof dog beds! They are made right here in America and we offer free shipping on everything we sell! dogcheapsleeps.com