We have a 5 month old pup. Now that the weather is getting nice, we would like to be able to leave her outside in a large pen we built for a previous dog instead of being shut up inside in her crate when we are gone. There will be a dog house in the pen and we are looking for recommendations on what type, if any, of bedding we should use in the dog house. She is certainly a chewer and will likely sample whatever we use, so I wasn't sure if it would be safe to use the common beddings such as cedar or pine shavings (that's what I always used with previous dog, but he was a different breed). Would it be better to just leave the doghouse empty without anything for cushioning/comfort? The floor of the kennel is concrete, so it doesn't offer any comfort either. Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi @Deborah Jowers You can try horse blankets or the material used in vet hospitals. You can't leave the dog on the bare concrete. You have to elevate the dog off that material.
Our dog has a trampoline style bed outdoors and it is the only bed (apart from vet bed) that he hasn't destroyed. He also likes hanging out on it when the weather is nice or he has a chew, so he obviously finds it comfy.
I've just bought a cheap trampoline style bed to use in the kitchen, which has a cold slate floor, and he loves it. Wish id got one ages ago. Interestingly, he chose to drag a piece of vet bed on it himself.
Another thought, my dog was really sick last week, vomit was made almost entirely of wood chip as was the diarrhoea he vwoke me up with in the middle of the night. Turns out my partner had used wood chippings as mulch in the garden and Loki had gorged himself on it so I definitely wouldn't recommend any kind of loose shavings.
