Puppy crate mats
 

So the Siberian is doing well, growing and happy so far. In his crate we started with a rug remnant which was not the best idea, now he has towels which he bunches up and wraps around himself like a little kid, but he is very HAIRY and shaking these towels just doesn't cut it and I'm concerned about washing them regularly - will that hair hurt the washer and dryer?

I was thinking of making crate mats, fabric with poly batting in between and loosely quilted.They use them in shelters and I have some cute fabric with cats on one side and dogs on the other, Christmas fab but I'm sure he won't mind, which would work perfect.

Do you think these would work? If not I'm open to suggestions.

I know that a few in our sewing group make the dog beds for the local shelter and rescue organizations. They sew what I would call channels and stuff them full of scraps of fabric. That is where my leftover tiny scraps go.

I had a Westie and I just made a simple quilt using 4.5 strips, put a good quality batting in them. I still have the quilt top laying on my wicker bench in my bedroom to remind me of my beloved pet. Fabric looks faded from the washing but that is all, still intact.

When we took our Shepherd to classes, it was requested that we bring a mat for him. I pieced a scrappy top that was 6" squares of fun doggy prints. I then enveloped it using a towel for the backing. I turned it ride side out and did a top stitch around the edges and then cross hatched quilted it. Worked well. I know that you are currently using towels and don't like all the hair it captures but only one side of the towel would be able to catch the hair. We have 2 German "Shedders", a Pomeranian, a Schnoodle and 5 cats. We deal with lots of animal hair in our house. We do have to clean out our dryer vent & hose more often but wouldn't trade them for the world!!! Huskies are huge shedders so keep an eye on your dryer vent and hose.

Personally, I would (and did) go with the orthopedic (egg carton shaped) foam pads covered with a zippered, easy to wash, faux sheepskin top/faux flannel back cover that are made especially for dog crates. They're better for the puppy's bones and joints, aren't prone to being chewed, and stay put on the bottom of the crate where they belong. It's a good idea to get two covers so there's one in the crate while the other is in the wash. The foam pads themselves are hand washable if soiled.

Shelters use loose, quilty things because they're free and very low maintenance. It's that simple. I'd never crate my own dog on anything that flimsy/swallowable/uncomfortable/unhealthy. Health and safety outweigh cute and crafty. Just my opinion of course, and that of the breeders I know and those I am related to.

Sheltie hair never hurt my washer and dryer, so yours should be fine. Keeping the filters, not just the vents, clear on both machines is the secret. Dog hair did kill two vacuum cleaners, but that's a whole 'nother story. :o

My dog didn't like mats or towels in her crate. She wadded them up in the back of the crate to get them out of her way. Some dogs will chew them up and eat them which is dangerous too.

When the dogs aren't in their crates I take the mats outside and give them a good shake. Each dog has 2 mats. I alternate because they are great shedders. The mats are identical but 2 different sizes (specific for each crate). I try to remove as much hair as possible before putting into the washer and dryer. Wish I had a clothesline because I would use it instead of my dryer. Our mats are heavier because we use old bath towels.

I have cats but they love to lay ON things -- I folded a mattress pad, cut in half, and stitched around all the edges. I use the vacuum on them before I wash them.

The granddogs love the polar fleece crate blankets I made for them. I doubled up the fleece, sewed them leaving enough edge to fringe them. They are washed frequently, but they have short hair. So not sure about the washer/dryer wear and tear. I would think that if you clean the lint trap in the washer (we used to use a panty hose leg over the hose to collect the lint) it should be ok. If your puppy loves to chew and suck on tags, you can add tags made from grosgrain ribbon on the blankets. Both of the granddogs loved the tags when they were babies.

I showed dogs for a long time, and have set up at shows next to every breed possible. I'm not proud to admit that my breed sheds more than any other I've run into. I've had as many as 5 adult Kuvasz living in the house with me at any given time so the answer is no ... if the dog hair I was tossing into my washing machine didn't kill it, the hair of 1 Siberian won't come close.

The good news is that right now he's probably loosing his puppy fluff. Once that is done he will shed a bit all year round, then once or twice a year he will have a "blow" when he loses all of his undercoat. Get yourself a rake - designed for removing undercoat, and remove as much as you can outside. My one last Kuvasz is blowing coat now.

This is what it looks like after I've raked and blow dried him. Bear in mind, this is just the first rake. It takes 3-4 weeks to completely blow coat ... so I have a pile like this every week for 3-4 weeks.

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Vacuum cleaners are another story. I've killed scores of those!!

If you run short of time or energy, we have gotten some very nice quality crate mats at Ross at very reasonable prices.