by Walker Parks | on June 1st, 2010 | in Features, Swag the Dog
Ruby and Angus have been on the road a lot this winter, traveling back and forth between Santa Fe and Taos. But when you’re covered in mud and shedding enough to knit a new dog, it’s good manners to bring your own bed. Which one to pack depends—camping? staying at the dogsitter’s? sleeping in the car? Banished outside for scarfing up three bags of blue corn chips (never mind…).
So we had them test the best travel dog beds out there. Their methods don’t lie: Like a bed? Curl up on it. No like? Ignore it. Once they were done trashing them, we tested them to see which cleaned up best and came up with a few clear winners. —Elizabeth Hightower
THE CONTENDERS:
Ruby, packed and ready with her Mud River suitcase and Mud River Cache Cushion. Think of them as her checked and her carry-on luggage.
Ruby ready to bivvy with the Harry Barker Hemp Bedroll and the Ruffwear Mt. Bachelor Pad
THE REVIEWS:
1) The Frisco, $80.00
Mud River Dog Products, mudriverdogproducts.com
Folded 30”L x 6”W x 22”H; Unfolded 44”L x 30”W x 3”H
Here’s how cool they are at Arkansas-based Mud River: They bring other people’s dogs to work. When we talked with Morgan at this gentlemen’s hunting outfitter (Motto: “Dirty Trucks, Lonely Wives, Happy Dogs”), she’d brought a former employee’s pup to the office. She sent the monster Frisco, which has inspired Mud River’s hunters to proclaim: “If I’da wanted to bring a suitcase, I’da brought my wife!” Nonetheless, this seemed like the best option for geriatric Angus: three inches of thick EVA foam, heavy waxed canvas cover, and the size of a climbing crash pad. He was not interested. In fact, no dog set foot on the Frisco in three months of exposure. Our 8-year-old friend, Finn, however, made quick use of the pad. Motto: You’ve got to have smarter dogs to use this one.
2) The Cache Cushion, $30
Mud River Dog Products, mudriverdogproducts.com
29″ L x 37″W
A really handsome portable number, backed in waxed canvas. Pros: With velcro straps, it rolls up tight, with quality construction and a snappy color scheme of loden fleece trimmed in safety orange. Cons: Not for a 90-pound lab. If Angus thought the Frisco was “tooooo hard,” this one was “tooo small and toooo thin.” We passed it on to Danger and Cooper, our K9 rescue friends, for their travel crates. Also, keep this in mind for all travel dog beds: Hair really likes fleece. The Cache Cushion cleans up nicely in the wash, but until then, it’s a hair party waiting to happen.
3) Mount Bachelor Pad, $59.95 medium, $74.95 large
Ruffwear, ruffwear.com
Medium (38” l x 29” w, 1” loft); Large (48” x 36”, 1” loft)
Faced in recycled fleece, filled with thermal padding, and backed in PVC-free, waterproof recycled polycloth, the Bachelor Pad is the only one of these to block ground moisture. Throw it in the mud, hose it off, drip it dry, and then roll it up tight with its velcro straps. By far the best for camping and any wet pursuits, and the dogs seemed to dig it. Downside? Check out the hair.
2) Hemp Stripe Bedroll, $48.00-84.00
Harry Barker, harrybarker.com
Extra Small (25″ l x 19″ w); Small (31″ x 21″); Medium (37″ x 24″); Large (43″ x 29″)
Ruby Likes! Major style points for this one—it comes in five different colors of haute-hippie stripes—plus it’s got the most loft. Everything is eco, from the azo-free dyes to the recycled fiberfill padding; the hemp is plenty rugged, and dog hair brushes right off. It’s also the easiest to roll up, with an attached hemp strap and Fastco buckle, as opposed to Velcro straps. We were dubious that this one would dry well, since it’s a bit thicker than the rest. But it was wash and wear. The bedroll also comes in five colors of recycled fleece, from $14.99 to $29.99. Match the color to your dog hair, or go with our recommendation and spring for the durable hemp.
THE VERDICT:
For camping, wet work, river trips or active use, the Mount Bachelor Pad is the bed to beat, and a doggie fave. Visiting friends, road-tripping, heading to the ski house? Pack the Hemp Stripe Bedroll, the comfiest of the bunch. Hunting? You’ll need Mud River, if only for the bomber quality and safety orange chic.
by Walker Parks | on September 15th, 2009 | in Features, Pampering, Swag the Dog
The Big Shrimpy Original
Dogs don’t need much help when it comes to sleeping. They’re amazingly proficient at it. If there’s a couple square feet of soft turf somewhere out there, they’re probably already snoozing on it. But I’ve noticed something about the Big Shrimpy Original dog bed my two dogs have been snoozing on for the past year or so. They’re addicted to it. I’ve had a few other beds floating around the house, and there’s no shortage of space on the carpet and backyard. Yet every time I pull the three-inch thick Big Shrimpy bed out from under mine, both dogs practically jump over me to stake out their spot on it. (more…)
by Grayson Schaffer | on April 24th, 2009 | in Swag the Dog
Cooper checks out the world
I caught no end of hell showing up at a hunt kennel with a fur-lined soft crate made for well-heeled lap dogs, but I stand by the SleepyPod. If I were a dog, this is where I’d want to be kept. Essentially, it’s a three-part circular dog bed with a soft dome that zips over the top. If your dog has an accident in the plush interior, you just zip it out and wash it. On the three-hour flight back from Atlanta to Albuquerque, Cooper didn’t make a sound; he was out cold such that the lady sitting next to me didn’t believe I’d had a dog under the seat the whole time. The only problem? Cooper’s going to be chihuahua-sized for maybe another two weeks. After that, it’s into his puppy crate. $148
Update: I had Cooper sleep in his puppy crate the other night. He was up and crying in the middle of the night to go out. I’m not sure whether that’s because the crate isn’t as plush or because it’s big enough that when he wakes up, peeing seems like a reasonable option. In any event, the Sleepypod proved to me that a seven-week-old puppy can hold it all night–if he has a mind to.