what dog bedding do you use?

[booyhoo]

I'm getting my golden retriever puppy in just over 3 weeks and am trying to get together all the stuff we need. we have a crate but i don't know what is the best type of bedding to use. does anyone have the vetbed bedding? what do you think of it?

sorry, just over 2 weeks I'll be getting him, not 3 weeks >

Vetbed is great, but for a tiny pup I would just use lots of old towels.

Soft absorbant, quick and easy to bung in the machine and it doesn't matter if they get shredded.

never thought of that. i am worried about him feeling a bit vulnerable in a big crate whislt he is so small. i intend to sleep down with him for the first night or two but after that he will be on his own. would it be worth buying a small dog bed that will make him feel snug or is there any way i can make a nest that he wont kick about and feel cold in?

I always use a cardboard box in the back of the crate with the flaps cut off and the front cut down in the style of a dog bed iyswim.

Then I put newspaper in the front of the crate, although puppies shouldn't 'go' in their sleeping area and this is the reason most people crate train, I still like to do this when they are very small and have very little control as it means they don't end up sleeping in their mess.

good idea. i think i am having dumb day today, these are very simple things and i can't think of them.

I have an 11 week old puppy lying on my lap, so it's all pretty fresh to me.

give me a month and i will be expert on all things pup aswell!

vet bed even for puppies. It is hard for most of them to destroy. Get a small piece that can be used for puppies only. It is easy to wash and dry. Lasts forever.

It helps with training as they learn to settle on the vet bed so whereever there is a piece eg the sitting room they hopefully will chill out.

thanks minimu1.

I also have a new pup! He is 9 weeks and we have had him for around 10 days now. We are using vetbed and have the whole base of the crate covered. He has not soiled it but the downside is that I have to get up early to let the pup out. Ours can last about 7 hours - which is actually really good - but I am struggling a bit after getting up at 5.30am each morning. I go back to work tomorrow after my fortnight's holiday, so will have to see how I survive long-term.....

If you are buying vetbed be careful where you buy it. I got some with my crate. It is very good quality but not original vetbed (I have since discovered). I then bought a length on eBay so that I could have a spare piece for his main crate and a piece for the car crate. I am not impressed. The backing is plasticky and non-porous - and I also discovered that the 80cm wide piece I ordered only had the backing on for 75cm of the width. I would have sent it back, but our pup had a bout of diarrhoea and I decided to cut the piece for the crate as I thought we were going to need it. Stupid! I should have just put towels in and sent the whole length back. Anyway, be careful because not everything sold as vetbed actually is!

damn, i have just bought some off ebay. i hope it is good stuff. if it isn't i will just return it and get the original stuff from pets at home.

Vetbed excellent!!!
As a vet I always went down the start as you mean to go on line. How ever shortly before puppy arrived 5 weeks ago DH said we couldn't leave baby alone downstairs cue argument. Anyway DH did a load of research and came up with new advice from people like Ian Dunbar.
So it goes like this you have the puppy crate in your room you only get pup out for a wee and don't let in\on your bed. After 3 days you gradually move pup downstairs over 3 to 5 nights depending on distance to go.
I have to say in the face of the great Ian Dunbar's advice I had to give in and we did this it was excellent pup never cried one single night and now 5 weeks later hops in his crate at bedtime when asked and lasts all night (9 hours).

ooh that is interesting lizcat because i had also read that aswell somewhere (cant remember where) so i shall give it a try.