Any recommendations for a dog bed for a greyhound

[79andnotout]

Hi, I have two greyhounds, one ex racer and one failed racer. The ex racer was injured and is much less manoeuvrable in general compared to our failed racer.

Both sleep in our bedroom. We have a 1.5 seater sofa and a dog bed on the floor. We're quite happy for our failed racer to sleep on the bed with us as she curls up very small and is no bother. She always does this in winter as it's warm and she likes to curl up between us. However, in summer she prefers the sofa. She's older and we've had her a lot longer so she feels the choice is hers.

The problem is our failed racer. He would prefer to sleep in the bed with us but he's massive, he doesn't curl up small, and he barks and growls if you move in the night, which happens a lot, so he's not allowed on the bed at night. Usually he sleeps on the sofa unless our other dog gets there first.

Neither of them want to sleep on the dog bed on the floor, we've tried several different ones. I don't think they like being on the floor in general, maybe it's cold although our house is warm, and they don't like wearing pyjamas. we don't have room for two sofas in our bedroom, it's an old terraced cottage. They also won't sleep downstairs away from us, they're very clingy.

Anyone got any recommendations of dog beds their greys are happy with? I think the ex racer needs lots of padding due to his previous injuries. At the moment he keeps getting up multiple times in the night and pacing around as he's not comfortable, and he tries to get in our bed. I feel bad for him but I want a decent night sleep!

Anyone got any advice?

I haven't tried it with ours but someone suggested a cot mattress with an old duvet on it. Might be something you could pick up cheap (someone getting rid) rather than spending out £££ on something they don't like.
Our ex racer is happy with a standard soft dog bed on the floor, or the sofa, or the hard floor, depending on his mood (he's not allowed upstairs).

How about adding the cot mattress to under the dog bed? It would be softer and raised a bit. You might find a free one on a local Facebook group if you ask.
I’d add a duvet on top too as ours definitely like to snuggle into one.

Yes ours like a duvet folded over.

We actually have a cot mattress and a duvet for him in the boot of our car, so that's a good shout. I will bring those in and see if he's happier with that, dunno why I didn't think of that.

Not letting them upstairs was never going to work as our house isn't big enough to keep them downstairs all the time. They just get in the way!

Greyhounds are the best though aren't they?

Ours sleep wherever they want but one of them will always go on my son's double bed with him.

Occasionally he'll come and wake us up to get grey to move as he's 'racing in his sleep again'

Hope that works for you

They totally are the best! And yes he does an awful lot of rabbit chasing in his sleep. He gives the best cuddles in his waking hours though so he gets forgiven for a lot.

So elegant

Oh photo didn't attach - d'oh!

Ha! Yes, ours races in his sleep too, and even makes noises, which is funny as he's so quiet the rest of the time, can't remember the last time he barked.
He's confined to downstairs as the cat has the run of upstairs.
I like the idea of the mattress in the car - might try that as although he travels really well he doesn't seem comfortable.

Yeah we have cats too but they all seem to muddle along. It's quite funny seeing the dogs trying to find a spot on the sofa when our smallest cat is on it taking up all the room. They gingerly turn round and round above him trying not to step on him while he sits there hissing if they get too close!

And yes both of ours absolutely love the car. One goes in the boot and the other in the backseat. I can just see ears twitching back and forth in my mirror as the boot rider scopes out all the action, occasionally emitting a woof at another dog or squirrel. I think they'd both like to be chauffeured around all day. They go crazy when we start packing the car for a holiday.

One of mine will try and get in any car bit that is open. He tried to get into the window cleaner's van too

I think he really loved racing and that's how he'd be transported?

Ha yes, one of mine too! He is obsessed with buses and tries to get on those. We live by a rural ish train station which regularly has a bus replacement service and he does the standard greyhound statue pose right in front of it and refuses to move. The drivers are always very bemused by this big hound determined to get on the bus!

Yes! Ours loves vans, wants to check out every van we pass, they must have some association from their previous lives.

I really recommend Orvis beds.
Expensive but the after sales service is fabulous and our bed is 5 years old and still looks great.
Most importantly, our ex-racer loves the bed,can stretch or curl up small with bumper surround and obviously loves it!
It is the memory foam option.

Both of mine sleep on their backs on the sofa. That's the photo I was trying to post.

Just massive pointy bags of elbows. I love them so much!

Ours just has a regular rectangular shaped dog bed with a throw on it - we have tucked him up in a blanket over the winter (and put a fleece on when it was really cold). I have read that they often like to be several inches above the floor - as in racing kennels?

Yeah I don't think they like being on the floor. Those Orvis beds look really nice - what size did you get @Howtochoose? It's a lot of money, which I wouldn't mind if it was guaranteed they'd use it!

Last night I brought the mattress in from the car and put a duvet on it and surrounded it in cushions and my older dog claimed it instantly, although I think she got cold in the night as she started pacing and tried to get on the bed but one of our cats had claimed the space instead! It's a bloody madhouse here. I don't know how our pet number has increased so much, I'd never intended on having four!

We have the coach bed in large and our grey can lie down at full stretch. A large male greyhound might be a little big,but with the lower front it works very well to cope with more than one dog or or very long legs!
In typical grey fashion,quite often our girl is on her back 😊 and loves the back surround.