[smdaigle]

This may be more of a puppy issue but I thought I'd post here anyway . . .

We're using a wire crate for Ridley (10 months) during the day. It's the type with the slide out plastic tray. I had a dog bed that fit the crate and used it for the first couple of weeks with no problems. I recently bought a new one because the original really belongs in the garage. The new one is (or was!) just a newer version of the old and my sweet puppy destroyed it in 2 days. After the first day of minor destruction I suspected the bed was a goner and sure enough, on day 2 I was greeted with mounds of green fluff, fabric scraps and cedar chips.

Normally I think Ridley is pretty calm during the day but apparently some road work on our street has gotten him excited (according to my adult son who is still home on break). Regardless, the bed is history and I'm debating whether it's worth trying something else. I suppose he can just lay on the plastic tray until he destroys it too but here's my question . . . are there any beds that are less prone to destruction?

Thanks for any suggestions! I'm just a sappy mom who wants all of her dogs to be comfy! (Rennie our 4yr GSD is not crated and can lay on her dog bed or the dog sofa).

 

[PaddyD]

Maybe it is the type of bed, perhaps the cedar chips were irresistable?
I found that certain types of beds were totally left alone and some were
bound to be destroyed. I had the best luck with foam-filled beds that have
removable/washable covers. I had the worst luck with stuffing-filled beds.
My dog treated them like a giant stuffed toy, GREAT to tear apart.
Good luck!!

 

[Elaine]

I never put dog beds in a crate until the puppy doesn't need to be crated anymore and is at least a year of age. All puppies do is chew things up that you are going to put in their crate with them as they get bored and have nothing better to do than destroy any bed you put in there.

 

[goldcreek]

I felt the same way about my puppy, who would destroy anything placed in her crate for her comfort. So she was sans bedding for a long while. Then I started noticing a lot of nesting behavior while out of the crate, so tried adding two very large blankets into her crate, all bunched up (instead of folded neatly like I usually try). She can now burrow into them and paw and arrange them to her comfort and the shredding has stopped. She was just trying to 'fix' the previous bedding. lol. Not sure if this is your boy's issue, but worth a try. Also, add a toy to the crate so he has something else to chew up if he feels the need.

 

[ZAYDA]

Towels or blanket but nothing other than that . JMOP
Save a nice pillow or bed for after the chewing stage and after the crate stage.

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

. . . are there any beds that are less prone to destruction?

Yes! Kuranda makes a bed sized for crates: Crate Bed | All Purpose Dog Beds | Kuranda Dog Beds

Their beds are chewproof. One of the pictures shows the bed with a fleece pad on it - that's optional and purchased separately. I have two Kuranda beds in the garage pen, where the dogs go when we're gone. The oldest one was purchased in January 2001, 10 years ago. It doesn't look so pretty anymore, but Cassidy, our horrific chewer at the time, was not able to destroy it and neither have any of the dogs we've gotten since then.

 

[Veronica1]

I also switched to a few old blankets after a couple of beds were chewed.

 

[x0emiroxy0x]

Rocky has had a fluffy stuffed camo bed from 9 weeks-5 months and has never chewed it...in the crate. However, the moment I put it on the floor outside of the crate it became a toy/ PEE spot!!! He hasn't peed on it in his crate ever, so I had to put it through the washer before putting it back in his kennel...

 

[Denali Girl]

I tried a blanket in the crate but she tore it up, then..........I tried another blanket and she tore that up as well. No more blankets for my girl.

 

[Klamari]

Yes! Kuranda makes a bed sized for crates: Crate Bed | All Purpose Dog Beds | Kuranda Dog Beds

Their beds are chewproof. One of the pictures shows the bed with a fleece pad on it - that's optional and purchased separately. I have two Kuranda beds in the garage pen, where the dogs go when we're gone. The oldest one was purchased in January 2001, 10 years ago. It doesn't look so pretty anymore, but Cassidy, our horrific chewer at the time, was not able to destroy it and neither have any of the dogs we've gotten since then.

I 2nd this recommendation, if you want to go with a bed.
The boarding kennel I used to work at used the Kuranda beds (without fleece) in all the kennels. The dogs would try to chew them sometimes, and every once in a while we would get a really strong dog that could put some gouge marks on them, but rarely destroyed the bed beyond usefullness. Really easy to clean too.

 

[Cassidy's Mom]

The dogs would try to chew them sometimes, and every once in a while we would get a really strong dog that could put some gouge marks on them, but rarely destroyed the bed beyond usefulness.

This is what the edge of our oldest bed looks like:

Still perfectly usable though: