[nagdu] Dog Beds

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Robert.
Some time ago, I bought a nice dog bed from overstock.com.  It is a thick 
cushion, temperpedic foam on one side and egg-carton temperpedic on the 
other side.  The cover is cloth, and is fairly easy to remove and wash.  The 
instructions say the foam can also be wiped clean, but I've never bothered. 
Some fur sticks to the cloth, but it doesn't get as grubby as fleece, and is 
much easier to wash.
The cushion is large enough for a big dog, and about 2 inches thick, but is 
light and easy to move around. I bet one could find something like it on 
Amazon.
HTH.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Hooper" <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
To: "NFB-NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>; <seeingeye-l at list.web.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 10:25 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Dog Beds


> Good Morning Gleeful guide dog gurus:
>
> I find myself with a quandary relating to, as the subject may hint, dog 
> beds. Currently, Bailey has a massive, fluffy, heavy bed with a massive, 
> fluffy, heavy pillow-case-like covering. However, this poses a few 
> annoying problems with which I should like to dispense with the upmost 
> haste. I have decided that a new bed-or something made to resemble a 
> bed-is in order. So, I will list the qualities of Bailey's current bed 
> along with some of the things I desire in a new bed.
>
>
> 1.       Smell and general hygiene. The covering on Bailey's current bed 
> resembles, in texture, a fleece type material. This, as many of you 
> experienced dog owners will know, traps smells and hair very readily, 
> necessitating frequent laundering. As his bed is cumbersome to maneuver 
> and manipulate, getting the covering on and off the bed isn't very 
> convenient. Also, if I have to wash the thing, I do so with towels or 
> other non-clothing. This means an extra load of laundry, which in turn 
> means more money and detergent used (although one sort of implies the 
> other, no?). I would like the material of his new bed to repel hair and be 
> easily cleaned. Something with the qualities of leather or pleather, for 
> example. I would like maintenance to be simple, preferably consisting of a 
> wipe-down, vacuuming, etc.; it's not that I am completely opposed to ever 
> having to wash the bed-I would just prefer to do so infrequently-maybe 3-4 
> times a year or such. I've noticed a stronger Bailey odor
>  after he's been laying on the bed for a while, and I think that a 
> hair/body oil repelling material would be a better solution. So, do any of 
> you have any recommendations for beds optimized for little maintenance and 
> odor/hair retention?
>
> 2.       Size and weight. I love his current bed with regards to comfort. 
> However, it is very bulky, and probably weighs about 20-25 pounds. Do any 
> of you know of a bed that is still comfortable yet more compact or 
> portable?
> Well, I thought I had more requirements, but I think that's enough for 
> now. Here are just a few more comments that might help you guys think of a 
> bed best suited for Bailey's and my situation:
>
> 1.       He is an 85 pound GSD with the standard coat.
>
> 2.       I do not crate him.
>
> 3.       My new apartment's floors will be hardwood (although I will 
> probably install an area rug in the bedroom).
>
> As far as feature priorities are concerned, I listed the most important 
> first. If anyone has any suggestions or experiences that would help me 
> find a suitable bed for Bailey, I would be, for the duration of my 
> admittedly limited existence, filled with a gratitude whose magnitude 
> exceeds linguistic boundaries of expression.
> Toodles,
> Robert Hooper
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
> The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology; Department of 
> Neuroscience
> 572 Stinchcomb Drive
> Apt. 3
> Columbus, Ohio 43202-3702
> (740) 856-8195
>
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