What is the best crate pad for your dog? What you pick depends on the age, breed, temperament and health of your dog. Many pups are better off with no crate pad at first. Ripping one up is just too much fun. Exceptions include tiny toy breed pups and boney breed pups who complain mightily if they don’t have a soft surface to nap on.
My Pip, who is almost 9 years old, went years with no pad by her own preference but recently I bought her a wonderful, thick orthopedic pad which she loves. She goes into her crate more to nap now; I find her there often in happy slumber.
Here are a few popular dog beds that work in crates along with their best feature and/or use. If you have questions, ask in the comments. I’ll get back to you.
Bolster Crate Pads
These have a bolster/side all around them and are especially good if you have a wire crate. Wire crates inevitably (and bafflingly to me) have gaps below the door where eager puppy feet can get snagged some or going. A bolster dog bed makes that less likely.
The center “bed” itself often has little or no padding. That works fine for some dogs but comfort-seeking dogs may need more “cush” than that. Click on the images below to check them out:
Orthopedic Crate Beds
If you have an old dog or an orthopedically compromised dog, an orthopedic crate pad is a good investment in their comfort and health. I just shelled out the cash for this one and am delighted with the quality and support it offers:
Other choices for supportive kennel mats include:
Easy-Wash Dog Beds
Some dogs are messy due to age, breed or health and they need easy wash bedding so you can keep them clean without spending your life washing dogs beds. Washable covers are great but if your dog is truly messy, you need bedding that you can wash all of it with ease. Here are my top choices:
And a special shout out to Fleece Sheets – incredibly easy to wash, don’t fray into dangerous-to-swallow thread balls if chewed, can be folded to suit most sized crates and, when folded over, make a soft-enough cuddle spot for more dogs. Can be used for tiny toy dogs or pups who get cold as a big wad of sheet they can burrow into. These were my “go to” bedding options for pups and tiny toys when I ran kennels for decades.
