Tearing his bed apart!

[boss_owner]

I bought a new bed for my 5 1/2 month old puppy and he seemed to like it a lot. Before then he used to sleep on two pillows that I sewed together for him, but they were getting too small. He lay on the new bed right a way and slept on it for two nights. Yet the first time he was in the house all by himself, he tore the foam in the bed apart and it was left in 2 inch pieces! :confused:

Right away, I took all the foam away and just left the cover behind to see what he does. He's been sleeping just on the cover and not on his old bed since then and seemed to miss his new bed quite a bit. So yesterday, I tucked the old pillows into the cover to see what he does and he's been trying to tear it apart ever since!

Has anyone ever experienced this before? I washed the cover before I gave it to him the first time, and just don't know what to do! :mad: Would appreciate any advice on how to handle this. I got a replacement bed from the store but am afraid to give it to him again. The bed I purchased is very similar to Petco's (link below).

http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?SID=1243350&tab=1&subtab=3&SKU=4399304250

Thanks for your help!
Anna.

 

[Tink]

What stood out most in your post was that he did it the first time he was alone. I bet the bed was a toy to him! At least in the moment when he was alone and playing with it.
Does he, or has he had fleece toys? He may see fleece as fleece, it's all a toy to him! But annoying to you because those beds are a bit more costly than a toy.
I bet if we took a poll and asked how many beds have been killed, we'd have a huge number.
My guy has two "beds". Just large pillow type beds that fit exactly in his crates. One side is fleece and the other is a soft canvas. I keep them fleece side down. Covers zip off for washing and they're filled with a foam/polyfill/cedar chip blend.
But what he likes most is an old cotton comforter I keep folded on the floor. He can play with it, drag it around the room, hide his toys under it, and at bedtime he stares at me until I fold it for him again into a big poofy square. :D The best for me is that if he did rip it I wouldn't mind. It's an old one and I can always pick up another at a yard sale for much less than a new dog bed!

 

[Shefra]

Thats halarious ! ! ! ! :p Quincey did the same thing when we brought home a new bed for him that we got at Costco - although he didn't quite tear it apart. Something new, big, fluffy - I'm sure they think its a new toy and they have to break it in :rolleyes: Can I suggest the big pillow type beds - we found that Costco was the best deal for them - because they don't have the fleece and some of them have cedar chips in them. Also, they don't have corners that they can knaw on - my last puppy used to do that :rolleyes:. Maybe that will deter your pup from thinking its a new toy he needs to rip it apart Good luck.

 

[Debbie Magon]

Lets face it folk, young dogs of any breed dont appreciate a nice soft cosy bed!

I have lost count of the number of beds mine have "killed".
I have used straw in my dogs kennels and old carpet, as anything else is dragged out into the mud and destroyed!

Perhaps a thick piece of carpet might last him , warm blanket or at the worst, a pile of clean newspapers makes a good warm bed.
Save your money till he is old enough to appreciate a nice soft mattress!

 

[Barron's mom]

I immediately thought "it's a puppy" when I read your thread. Barron tore all of his beds apart when he was crated. I finally gave him a large, soft blanket, which he tore, as well, but not as much. I was thrilled the day when I was able to give him an LL Bean bed and he didn't tear it apart!

 

[pearl]

Reminds me of Bella she ripped apart every soft bed that she`s had, Foam ones, fleecy ones, bean bags (that was the worst I was still finding those little beans weeks later) , The solution was to buy one of the hard plastic dog beds and then put just ordinary blackets in it, works a treat the odd time she rips one up but it`s not half as bad or expensive.

 

[jray]

Fortunatly I haven't run into the tearin gof the bed. Oskar just chews them. and they get real wet! He hasen't torn them YET! watch I'll go home today and find his bed in pieces

 

[boss_owner]

Thank you all for your helpful tips. Its been a little over a week since he's had his replacement bed, and its still together! This time though I wrapped it in sheets and put double cover (from the bottom and the top), so he can't get to the foam. He really seems to like it and sleeps on it almost every night when one of us doesn't fall asleep on the couch (in which case he's always right there at the feet). Again, thanks!!!!
Anna.

 

[LauraJean623]

We finally gave up.

We spent about $200 in various types of beds for Harley's crate until we finally gave up and just decided she'd have to lay in the hard crate without one. She is just over a year old and maybe in a few months we'll try again. If we kept up like we were, we'd go broke!

 

[Aimee]

Re: We finally gave up.

Originally posted by LauraJean623
We spent about $200 in various types of beds for Harley's crate until we finally gave up and just decided she'd have to lay in the hard crate without one.

We went through the phase too where Lexi ate everything in sight (especially beds, couches and chairs). Thankfully, that is years behind us now as she will be 6 years old in a few days However, I bought a crib mattress with 2 sheets and a blanket for around $5.50 at a yard sale and this became her new bed. I put an old comforter on it and a pillow and it is the cutest thing. We now have two of them and they have made the most terrific beds and they were very inexpensive! They've lasted us a LONG time and the sheets, pillow cases and comforters wash up great.