I consider myself a bargain shopper and if I can't find a bargain, I will immediately go for either quality or efficiency. My shopping instinct extends to my pets and "their" belongings as well, so when I set off to find G a quality dog bed, the idea that it had to be G- and cat-proof was at the top my list!
As I've mentioned before, the very first doggie bed I purchased for G was a Milk-Bone $10 affair from the corner Walgreen's. While the decision to get a dog was not a last minute one, I had a sneaking suspicion the puppies would make quick work of any more expensive bed I purchased:
And that they did. Not a few hours after these photos were taken, the stuffing was all over the floor, it smelled like puppy piddle and that bed was in the garbage chute.
Needless to say, I've gone through my fair share of trying to find the right bed for G. As she was growing up, I typically found her fluffy blankets to snuggle on instead of committing to a bed because I knew her "accommodations" weren't long for this world (thank you puppy teeth!).
Last year, as G was gearing up to celebrate her 3rd birthday and had finally calmed to the point that I didn't think buying a nice bed would be an exercise in futility, I began to research the perfect bed for her. Now, I am an L.L. Bean aficionado and I just love their stuff. It's practical, durable and guaranteed for life. Not to mention, they also offer free shipping with no minimums and, for L.L. Bean cardholders like myself, monogramming is no extra charge!
With something like a
dog bed, I knew a lifetime guarantee was key, so I ended up purchasing the
dark green (Loden) denim rectangular bed and inscribing "Goose" on it (G's nickname). I knew it would last for awhile as our previous dog, Luci, had a similar L.L. Bean denim dog bed that was around for about 10 years.
The best part of the bed is the heavy-duty denim that easily zips off to clean in the laundry - no special care. With cats, this is especially helpful, as when the bed is not in use by G, you can usually find a cat taking advantage of its services. It's also nice because whenever the cats feel like getting sick (which is a fairly normal occurrence with hairballs), they love to place it right in the center of the bed. The denim is durable enough that it never leaks to the under-padding and I can quickly wash it in less than an hour.
Oh, and from the looks of it, G finds the bed pretty comfortable too!
