Dog beds.

[toxo]

Instead of keep buying new beds for my five dogs, I should be able to make a decent fist of making em myself.

I'm thinking just a padded boxed rectangle with a shearling top that snaps off for cleaning.

What would be the budget waterproof material to use? They do occasionally scratch and tear the thin fabric types

[fredk]

What about the heavy weight plastic sheeting builders use as a damp course barrier betwixt foundations and walls/floors? Its fairly inexpensive and very robust. I used to use it in and around my chicken & hen coops and other animal places. I used it to line a big duck pond nearly 30 years ago and even though I've moved on that pond and its liner is still in use.

[toxo]

11 minutes ago, fredk said:

What about the heavy weight plastic sheeting builders use as a damp course barrier betwixt foundations and walls/floors? Its fairly inexpensive and very robust. I used to use it in and around my chicken & hen coops and other animal places. I used it to line a big duck pond nearly 30 years ago and even though I've moved on that pond and its liner is still in use.

I'll look at anything that's cheap Fred. I'm even rethinking the shearling. would work out expensive at nearly £4 a ft.

[fredk]

and on that what about faux fleece?

eg, £10.75 for 1.5 sq meters, about 15 sq feet,  but I've seen much cheaper, about £4.50 sq yd. I used to use a lot of this faux fleece on medieval type kit. It wears well and is easier to wash than the real stuff. I attached it, some times, with velcro and then it could be detached and hand-washed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Faux-Fur-SHERPA-FLEECE-Sheepskin-Fabric-Material-K8/322076904990?hash=item4afd478e1e:g:iJQAAOSw95lXEj8C

edit to add, just remembered, the damp barrier usually comes in really big rolls. Maybe too much for you. Suggestion, go round to where new houses are being built and scrounge some of the roll ends. Builders need to put the sheet down in one piece, no cuts or joins, and they often have odd pieces they can't use. At most it might cost you just a few ££ or beers. 30 years ago I was buying the rolls, about 30m x 6m, for £25.  

Edited November 4, 2020 by fredk

[Sheilajeanne]

The biggest mistake currently being made with the dog beds you see in the store is they aren't washable. Yes, the cover is, but the cushion inside isn't. Eventually it gets dirty and starts to stink, and the bed gets thrown out.

I solved the problem by buying quilt batting, and folding it up, and using it to stuff the bed. I remove it and put it in the washer with the outer cover when washing the bed.  Eventually, it falls apart, and has to be replaced, but it's quite cheap to buy!

I don't know about other people's dogs, but mine vomit, one of them bleeds on the bed when in heat, and my old girl occasionally poops in her sleep. (She turns 14 in January.) So, yeah, something washable is a GREAT idea!

[toxo]

11 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

The biggest mistake currently being made with the dog beds you see in the store is they aren't washable. Yes, the cover is, but the cushion inside isn't. Eventually it gets dirty and starts to stink, and the bed gets thrown out.

I solved the problem by buying quilt batting, and folding it up, and using it to stuff the bed. I remove it and put it in the washer with the outer cover when washing the bed.  Eventually, it falls apart, and has to be replaced, but it's quite cheap to buy!

I don't know about other people's dogs, but mine vomit, one of them bleeds on the bed when in heat, and my old girl occasionally poops in her sleep. (She turns 14 in January.) So, yeah, something washable is a GREAT idea!

Amen to all of that Sheila. I have two Westies that are getting on a bit and two younger ones. I also have a big ol Staff that's ancient. His mind and eyes are still A1 but he's a bit stiff these days. I massage him every morning to get get him kick started and he's ok after that. He always used to run away from puppies but he bonded with my last one, she's about 2 1/2 now and she's taken years off him. You should see the pair of em rolling around on the floor biting each others legs

I plan to make these beds completely  enclosed with just the top layer detachable/washable. I'll get five beds  out of five meters of this  stuff (well done Fred). Do you think it'll need anything on the back of it to stabilise it? I guess whatever it is needs to be machine washable. Any ideas?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fur-SHERPA-FLEECE-Sheepskin-Material/dp/B00LND5FOO/ref=nav_signin?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00LND58J6&pd_rd_r=18462703-5c26-42fe-8bcf-a16205534d5c&pd_rd_w=EwI0m&pd_rd_wg=16wO6&pf_rd_p=91679b4c-230c-4b41-99ee-c0eec98b90bb&pf_rd_r=EKQ53AWJ8X1CK4F979CV&refRID=EKQ53AWJ8X1CK4F979CV&th=1

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

Great post I just got blessed with two American bully pups and am in need also. My families problem is a 17 year old blind and deaf cat that uses anything on the floor as a pee stop. Please post some pics and maybe instructions on your build. I was thinking just a couple of the felt type throws with about two inches of batting inside sewn up, definitely needs to be washable.

[fredk]

5 hours ago, toxo said:

I plan to make these beds completely  enclosed with just the top layer detachable/washable. I'll get five beds  out of five meters of this  stuff (well done Fred). Do you think it'll need anything on the back of it to stabilise it? I guess whatever it is needs to be machine washable. Any ideas?

The faux fleece has a heavy woven fabric backing base, not coarse like hessian, but a wide weave of cotton.  I would sew two pieces good side to good side, turn inside out and either leave like that or fill with a cheap duvet from Home Bargains or not fill at all. Hand or gentle wash this fleece only. I found an auto washing machine was too rough on it.

Y'all are being too soft on your dogs, 

When I had mine, when I had a small holding, they each had a wood box like a big drawer. Dunno where those came from. We used to buy recycled cotton rags for various uses. A clean batch was dumped into the dog's boxes and they sorted it all for themselves, pushing it around with their noses, walking in circles to get it right then burying their toys in the rags. Old bedding was put on the regular bonfire and burnt. As all the dogs lived outside, under covered areas, they got an old duvet thrown on top over winter. I used to get the duvets from a charity shop, they weren't allowed to sell them for people to use again.

[toxo]

On 11/4/2020 at 10:36 PM, fredk said:

The faux fleece has a heavy woven fabric backing base, not coarse like hessian, but a wide weave of cotton.  I would sew two pieces good side to good side, turn inside out and either leave like that or fill with a cheap duvet from Home Bargains or not fill at all. Hand or gentle wash this fleece only. I found an auto washing machine was too rough on it.

Y'all are being too soft on your dogs, 

When I had mine, when I had a small holding, they each had a wood box like a big drawer. Dunno where those came from. We used to buy recycled cotton rags for various uses. A clean batch was dumped into the dog's boxes and they sorted it all for themselves, pushing it around with their noses, walking in circles to get it right then burying their toys in the rags. Old bedding was put on the regular bonfire and burnt. As all the dogs lived outside, under covered areas, they got an old duvet thrown on top over winter. I used to get the duvets from a charity shop, they weren't allowed to sell them for people to use again.

It seems unbelievable Fred but it seems your suggestion of using duvets for filling is the cheapest thing I can find. I can get em for £6 in the high st so using them and what's in their current beds shouldn't hurt too much.

My dogs are spoilt Fred but I like spoiling em. they keep me sane. My youngest Westie is worse than a mischievious child but she's also very loving. When I'm watching TV she'll often park her arse in the crook between my head and my shoulder, sometimes pushing my hed over to one side. Does make me laugh. Even before she was born she's made me laugh. Her mother was 10 days overdue and showed no signs that there was anything in there. Then out of nowhere she started shaking. Then I thought maybe there was someting in there after all and it had died so I rushed her to the vet. Now picture this. There was this Spanish female vet and me and a young english girl whos a trainee ande we were looking at an Xray. She was explaing to me that there was one puppy in there and it was alive, It was a large puppy because obviously it had been eating all the pies. After looking at the Xray for a couple of minutes I said to the Spanish vet with a straight face, "Has that big puppy eaten all the other puppies?" With eyes like saucers she said "Oh no". The English girl was cracking up as was I.

I won't say why she was telling me to hurry up.

[Sheilajeanne]

Toxo, too funny!  

[toxo]

I had trouble with thinner thread through my Adler 69 so on a whim I dug out my old mums little domestic to see if it would do ripstop nylon.

After oiling and cleaning I was pleasantly surprised. OK the small motor needed a turn of the wheel to get started and I don't think I threaded it properly (anyone got a manual?) but it had no trouble with two layers of pigskin lining or eight layers of ripstop nylon.