Hi all, So I'm just waiting for Ozzy's new kennel to arrive (soon I hope :/) and thought I'd best think about bedding. His sleeping area is one of the small km engineering cabins.
Several people have come in to work recommending straw. But one has switched to hay and thinks it's great. He's a gun dog man and works his 4 labs most days. Says he doesn't have to change it as often and they smell better! I've read a few things warning off using hay though.
What's your verdict. He is a chewer and likes to drag his bed all over the place.
Thanks
Ben.
kennel bedding
Re: kennel bedding
The 3 Chewy Dogs here share a kennel.
They have large enclosed bench well off the ground away from draughts. This has a dairy cow mat in it fitted tight into all the edges and corners. We tried a stable mat before this but the compound is softer and even thought they couldn't get the edges up to chew it they dug holes in it instead.
This winter we have also put in a thickish bed of cardboard squares but it hasnt really been exceptionally cold yet so I'm not sure it made much difference, perhaps helped to dry them off a bit more quickly. I don't like straw/hay or wood shavings in their beds.
Previously, when I had one chewy dog on it's own I just put a basic plastic bed inside his sleeping box and chucked a load of shredded paper in it. It did the job.
They have large enclosed bench well off the ground away from draughts. This has a dairy cow mat in it fitted tight into all the edges and corners. We tried a stable mat before this but the compound is softer and even thought they couldn't get the edges up to chew it they dug holes in it instead.
This winter we have also put in a thickish bed of cardboard squares but it hasnt really been exceptionally cold yet so I'm not sure it made much difference, perhaps helped to dry them off a bit more quickly. I don't like straw/hay or wood shavings in their beds.
Previously, when I had one chewy dog on it's own I just put a basic plastic bed inside his sleeping box and chucked a load of shredded paper in it. It did the job.
Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.
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Hanrebor
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Re: kennel bedding
Shredded paper .... either the cross shredded or the normal ! ... works a treat with our kennel dogs (9 !!)
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Stihl 090
Re: kennel bedding
Would not use straw or hay, tick mites and dust in ears n eyes etc.
We use shredded paper in bed with a front run with sawdust, dust extracted cattle grade.
We use shredded paper in bed with a front run with sawdust, dust extracted cattle grade.
Re: kennel bedding
At the moment bedding isn't an issue, put some old blankets in for his 1st day in there and he pulled them out and spent all day lying on the concrete floor! So I've brought him in tonight and will put him back our in the morning. Have got cabin door wide open and giving all meals in there.
Any tips or am I just being soft?
Ben.
Any tips or am I just being soft?
Ben.
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macbud
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- Dogs: Mac, Bud, Tess , Skye and Finn
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Re: kennel bedding
After a few bed mattresses being destroyed I bought a 2 metre of vet bed .I got four strips for that so they can be washed .
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trekmoor
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Re: kennel bedding
My wife and I tried a lot of things as bedding in our two kennels . She doesn't like hay, straw or shredded paper mainly coz it gets all over the place. We tried carpet squares which got shredded, we tried old blankets which got shredded and we tried vet bed which got dragged out through the kennels pop hole and got shredded.
Last October she decided we needed new downies so she put the old ones out into the kennels . They are still working fine. They have had a little bit of chewing done to them but are still doing well. I didn't think they would last more than two days at the most ! We have three adult cockers and a young Brittany. We think the chewing that does get done, which isn't much, is done by one of the cockers and the Brittany.
The downies get aired every day and we now have replacements for them so we can switch them on a rota system. Since new cheap and cheerful downies can be bought for about £8 this has not been an expensive way of keeping our dogs warm right through the winter. The dogs keep as warm as toast among the downies. That's it for us, no mess to clean up ,nice comfortable dogs and the only work involved is taking the downies out to air them then putting them back in again.
Our dogs are not serious chewers though.
Wullie
Last October she decided we needed new downies so she put the old ones out into the kennels . They are still working fine. They have had a little bit of chewing done to them but are still doing well. I didn't think they would last more than two days at the most ! We have three adult cockers and a young Brittany. We think the chewing that does get done, which isn't much, is done by one of the cockers and the Brittany.
The downies get aired every day and we now have replacements for them so we can switch them on a rota system. Since new cheap and cheerful downies can be bought for about £8 this has not been an expensive way of keeping our dogs warm right through the winter. The dogs keep as warm as toast among the downies. That's it for us, no mess to clean up ,nice comfortable dogs and the only work involved is taking the downies out to air them then putting them back in again.
Our dogs are not serious chewers though.
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
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Re: kennel bedding
Excuse me from being over here. 
What are downies ? My guess would be thick, fluffy blankets. I ruled out 'Downy' detergent. 
What are downies ? My guess would be thick, fluffy blankets. I ruled out 'Downy' detergent. -
trekmoor
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Re: kennel bedding
Proper name for downies is "Duvets" ....my wife has just informed me. Ours are at present being aired out prior to the dogs going back out into the kennel tonight. I think we have a 12 point duvet and a 9 point duvet for the kennels. They are double bed ones and have to be folded to fit inside the big sort of wooden drawers the dogs sleep in. Sometimes the dogs get so comfortable they have to be coaxed out of the kennels in the morning.
I noticed the duvets being aired on the washing line this afternoon coz the sun was out. They were dirty with a few large tears .... Gawd knows what the neighbours think we live like !
Wullie
I noticed the duvets being aired on the washing line this afternoon coz the sun was out. They were dirty with a few large tears .... Gawd knows what the neighbours think we live like !
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
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Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
Re: kennel bedding
Thanks Wullie ! I'm ripping mine off the bed straight away. Didn't like the roses on them anyway. 