Reddit mentions: The best dog bed mats

How old is the puppy?

First of all, crate training issues like whining and biting the crate are absolutely to be expected. Whining and crying for 30 minutes is actually REALLY good. When I first got my puppy, she would scream as long as she was in the crate. For HOURS. She would never settle down.

With regular crate training , the crate will no longer be a place of confinement and frustration but a calming, safe place to call his own. But this takes time. Often more than 2 weeks.

As for the bed issue, don't force it. Dogs are just like people, they have their own preferences. If he likes sleeping on the kitchen floors, let him! It might not make sense to you, but if it's what he wants, it's not hurting anything so give him his space. However, it's possible it's too hot for him. My dog and cat are both very snuggly and love to sleep on soft surfaces, like beds, or cuddle with me normally. But if the apartment is too hot, both of them will go lie down on a hard floor like the kitchen or bathroom tile to cool off. So consider finding a cooling cushion for him (something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Aolvo-Cooling-Dogs-Extra-Large/dp/B07CZB9DRM) and put it in the living room. He might prefer that. If that doesn't change his preference, then just allow him to nap in the kitchen if that's what he likes. For whatever reason he might just find that more comfortable.


Concerning potty training, if he's only 10 weeks old (assuming you got him at 8 weeks) it's not surprising that he's having issues. Again, these are absolutely to be expected with a puppy. Nothing is instantaneous. But it sounds like you're giving him *way* too much freedom. A puppy should ALWAYS be in a completely controlled environment until he is fully potty trained and fully able to be trusted not to destroy/chew on inappropriate things.

If he's not in his crate (only crate him 2-4 hours a day at this young age, increase it with time), he should always be under your direct supervision. For instance, you might want to keep him in a puppy play pen, or better yet, leash him to you (get a carabiner and clip his leash to your belt loop if you have one) so that he's never more than 4 feet away from you as you move from room to room. Less optimal, but also acceptable, would be using babygates to confine him to one room (perhaps the living room as it seems that's where you and your partner spend the most time) so that you can see him at all times. As soon as he starts indicating he's going to use the toilet (walking around, sniffing, or lowering himself to squat) say a quick "nope nope nope" (in a firm, urgent voice, but not angry or loud), grab him, and run-carry him outside to let him complete the tinkle. Then throw a HUGE party when he pees outside. Shower him with his favourite treats and just be super ecstatic, play with him, dance around with him. He unlocks the BEST version of you when he pees outside.


In terms of just trying to help him settle in--definitely look into getting some chew toys that he really, really loves. My puppy was INCREDIBLY high energy and was not a settler, either. But I got Himayalan yak cheese chews for her. At first she didn't know what to do with it, but when she figured out how fun they were to gnaw on, she was addicted. Now, if I want her to settle (for example, when she's going in her crate, or when I need to do something and keep her occupied) I give her one of those chews and she'll lie down happily and hold the end between her paws and gnaw on the other end for an hour or two. It's her favourite relaxing hobby.

Here’s some things I view as necessities for MCs:

• Strong cat tree, get a tall one with large perches near the top!
  
  
• scratching posts strategically placed next to furniture you don’t want flayed.
  
  
• large pet carrier (petluv has a great one!)
  
  
• feather wand toy: pet fit brand is awesome. Catnip toys, anything to chase. Laser pointer.
  
  
• large litter box: I highly recommend the Cat-illac system (it’s extra large and great for multiple cats) paired with a litter genie. Super low maintenance. You can use their pellets or use dried beans or feed store dried corn as substrate. Eco friendly and no litter tracking.
  
  
• brush: greyhound style + furminator covers most of the bases.
  
  
• harness + leash. Start yours young and they’ll enjoy it! Gooby brand or one of those Velcro ones that wrap around the torso are pretty secure and comfortable.
  
  
• I wasted money on cat beds but they loved this
  
  
• pet insurance. I use healthy paws. It’s paid for itself many times over in the first year.
  
  
• those super large sticky lint rollers. One for home, one for work, one for your car :)

That's hilarious! Although I may have a solution to this particular scenario for anyone else who's husky does this. There's these things called like cooling pads I believe (I got mine for like less than $20 at Ross) and it's essentially a little pad that is filled with this gel like substance that basically turns cold when activated by pressure and heat usually when your dog lays on it. It's almost summer time where I live and it gets somewhat hot and my husky loves to lay out in the sun or find a nice chilled spot to cool off at. Having that little cooling pad I speak of really does wonders for them and the best thing about it is, it usually last like 3 to 4 hours each use! After a while it does lose it's overall coldness but give it like 10 to 15 minutes (no joke it's that fast) for the gel to like recover or do whatever it does to basically recharge and it's good to go! No need to put it in the freezer or fridge! Added a link to show exactly what I'm talking about. Like I said I would hit up your local Ross, Burlington or even TjMaxx if you have one where you live to snag it for way cheaper! Hope this helps anyone!

Eek. I live in Alaska so it hasn't been too much of a problem. However last year we had a spate of really hot weather (close to 90*) and we took the whole pack down to the lake when it became unbearable. My property is about 15 acres of woods and it has a little duck pond in the front, so sometimes he'd disappear and we'd find him in the duck pond haha. This year we kept him in the shop (cool concrete floors). I was looking into buying one of these https://www.amazon.com/Hugs-Pet-Products-Comfort-Cooling/dp/B005JEMARS but ultimately, since we have been so mild this summer, I didn't go for it.

We did spend winter in Las Vegas this last year with him, and he mostly just drank about twice as much water as he usually does. I froze a large chunk of watered down peanut butter and little hot dog bits and left that in his bowl during the day so he could munch on it as it melted. It worked out pretty well. I only took him out early morning or when the sun went down. My particular saint really likes to dunk his entire head in water if the bowl is deep enough, or wash his cheeks to cool down. I find that dogs are pretty good at regulating their body temperatures on their own, even though we think they're suffering, I wouldn't worry too much about it unless he's showing signs of heat stroke and provide tons of cool water.

Vanskelig, siden det ikke er godt å si hvor varmt det kan bli på 2,5 time og det ikke er helt kosher å ta sjanser her. Hvis det er en løsning for deg å la hunden være hjemme dager da det er veldig dårlige forhold kan kanskje en kombinasjon av følgende hjelpe:

• Prøve hardt å finne skyggeparkering. Parkeringshus hvis mulig? Tenker det er litt relevant hvor mye du kan vite på forhånd om forholdene der du skal parkere.
  
• Hvit bil og reflektiv solskjerming på vinduer? Ikke svart bil, vet ikke hvor stor forskjell det utgjør, mer en hunch.
  
• Vinduer på gløtt/så åpne som du tør uansett. Noen har hund i bur og bakdør åpen i perioder - men det betyr potensiell tilgang for skumliser i bilen din. Kanskje det funker hvis hunden er skummel :) Noen biler av trucktypen har jo et separat bagasjerom med gitter mellom romslig bagasjerom og resten av bilen, det er kanskje bedre for den situasjonen.
  
• Noen har vinduer åpne og elektrisk vifte for å få litt gjennomtrekk.
  
• Hvis stasjonsvogn med litt plass: Ekstra tiltak som å ha godt med kjølig vann tilgjengelig, feks med is i for at det skal være kjølende over en periode? Hvis den ikke veltes utover hele bilen, haha. Kanskje to skåler, en med bare is som smelter? Kjølehalsbånd/matter (har ingen erfaring med dette altså så best å lese reviews) https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Collar-Large-Blue-tube/dp/B00261QQPE/ eller https://www.amazon.com/Green-Pet-Shop-Cooling-Extra/dp/B006NOO440/
  Finnes visst også tørkler og lignende. Så lenge hunden ikke tygger det opp og spiser giftig kjølemateriell... Må kanskje øves inn.
  
  
• Budsjettversjon som også er billig: Jeg har noen hacks for pikniker, jeg fryser vann i vanlige farris/brusflasker (ikke helt fylt opp) og bruker det som kjøleelementer i matbag - da har man også kaldt drikkevann på slutten av en varm dag! Hvis man har en del frosne vannflasker pakket inn i et pledd, kanskje sy det sammen så flaskene ikke ruller ut - så kan hunden kjøle seg på kjølig "pute". Forsiktig så det ikke blir frostskade - man må alltid ha litt isolasjon mellom hud og is. Har tabbet meg ut med det selv etter skade, fryseskade er vondt! Dette kan være en ok ting å ha for folk som kjører rundt med hunder i varme bakseter på sommeren, dersom hunden liker det. Hvis man har frosne flasker tilgjengelig daglig er det bare å bytte ut.
  
  
  
  Vet ikke om nok slike "hacks" er nok til å føle seg trygg på at hunden har det ok, de er mer tenkt for kortere tid eller lengre turer i varmt vær tror jeg.

It is all about being consistent, immediate consequences, and showing it right and wrong. If it pees or poops in the house, you need to catch it as it happens. Anything after, maybe can bring it to the accident, yell and bring it outside but it will be far less effective. I overdo my anger(i mean it is going to happen) and rush the puppy outside. When you take them outside and they pee/poop, offer a lot of praise.

Our current samoyed(16 weeks) was slower to train than our priors on other things, but she only had 1 or 2 poop accidents and 5 or 6 pees in the house. At night I made her sleep on the bed with us and now keep her in our room(she lays on a cool mat on the floor most of the night). She never peed in our bedroom. At first, I would bring her out maybe once in the middle of the night. During the day, I worked from home early on so she would be in her crate, or within site of me and I was pretty attentive. Of course, I kept her on tile or something easy to clean when possible. Being close and really bonding with the puppy will also likely make them care more what your reaction is.

In summary, immediate anger when they fail, praise when they do well. Bring the pee pads back, they are a crutch. There is no right place to pee in a house. When it does happen, this stuff is amazing for cleanup. Later you can use it for the occasional throw up or other bio issues.

Cant help with bedding but I use this religiously. Yes, I know it is "for dogs" but it is really affordable and gets really cool, even in summer, from just the air in the room. Never needs to be put in the fridge or anything. I keep it by my side of the bed and just put it under me when I wake up too hot. The medium size folded in half is the perfect size to just fit on top of my pillow.

Got my mom one for her hot flashes and she loves it too!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JEMARS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Agreed. One solid day of intense adulting is enough to last a few days of unadulting, you earned it! Im also trying to start eating better at home...i need to learn to cook though lol because eating better doesnt really happen out of a freezer 😁 Baby steps though lol.
Poor long hair kitty...i have dreadlocks and they feel like a wet mop on my head when its hot and humid out-i cant imagine what a thick hair kitty feels like! I think maybe this pet cooling pad would be an idea for him?

If you wear a wicking undershirt (like underarmour) it should help to keep you cooler over all. Use a desk fan if you get a desk. Use a cooling pad. This one is designed for pets but will work for humans as well. I also get really hot, and I have one of these and will put it on my couch behind me and it keeps me cool. It doesn't require water or refrigeration and will keep you cool for a few hours at a time, then if you just remove it it recharges. If you got two you could rotate them and have one in your chair all the time. Also, I work in a health care environment and have a small usb/battery powered fan that I carry around with me everywhere, just blowing on my face. It keeps my face from sweating.

I have the chillz cooling mat and akc cooling mat. Neither are perfect but my dog loves cooling mats and enjoys both.

I got the chillz cooling mat brand new from someone for $10 so it's well worth it for me, but I think $50 is too expensive for the mat. It's filled with this foam and gel material that is a bit like putty and unfortunately doesn't flatten out if disturbed. It also doesn't feel cool to the touch unless pressure is applied to it, so it might not work for something like a chihuahua or light pet. The mat fits my 36" crate very well though and recharges without a fridge.

I think the akc mats are the cheapest and most worth it for the money on amazon. The giant mats go for ~$20 if you don't care about the pattern option that you get. They're filled with a more liquid gel material that is cold to the touch and recharges without a fridge. I am on my second one however, as they're prone to being chewed on by puppies and will leak if chewed. I ducktaped the edges of my newest mat to prevent further chewing. I think it's well worth it if you don't have a chewer.

Yeah, ever since he destroyed the first bed (rest in pieces...) we just let him sleep on the plastic crate bottom. We also have a cooling mat (this one on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Green-Pet-Shop-Cooling/dp/B0047WCCBW) that he loves to sit on. He's always preferred hard, cold surfaces from day one. It's why I get SO excited when I actually see him sleep on his bed haha.


He likes to be near us though, so he'll usually avoid the kitchen if we're chilling in the living room. We keep the cool pad near the couch and one of the soft pillow beds in case he decides to sit on it (but he usually only uses those beds when he's SUPER tired http://imgur.com/IpWjlcJ

We have one more or less like this. We put it in her crate on a blanket, she sleeps on top of it and the blanket and uses another one as pillow in the corner. She loves it.

We recently washed it and left it to airdry for a few days. During this time, she only used the relative cooler plastic of the bottom of her crate over the blanket. So overall she loves it and its' just part of her makeshift mattress she loves.

I bought this a few months ago. https://www.amazon.com/Hugs-Pet-Products-Comfort-Cooling/dp/B00C65TXO6/ref=pd_ys_sabia_19?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9AWZ8XP3M8D2CJMDYNNG

I'm not sure it's all that helpful to be honest. My dog lays on it occasionally, but he seems to prefer to lay on the hardwood floor when he's hot.

What I did find to be helpful are these cooling bandanas. He absolutely loves these things, and they actually do stay cold for 2-3 days. http://www.survivalsuppliesaustralia.com.au/products/EverCool-Cooling-Bandana.php

I got this for Tesla. I like it because it folds nicely, so it's also my mat for matwork. It works well ... I actually stole it last summer and threw it under my fitted sheet to cool me down lol.

I am often downstairs while my cats are playing upstairs and sometimes it truly sounds like a herd of elephants up there- and mine are all 13+ years old.

All I can say is exercise them more during the acceptable hours. Run them up and down cat trees with laser toys, do more interactive play with teaser toys like Da Bird and Cat Dancer, and right before bed give them puzzle toys that release food slowly.

I would think they would be more likely to sleep if confined to the bedroom with you rather than being offered the run of the apartment. A last resort might be to separate them during the overnight hours.

Perhaps try heated cat mats- it's like a heating pad but calibrated for cats to lay on. I have a couple and any time they are on my cats are glued to them. Turn them on at bedtime after they have had a strenuous day and a good meal and they will acclimate to sleeping through the night.
Here's an example.

Thank you for this! We are about to head to a race with our dog next week and was looking up ways to make sure she stays cool! Has anyone used one of the "cooling dog beds" like this one? We will have the RV so if it gets too warm we can always put her in the ac for a while. And I am thinking about going and buying a cheap collapsible kiddie pool to take with us.

We have a pressure-activated cooling mat from Amazon. This one in size XL.

The Green Pet Shop Cooling Gel Pad for Dogs

We’ve only had it a couple of months, but our Pyr seems to like it. He won’t lay on dog beds or even blankets, so this thin mat is perfect for him.

Buy him something like this bed

I mean, not exactly that one, but something similar.
The breeder that sold us our Great Pyr recommended one of those beds, I'm trying to find the one she told us about but I can't find it at the moment.

I’m thinking about setting up a home gym in my (unfinished) basement and am looking at the following for flooring:

Equine Stall Mat, Bed Mat, Barn Flooring, Kennel Floors - Heavy Duty Rubber Mat 4' x 6' x 1/2" (Qty of 6) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N01YIJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_V5QDDbSE45K3X

BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles, Blue, 144 sq. ft.(Pack of 36) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IDRWPCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h6QDDbHKADPYJ

The thinking is I’d put the rack and such on the stall mats and then surround the stall mats with the foam tiles. Anyone have something similar or have an opinion on this?

Both are 1/2” but I’m wondering if the two will truly be level with on another. Not looking to trip over a slightly raised edge.

Also, would stall mats adequately protect the concrete floor from dropped weights. I’m not one to throw weights around but sometimes you need to bail.

Any and all thoughts welcome!

I would consider something like this or this mat, to give him a place to cool down. It would be a good idea to get a thermometer (and some lubricating jelly) and take his temperature on very hot days. A normal temp is around 38.3 to 39.2 Celsius, and anything hotter than that can start to cause damage - a temp of 41.1 C or above is a medical emergency, as organs start becoming damaged at that temp.



Get a plastic baby pool, fill it with water, and give him access to it daily. Preferably stick it in the shade. Show him he can go into it, and maybe start with shallow water if he is unsure. Make sure to empty it and refill it daily (as he will likely also drink from it).

When he is too warm, you need to cool him down. Start by wetting his paws and ears with really cool water, and putting a wet/damp towel across his body.

Please give him access to your home if you are able, so he can get some relief.

Most groomers will use something like this to keep the dog on the table, which is as much for your dog's safety as their own.

As /u/Kartofel_salad says, what breed is he? A close trim in the summer can actually be worse for the dog than leaving them with their natural coat as they can get sunburn if their skin isn't covered. We've had several long-coat dogs over the years and normally restrict their trims to their haunches and bellies which is more about dags and clumps of mud from their walks than anything else.

A cooling pad, fan, and plenty of fresh water is another option for keeping him cool during the hot weather.

OP, this mat has been my greatest investment as a dog owner. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0172IB2JU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZSDJAbHHZPJDK

Putting it right inside the door has revolutionized the mud situation in our house! It is INCREDIBLE how much moisture it pulls from my dogs' feet!

I got this one on Amazon for my dog and he loves it! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005JEMARS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

We got this one from Amazon. We got the biggest size and it's perfect. It's gel and doesn't require and freezing or filling. It's also proven to be puncture proof between him biting it and the cat's claws.

Does he like to lay on hard floor? You could get a summer cooling mat to see if he likes that. He is probably used to a temp drop at night.

Edit: something like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JEMARS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_anD9ub1E4WCT2

It would be cheaper to buy stuffing and add it in or put some old pillows and blankets in as well.

I have one of those foam crate beds, and it's pretty unsquishable. It's made by Big Barker.

I have one of these for Khoal Guiness, http://www.amazon.com/The-Green-Pet-Shop-Cooling/dp/B0047WCCBW. Hope all is well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0192CJO30/

I got two of these for my dogs, and one fell in love, she can't stop laying on it, and I put one in her kennel, and she refuses to sleep anywhere else now, except for minor naps in the hardwood floor in the entry way.

The other dog couldn't care less for them.

I don't know if you can get these in Australia, but a cooling pad might be helpful.

We have this cooling pad from Amazon and my big fluffball loves it. He prefers lying on this to being on his memory foam bed. At first we were worried about him destroying/eating it, so we wrapped it in an old fitted sheet. Turns out he didn't even try to chew it, thank goodness.

There are devices you can use to keep him away from your door at night. They make motion activated air blasters like this and static pulse mats like this. There was an episode of My Cat From Hell where they used the air blaster and it worked perfectly. Don't let these guys run your life.

There are reusable pods for 2.0 machines. Keurig 2.0 K-Carafe Reusable Coffee Filter and Single Refillable K-Cup 4 piece Bundle Gift Set with Coffee Scoop for K200, K300, K400 and K500 series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182X5UFG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Fk2BybMP8618Q

100% effective
https://www.amazon.com/Sofa-Scram-Sonic-Deterrent-Repellent/dp/B001J2Q3KY

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Pet-Shop-Cooling-Pressure-Activated/dp/B0047WCCBW I had a fair bit of luck with this one. I don't wanna advertize , and maybe other people will have some suggestions, but it works for me and my fluffier dogs.

I keep one of these on the counter and my cats have stopped jumping up there. It makes a high pitched beep when the pad is touched. As a bonus it deters children, too. http://www.amazon.com/Sofa-Scram-Sonic-Deterrent-Repellent/dp/B001J2Q3KY

[These are what I have] ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0192CJP0W?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf), but any cooling mat would work, really. They're a bit pricey, but my pups use them even in the winter. If I want my mally in a bed at all, one of these has to be on there. Even then it works for ~3 hours before it needs to recharge, so I have 2 of them for her to rotate off. In the summer when the a/c is on, I can put it over a floor vent and it will stay colder longer.

Edit: [my pups on their cooling mats] (https://imgur.com/a/iiVE8)

I'd keep him at the normal length and see if he seems hot, drinking more water and panting more before determining if you should cut him down more. He appears to have a fairly typical yorkie coat, but you could ask a groomer if shorter is better in their opinion. I think that it would mess with his temperature regulation more than anything. You can also purchase him a cooling mat if you think he's too hot.