What's the best fabric for a dog bed?
For a dog bed to be successful, it needs to be made
of the right fabrics. Whether you are making the dog bed yourself or
purchasing one at the store, there are “good” fabrics and then there are the
best fabrics – those that are either soft enough for most dogs or durable
enough to withstand some biting and general abuse.
Here are some of the best fabrics for either
creating or buying a dog bed. Note: There are good fabrics not provide in
the list below, but the list below is a good starting point for your own
searches:
·
Fleece
Warm and comfortable, fleece makes a great fabric
for dog beds. Dogs generally have no allergies to fleece, and its warmth is
great for dogs during winter. Fleece is the most preferred dog bed material
of all homemade beds, as it is one of the few that is durable, soft and
warm.
·
Denim
Though it doesn’t always make the most beautiful
bed, denim is extremely durable, and again dogs have no allergies to it.
Denim can withstand a fair bit of biting – especially dark denim – so they
can be good for mild chewers.
·
Cotton
Not the most durable, but definitely one of the
softest (and once again, allergy free), cotton fabrics are great for making
dog beds of all types of designs.
·
Canvas
It can be tough to build your own dog bed using
canvas fabric, but it still works well. Canvas is extremely durable and
already used by a variety of dog bed manufacturers. Great for those dogs
that chew.
Bad Fabrics
Perhaps just as important as finding a good fabric
for your dog is avoiding a bad fabric. It is tough to say which fabrics are
the worst for your pet, because most pets are not going to have allergies to
fabrics. But there are some fabrics to stay away from.
It is a good idea to stay away from synthetic
fabrics. These are known to have some allergies but, more importantly, they
are known to warm your dog’s skin and cause adverse reactions. It is also a
good idea to not use any fabrics that have been treated with fabric
softener. Fabric softener has various chemicals that can cause your dog’s
skin to itch, which is obviously a big problem for your pet.
Creating a Dog Bed Yourself or Buying One from the
Store
As you can see from the above list, it is not hard
to find an adequate fabric to make your dog bed, and most dog bed
manufacturers have you covered with fabrics that are perfectly acceptable
for almost all dogs. But it is still a good idea not to simply go with the
first type of material you find on hand without checking to make sure that
it is a good material for dogs. Provided it is, however, you immediately
have a great material that you can use to build a dog bed that your puppy is
guaranteed to enjoy.
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