The Best Dog Beds, Judged by Which Ones Stay in the Right Place

Dogs sleep between twelve and fourteen hours a day, so a bed is the most-used object you will ever buy them. It is also the object most often bought for aesthetic reasons, which is why so many end up unused in a corner.

We tested nine beds with nine dogs, noting which bed each dog chose when all nine were available at once.

How we chose

The contest was simple: put every bed in one room, let the dogs choose, and see which one they returned to.

• Chosen voluntarily at least four nights out of seven.
• Cover removable and machine washable.
• Foam that did not flatten within three months.
• Non-slip base on a hard floor.

Match the bed to the sleeper

Curlers

Dogs that sleep curled up want a rim to press against. A donut or bolster bed gives them something to lean into, and they settle faster.

Sprawlers

Dogs that stretch out flat need a large flat mattress with no rim. A bolster bed makes a sprawler hang over the edge and get up again.

Hot dogs and heavy coats

Double-coated breeds overheat on foam. A raised mesh cot keeps air underneath and gets chosen in warm rooms.

The bottom line

Buy an orthopaedic foam bed with a removable cover, in the size up from what the chart says. Then put an old T-shirt of yours on it for the first week, which is the cheapest way to make any bed the preferred bed.