B is for Bedding
Bony bits and hard floors are not friends.
You've bought a lovely new bed. Your hound steps on, circles, paws at it, lies down, gets up, circles again and lets out a sigh of such deep disappointment you wonder if you should apologise. Then they go and lie on the kitchen floor.
It isn't fussiness. Well, not only fussiness. Sighthounds are built in a way that makes bedding a much bigger deal than it is for most dogs, and once you know why, the great bed saga starts to make sense. Here's what we've learnt, mostly by buying the wrong bed first.
Why a thin mat won't cut it
Sighthounds carry almost no padding of their own. Elbows, hips, shoulders and spine all sit close to the surface, under skin about as thick as a good tissue. Lie a greyhound on a hard floor and you can practically hear the bones making contact.
Over time, too little cushioning shows up as bald, thickened patches on the elbows and hocks. That's the body asking, quite politely, for a better mattress. A good bed won't make old calluses vanish overnight, but it stops them getting worse.
Whippets are lighter but just as bony underneath. Lurchers depend on the mix, but most inherit enough of the sighthound build to need proper padding too.
What we look for in a bed
We don't name brands. We do know what's worked for us, after a lot of trial, error and beds quietly passed on to friends.
- DepthPress down with your hand. If you can feel the floor, it's too thin. A full-grown greyhound will squash ordinary stuffing flat within weeks, so firm foam or a dense filling lasts far better.
- SizeMeasure your hound at full sprawl, then go bigger. A bed that makes them curl up will be used reluctantly, or used as a pillow while the rest of them lies on the floor.
- A washable coverNon-negotiable. Hounds shed, drool and occasionally roll in things you'd rather not name.
Raised edges are a matter of personal taste. Some hounds love a bolster to rest their chin on. Others want a flat stage to sprawl across. You'll only find out by trying, which is how most of us ended up with a spare bed in the attic.
Location, location, location
Where the bed goes matters almost as much as what it's made of. Hounds want to be near their people, but not in the flight path. A bed in a doorway or at the bottom of the stairs means feet, bags and small children passing right by a sleeping hound.
That matters because many sighthounds sleep deeply, sometimes with their eyes half open (yes, weird), and can startle, grumble or snap if they're woken suddenly. It's a reflex, not bad temper. A quiet corner with a view of the room suits almost everyone. Draughts are the other enemy: A spot near the back door will be abandoned the first cold night.
Blankets, duvets and the great migration
Even with a perfect bed, most sighthounds want a blanket. They nest. They burrow. They wrap themselves into a greyhound burrito and refuse to emerge until morning. Fleece is the favourite in our houses: Warm, light and quick to wash.
Have several, because they move. The one on the bed ends up on the sofa. The one on the sofa ends up on the landing. The one on the landing vanishes entirely and reappears somewhere that defies explanation. And any unattended duvet is considered fair game.
The sofa question
Let's be honest. Your hound is probably going to end up on the sofa, whatever you spend on a bed. Some owners say yes from day one. Others hold the line. Both work, as long as every human in the house agrees, because one soft touch is all it takes and the sofa belongs to the hound. Forever.
If they're allowed up, a washable throw saves the cushions from nails and hair. Either way, they still need a proper bed of their own.
How many beds, and how to tell one's wrong
More than one. Probably more than two. A good main bed where they sleep at night, then simpler spares in the living room and wherever they hover while you cook. A folded old duvet makes a perfectly respectable backup.
You'll know when a bed isn't right. The filling's gone flat, it's too small for a proper stretch, it sits in a draught or a corridor or it's simply too warm. On a hot day, plenty of hounds desert their beds for the cool kitchen tiles. That's normal. Let them.
The right bed isn't always the most expensive one. It's the one your hound chooses. And if that turns out to be a pile of old towels in the corner of the bedroom, congratulations. You've just saved yourself a small fortune.
