Homemade Super-Cheap Dog Bed

Many people know I'm very much a Do-It-Yourselfer (as if homemade dog food wasn't a huge clue). I grow most of our produce, make my own dog food and treats, build bed headboards, resurface our kitchen cabinets, build catios.... If I feel like I can do an equally good job rather than buying something or paying someone else to do it, then I do it myself!

Cue in Sarge...

A while ago Sarge started some destructive behaviors when the dogs were home alone.  Chewing up blankets, bed sheets, and even chewed a chunk out of my brand new squishy bed (memory foam mattress).  He then had to be kenneled when we left the house and continued his blanket shredding in his kennel.  I was tired of going through dog beds when even the cheapest ones were $10, it added up.  I stopped giving him dog beds and just left the tattered blankets, but that eventually made a mess.

At the suggestion of a friend whose dog also shredded beds, I tried a burlap sack.  It's only been in his kennel a day or so and Sarge has layed on it numerous times while we've been home.  He may very well destroy this one too, but it won't be financially stressful if he does this time.

I had a bag of poly-fill from a previous bed-ripping incident where I decided to keep the stuffing (after all, it's still perfectly fine) for when I might need it again.  I purchased a used burlap sack at C-A-L Ranch for a whopping $1.19!  The sack was torn open at the bottom of course, but with some string and a needle, I stitched it up after putting some poly-fill in it.  Worst case scenario, and Sarge does rip it up it will only cost me $1.19 for a new one and a few minutes of stitching.

Now before any strangers try to put their 2 cents in about the situation, don't worry, Sarge's anxiety/boredom behaviors are not an everyday or even weekly occurance.  We do other things like stuffed kongs, lavender oil, doggy pheramones, and daily runs to help ease his pent up energy.  And quite simply, I believe in letting some behaviors slide... I like having dogs (and cats) and all the quirks that come with them! :)