Tuesday 14 April 2009

Dog Bed


Someone needed a new bed - there have been some flea issues recently, and winter is coming. I've read that raised pet beds help with both fleas (they live on the floor, and can only jump so high) and warmth. Emile seems pretty pleased with it. You can't see his smile in the photo, but I promise he's making happy noises! This bed's a lot easier to clean than his old floor cushion; a quick vacuum to pick up any biting critters, and a blanket that can be popped in the wash.

Here's how to make Emile's bed:

Gather (or buy) some planks. We used bits and pieces of an old futon base.
Scrabble in your toolbox for some screws and nails.
Find a roll of webbing - we used hessian.

Get your dog to sit still, or even better, lie still. Place the planks around him to see how much space he'll need for sleeping. Cut the planks to size. The bed should be around 8 inches high, so cut another 4 planks for the legs: 8 inches long, plus the height of the bed.

Drill holes and screw screws in at the corners, as many as you need to make a sturdy frame. Fasten the legs at each corner with more screws.

Mark the halfway point between each set of legs, then mark off equal spaces on each side of that mark, so you can attach the webbing evenly. Starting in the middle of one side, attach a piece of webbing with nails or a staple gun. Pull the webbing through to the opposite side, under the frame and up over the top. Ask the person helping you to pull the webbing as tight as possible, and attach it to the frame. (It's a good idea to lift the bed to pull the webbing tight, otherwise you might trap it under the frame and think it's tight when it's still slack.) Cut the strip of webbing, and repeat until you've done all the strips in that direction. Turn the bed 90 degrees and repeat for the cross strips. This time, attach one side, weave the new strip through the others, over and under, and then attach to the other side.



We did the strips evenly, leaving spaces between each piece, and then filled in the gaps with the left over webbing to make a more solid centre.

Throw a blanket on top, and recline...



Glue rubber or felt under the legs to protect the floor. (Rubber will also prevent the bed skidding when your dog jumps off; the skidding is apparently a little bit scary....)

25 comments:

colleen said...

I love the "Dog Bed!" Having two boys I have had my fair share of houses and beds for rabbits, dogs, cats, hamsters, tortoises, birds and fish but this is definitely the best I've seen!

Heather Moore said...

Adorable!

Masha said...

I remember seeing these advertised...and at the time I thought that if I was a better person, I would run a project that gets beds like these donated to an animal shelter like the SPCA.

Just think how perfect. They have these poor chewed up plastic beds, with no pillows or anything.

Susan Scott said...

Your dog looks very nice. Hey, you could sell those beds on etsy! wonder what the shipping cost would be...hmmmm. It needs a nice hand-printed pillow. :-)

Anairam said...

Oh, this dog is so sweet! I am now positive that I need a puppy ... I have been dogless for about seven years, and really, life is so much sweeter with a doggy-breath on one's face. I even dreamt I had a little puppy two nights ago - which I take as a positive sign that I need to visit TEARS, I think ...

Alex Sunday said...

very clever! i tried some carpentry on the weekend (my never ending chair project) and have concluded that i am no carpenter. somewhat ironic i thought, being easter and all. :)

painted fish studio said...

what a great idea! but with a 70 pound doggie and a 45 pound doggie and a small house, i may need to stick with the floor beds, to avoid shin banging! :)

Anonymous said...

Your 'how-to' illustrations are wonderful, as is the finished bed. Lucky Emile!

AD said...

This is lovely, simple, & clean. Love it! I think it will be esp. helpful for those of us with shedding and/or longhair beasties. I definitely hate washing those enormous round beds.

One question to anyone reading: how should this be modified to fit the weight of a heavier dog? And by "heavier" what I really mean is "German Shepherd". Will webbing do? If not, what's stronger that could be used in it's place?

Cheers,
AD

Jesse said...

I've seen similar beds with the 'hammock' part made from heavy canvas nailed to the frame. Perhaps if you doubled up the canvas it would be strong enough?

Unknown said...

webbing works for some pretty sturdy 'people chairs' and even a fold-out cot I have, so I imagine this would work fine for a large dog, as long as everything's attached really well.

kat said...

Constantly doing something clever!

Unknown said...

Love this. So simple but effective!

strikk handknits said...

hah! i spotted this yesterday whilst reading craftzine blog - thought the model of the bed look familiar ;-) so cool - now i wish i had a dog.

Betsy's Closet said...

I really like this bed, I plan to make one this weekend! thanks!

Vanessa said...

Your doggy is too cute...... I like your dog bed....Cool idea

Unknown said...

My question... How do you stop the
large dog (85 lbs) from stepping
thru the sides between the webbing?

Cindy said...

We manufacture a new innovation of dog beds which are on the same concept.

• They are cost effective.
• Great for dogs with hip dysplasia and arthritis.
• They are raised off the floor for warmth and easy access and descent.
• Hygienic, strong and durable.
• Flea free.
• Adjusts to dogs contour.
• Waterproof.
• UV Protected.
• Easy to clean.
• Comes in 3 different sizes but can be made to order.
• Great for inside or outside.

Ann Sydney Australia said...

This is so good! I've been doing the internet circuit looking for the best option for our Chino. This project has now moved to priority status! Well done ...

Foam-By-Mail said...

What a sharp but practical project for this pet bed. I like that its simplicity allows you to make it as high or as low off the ground as your pet likes.

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Glenrela said...

I would imagine this would be cooler on hot days/nights than a floor cushion too