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If you care about your dog’s comfort, I bet you wouldn’t want him to live in a chilly dog house. Dog houses can be uncomfortably cold, more so during the extreme weather of the winter. One way you could drive out cold from your dog’s house is by introducing nice bedding.
But is bedding necessary for a dog house?
While dogs are known to tolerate sleeping on bare surfaces, that shouldn’t be the basis for not providing proper bedding.
The right bedding not only brings warmth in the dog house but also a cushioned, soft surface for your pet to lie on.
You don’t only want your dog to live but to live comfortably, and the right bedding for him ensures this.
Bedding also protects the floor of the dog house from scratches.
What Kinds of Bedding are Available and Suitable for Your Dog’s House?
Bedding material can be bought or gotten for free by improvising with materials you can find in your home.
Some of the materials that have been used as dog house bedding include the following.
Fluffy Rugs
Fluffy rugs are warm and comfortably soft.
With a rubber underside, they’re not prone to moisture.
The rubber form a protective barrier that prevents moisture from the floor rising up.
The rubber also ensures the rug firmly grips the floor of the dog house.
You would want to choose a rug with high fibers for more comfort and warmth, but that’s if your dog isn’t in the habit of chewing things.
Otherwise, he would chew the fibers out and destroy the rug over time.
The only downside of rugs is that, unlike with linens, your dog cannot snug up in them for a warmer cuddle.
Clothes and Blankets
Linens make excellent bedding material for their great cushioning.
Clothes are also washable, allowing you to keep the dog house always clean and hygienic.
Compared to other types of bedding, linen is safer since it doesn’t contain particles that can get in the dog’s ears or eyes.
You do not have to use new clothing or blankets for your dog’s bedding.
Collect the old pieces of clothes you no longer need, or parts of your worn out duvets and sheets.
Spread them in your dog’s house to make a nice sleeping place.
Make sure to wash the linen bedding on a regular basis; it will prevent odors from developing and bacteria from finding an environment that encourages their growth.
Also, take the linens out from time to time and shake them to remove any creatures that could be hiding within.
Dog Beds
Though expensive, dog beds are an excellent way to bring warmth and comfort in a dog house.
Dog beds can make winter nights bearable as they feature a warming mechanism powered by electricity.
When getting a bed for your dog, look for the size that fits him.
There are dog beds for large dogs and beds for the smaller breeds.
Also, avoid the cheaply priced beds as they tend to break down after a few months of use.
Go for a quality but fairly priced bed that your dog will use for several winters before it needs to be replaced.
Wood Chips
Wood chips are a bedding option you could consider for your dog’s house.
They’re cheap to obtain, plus they provide enough warmth to make your pooch feel comfy.
Choose the thin type of wood shavings as they do not contain wood chunks that would press against your dog’s body and cause discomfort.
Pine and cedar make the best wood chip bedding.
The chips of these trees have a sweet smell while also acting to repel insects such as fleas and bedbugs.
The fragrance may not be pleasant to every dog, though, with some dogs experiencing respiratory problems from the volatiles coming out of cedar and pine wood chips.
Check to see if our dog shows signs of nose or eye irritation, and immediately remove the chips.
Also, don’t use wood chips if your dog is pregnant or nursing, or if there are puppies in the dog house.
The chips can give rise to harmful pathogens that can be a health risk for the delicate immunity of the puppies.
Newspapers
Although not durable, newspapers can make good bedding material for use in a dog house.
They’re easy to obtain and equally easy to replace once they’ve been soiled.
To use newspapers for bedding, take and crumple whole pieces.
Flatten them a little to allow for air pockets that will act as heat traps.
Newspapers tend to rip apart or get spoiled easily, so you would need to change them often.
Bedding Materials You Shouldn’t Use in A Dog House
Are there bedding materials you should not use in your dog’s house?
Not every material is suitable as bedding for your pooch; some are uncomfortable, don’t provide warmth, or are downright unsafe.
Some of the bad bedding materials that you should avoid using include:
Sawdust
Though not a so terrible choice, sawdust has its downsides.
It’s messy, and can also clump up and become uncomfortable.
The fine particles in sawdust can get in the eyes of your dog and cause great misery.
It can also choke your pup if he happens to ingest it, or even clog its nose.
Sawdust may make excellent bedding for other animals, but definitely not so for dogs.
Hay and Straw
Hay and straw can be home to fleas, mites and other bugs that could cause skin irritation and diseases to your dog.
Coming from farms, hay and straw bedding is likely to harbor bacteria and viruses that may cause your dog to get sick.
With the right bedding, you can accord your pet dog great comfort by providing a soft surface on which to rest.
With the warmth that bedding provides, cold nights, especially those of the winter season, can become more tolerable for your dog.
Only ensure the bedding is safe; you don’t want to endanger his health in the name of bedding.
Ensure, too, that you change the bedding regularly, depending on the type of bedding or bedding material you choose.
If it’s the washable type, clean it at least once every week to avoid odors, fungi, and a buildup of bacteria.