Having a pet can be extremely beneficial for your health. Besides that happy wagging tail that makes you feel loved and welcomed whenever you walk through the door, the two walks a day you take with your pet (no matter the weather) sure help you to live a healthier lifestyle. Plus, having a pet has been associated with lower blood pressure, lower triglyceride levels, lower cholesterol levels, and reduced feelings of loneliness. But although these things are heart-warming, we have to draw the line somewhere. No matter how much you love your furry friend, sharing your bed is not a good idea.
Why Pets Should Not Sleep in Your Bed?
The first reason why you shouldn’t sleep with your dog is that it can disrupt your sleep. Although dogs sleep just fine through the night, studies have shown that human sleep’s efficiency is lower when there is a dog on the same bed. Second, dogs can carry allergens. Even if your allergies aren’t triggered by pet dander, allowing your pet to sleep in your bed puts you at a greater risk of contaminating your sleep environment. Common allergens, such as dust and pollen, can stick to your pet’s fur, which can then transfer to your bedding. The worse your allergies react, the more your sleep quality will suffer. Third, your pet could pass staph infections. Serious staph infections like MRSA can be passed from animals to humans. MRSA is a bacteria that is very difficult to treat as it is resistant to many antibiotics. Dogs and cats can carry these bacteria in their mouths and saliva.
If your dog is used to sleeping on your bed with you, breaking the habit might take a lot of time and patience. Forbidding your dog from sleeping in your bed doesn’t mean you don’t love him and don’t want him to have a good night’s sleep. Keep in mind that it is important to give your furry pal another option – an alternative solution that is so comfortable and warm that he will forget how cozy your bed is. Your best bet is browsing the wide range of pet beds and investing in a quality model.
You can find a diverse range of pet beds for sale, in different types and styles such as bolster beds, cedar filled bed, simple padded beds, orthopedic beds, to name a few. Since choosing the right bed for your dog requires more than just picking the model that you like the most, here is a bit of help on the matter.
Simple Padded Beds
This one is the most popular type of pet beds. As a matter of fact, any basic dog bed that includes a material cover over a pillow or stuffing of some sort is considered a simple padded bed. Pet owners usually choose this type of bed because they come in a variety of designs, sizes and are very affordable. But remember, cheaper is not always better. Very cheap simple padded beds for pets come with very thin padding and wear out quickly, leaving your dog sleeping on nothing but a pillowcase.
Bolster
Bolster beds are the favourites of many dogs. That is because these beds feature the padding of a simple padded bed and a bolster on the back of the bed which provides extra support for the dog’s head. However, they have two drawbacks – their price and size. Bolster beds tend to be more expensive than simple padded beds and are generally quite big. So before you consider this model, make sure you have enough space in your home to accommodate it.
Cedar-Filled
Similar to general padded beds, cedar filled beds are commonly used by people who are not very concerned about their dog’s bed becoming smelly and that smell spreading through their house as well. Moreover, these beds do not offer the same comfort as cotton filled beds and do not offer enough padding or protection for your pet from the hard floor.
Orthopedic
Orthopedic beds are generally recommended for older dogs or dogs with hip problems or arthritis .The purpose of these beds is to keep your pet and as far off the ground as possible. For that reason, they come with durable, thick and comfortable padding, which decreases the amount of cold that your dog feels when lying on the floor hence, reducing the impact of the hard surface on your dog’s ailing joints. Like bolster beds, orthopedic beds are also quite big and require adequate space. They can also be pretty expensive, so it is wise that you do good research before actually investing in one.
With the range of beds for pets available on the market, you shouldn’t have a problem finding the perfect one to meet your dog’s needs. However, if finding a bed that works for your dog and your decor becomes a challenge, you can consider sewing your own ped bed, which you can customize with a fabric that fits your home decor and a filling that your pet will love. And if you’re wondering how to sew a pet bed, here’s a quick and easy tutorial.