Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Waggers Big Dog Bed)

Member Name: FourPaws

Product:	Waggers Big Dog Bed
Date:	11/01/09 (417 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Large, durable, comfortable, warm, machine washable cover

Disadvantages: I'd have preferred a zip closure instead of metal poppers

*What is the Waggers Big Dog Bed?*
This bed is produced by an online store called Waggers who manufacture a large variety of useful, practical products for dogs including feeding equipment, collars, leads, beds, training aids, coats, toys, gundog equipment, towels and car safety devices.

*The product itself*
My two dogs are on the go all day, they do not stop from the moment they wake up in the morning until the moment they go to sleep at night, but when they do finally settle down for a rest, then boy do they like to be comfortable and if they are not, then they will complain accordingly, and very loudly, until they get the cosiest and most comfortable spot in the house.

I have beds for them in the kitchen, study, lounge, utility room and my bedroom, basically so they can settle down in whatever room I happen to be in as they do like to be close to me, and giving them a place to lay (in theory) prevents them from trying to sit on my lap the entire time, as it appears that no one actually ever told my dogs that they are in fact a Rottweiler and a Bernese Mountain Dog, not little Chihuahuas who can curl up on peoples laps. When I just had Benson I had obviously just the one dog bed in each room, and when I got Grace I just brought another one for each of the rooms for her, I thought that'd be best as it gave each dog their own place to rest and get away from the other one instead of having to share. They bonded way better than I had expected them to though, to the point of being inseparable, which of course is not something I am complaining about it just meant I had to look for other bedding options as they were forever trying to squeeze into the same bed!

For most people it would probably just be the simple case of upgrading to the next sized dog bed that could comfortably fit two dogs, but my dogs already have the largest sized beds available in pet shops for just ONE of them. So I was a bit stuck for ideas until I remembered Waggers, a site I'd purchased a bed and other dog items from before.

Advertised on their first page was exactly what I needed- marketed as a 'BIG bed for your BIG dog', a quick look at the product specification and I placed my ordered.

The Waggers Big Dog Bed is exactly that- a big bed for large dogs. The bed is available in one size only, which measures 52 x 70 inches making it ideal for giant breeds such as Great Danes and Saint Bernards but also suitable for two-three dogs to share which is what I wanted it for. The bed is made from an 'overstuffed' thermal hollow fibre duvet, sewn into tubes across the width to prevent the duvet from sagging under the weight of heavy breeds and then covered in a hard-wearing durable removable cover fastened by metal press studs. The bed available in a choice of colours- blue/brown check, green check, tan check and Waggers highly popular olive coloured 'Virtually Indestructible' material which means there is even an option for dogs who like to chew or tear at their bedding. A handy waterproof liner is also included and the cover is machine washable on a low temperature allowing you to easily keep the bed hygienically clean and free of odours.

*Packaging*
The bed comes simply contained in a clear plastic bad which keeps the bed protected and dry with a small cardboard insert telling us the company name. All packaging can be recycled once no longer needed.

*Price & Availability*
Waggers is an online only store and their products are not available anywhere other than on their website, www.waggers.co.uk. The site is very easy to navigate and upon arriving at the home page you will see a link for dog beds down the left hand side which will take you to their selection. The bed is priced at £139.95.

*My opinion*
We all appreciate somewhere nice and cosy to sleep and dogs are certainly no exception. I do provide separate beds for my dogs but as I mentioned earlier they seem to think they are an awful lot smaller than they actually are, often resulting in disappointment for them when they try to curl up in the same bed together, even if it is very amusing to watch! The Big Dog Bed seemed ideal for them and once I'd placed my order I couldn't wait for it to arrive.

Sure enough it did a few days later and on first impressions I wasn't disappointed with my purchase. I laid the bed down in the lounge and was very impressed with the thickness of the duvet, its important for large dogs like mine to have good support on their joints and pressure points and this bed would certainly provide that, also the thickness would help to insulate against the sometimes quite cold wooden flooring. Of course I had to test the bed myself before I let my dogs on it and again, I wasn't disappointed with the bed! The cover was very soft to the touch but I could also tell how durable and long lasting it would, and the duvet itself was heavenly- very thick and supremely comfortable and the bed was thick enough for me not to feel the floor underneath.

I finally decided I should really let Grace and Benson have a go, seeing as it was them I'd brought it for so after calling them in it was instantly clear the bed was a big hit! They'd not long been back from a long walk so were very tired and laid down on the bed straight away and slept right through for a couple of hours. They looked extremely comfortable on it and there was plenty of room for them and the cat too who decided to join them for a little while. They sunk right down into the duvet and were really able to cosy up into it well instead of just sitting on the top which is what had happened with some other beds I'd brought them in the past.

So for starters I was very impressed, but only time would tell whether or not it was going to be worth the £140 I paid for it.

Well four months later I'm pleased to say, that so far, it has been! The most amazing thing is that it's still in one piece, which is quite some going with Grace the serial bed chewer sleeping on it daily and also the duvet hasn't gone flat which I'm pleased with- a lot of other beds have gone flat as a pancake after a couple of weeks due to the size of my dogs. The dogs have played on the bed- bouncing on and off it with claws digging in and the fabric has help up brilliantly- no rips or tears and also no ill effects to the bed having it laying in front of a lit fire most evenings. I chose the blue check cover like the one in the dooyoo picture and it really is a nice attractive colour, mud brushes easily off when dried and the dog hairs don't penetrate the fabric which makes daily clean up quick and easy. I've washed the cover of the Big Dog Bed weekly since I've had it like I do with all my other pet bedding and it washes up lovely, the fabric is still soft and strong and the colours haven't faded at all, the cover is also reasonably thick which stops doggy odours from reaching the duvet inside.

In conclusion, this bed really is fantastic. Grace and Benson are comfortable on it which is of course the main thing, it's large enough for them both to stretch out on and the thick duvet cushions them and keeps them warm and cosy at the same time. It may be initially quite costly but it really is good value for money, cheaper beds would go flat very quickly and the fabric wouldn't be of such a high quality.

Summary: A comfy, cosy, warm and snug bed for your dog. Well worth the money