Picking a calming bed for an anxious dog

A calming bed is just a round, deep bed with a raised edge. There's nothing clever inside it. What it does is give your dog somewhere to curl up with something pressed against their back, a bit like sleeping against a littermate. A lot of dogs who wander around at night will settle faster in one. Some won't care at all.

Get the size right

Most returns we see are beds that are too small. Wait until your dog is asleep and curled up, measure across them, and add about 15 cm. If your dog sleeps stretched out on their side, a round bed is the wrong shape entirely. Get something rectangular that's at least as long as they are from nose to the base of the tail.

Make sure the cover comes off

Fluffy beds hold on to hair, mud and smell. If the cover doesn't zip off and go in the machine, you'll be throwing the whole thing away in a few months.

When it's more than a bed problem

If your dog chews doors when you leave, howls for hours, or the nervousness started out of nowhere, have a word with your vet. A comfy bed helps a dog relax. It isn't a fix for separation anxiety.