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Find your dog the perfect place to sleep

We all need a good night's sleep, including our dogs. I asked my friends and family where their dogs sleep and got a lot of different answers.

Sleeping in bed with their humans was a popular response, whether that meant snuggled up against them, draped across their feet at the bottom of the bed, or sleeping under the covers.

Curled up in their blanket or towel in their own dog bed was also a frequent answer. Judging by the popularity of dog beds in the market place, a lot of dogs sleep in their own beds.

Dogs should have a place where they feel comfortable, protected and safe, and a dog bed may provide that. I knew a trainer who, rather than have his dog go to "the crate" for safety, trained his dog to "find your safe place" (his dog bed) when company came over so his dog wouldn't run out of the house.

Once the guests were settled, he called the dog to come and greet them.

If you're looking for a dog bed there are lots of them to choose from out there. Catalogs are filled with them, websites are dedicated to them and pet merchandise stores have entire aisles devoted to them. Dog beds come in different sizes, from extra large to small.

When purchasing a bed, measure your dog's width, length and the gusset height of the bed itself. Orvis, as well as other dog bed manufacturers, provide the measurements of their dog beds to ensure a perfect match with your pup.

Dog beds come in different shapes, as well. They come in rectangles, circles, squares and nests and with or without bolsters. They also come with different fillings, including some that may be anti-bacterial, Polyfil or foam.

Rather than fillings, some have mattresses made by nationally known mattress companies, with orthopedic mattresses that support a dog's joints and alleviate stress points.

There also are a variety of fabrics and prices. Covers range from special ones for chewers to faux fur to corduroy to fleece-like to an outdoor fabric that sheds water. Covers can be removable and washable. The bed covers can also be monogrammed or personalized with your dog's name. There are even made to order "luxury" dog beds that look like couches, chaise lounges and canopy beds with silk throw pillows.

If you prefer, you can make your dog's bed. Emily Refermat, Fetch Magazine, notes, "There are instructions to make pet beds just about everywhere."

To make an inexpensive dog bed, use fabric bought on sale or old sheets or drapes sewn together. For filler, use old sleeping bags or cushion or pillow foam, and then make a cover that is machine washable and removable.

Refermat notes there are three styles of beds to choose from: Pillow beds, ortho/foam beds and bolster beds. When deciding which bed is best for your dog, she suggests you consider how your dog sleeps. If he likes to burrow, get him a pillow bed. If he prefers to lean against something, a bolster bed is for him. Or, if he just wants to lie on something soft, he'll like a foam bed.

She also provides step-by-step directions for making the bed. Her instructions include making a dog pillow bed using a pillow purchased on sale or sewing several together for a larger dog.

Refermat also has directions for making a flat, firmer bed by using an old foam cushion, buying upholstery foam or cutting inexpensive egg carton foam to size and gluing thicker pieces together to get a thicker pad.

Carol Duvall (DIYnetwork.com) is another source for directions on how to make a dog bed. Her instructions are for making a bolster bed, which looks like a couch with a pillow.

Whether you buy it or make it, your dog will enjoy his own bed. He'll have somewhere comfy to snuggle and dream his doggy dreams. My dog sleeps on "his" chair in the living room. At least it keeps him off the couch.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit (501c3), all volunteer, no-kill animal shelter. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.

Molly is a 3-year-old coon hound who weighs in at 50 pounds. Courtesy of The Buddy Foundation
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