SueSew

I wold not recommend stuffing a dog bed with cotton scraps. The electricity you would burn to get it dry after washing it is really brutal!

I don't like removing the egg-crate mat inserts because I think they are icky and should get washed too!

I vote for the SEALED fake-sheep-wool crate mats, but be sure you get the really heavy duty stuff that can't get chewed to bits. The whole thing can be thrown in the wash. It worked for Akitas and is working fine for our lab.

The fact that the fake sheep wool attracts pet hair is GOOD. It means there is less pet hair rolling into balls like tumbleweeds around the kitchen floor when they are blowing their coat.

Lucio

Ross dress for less is a discount store that I thought would be nation wide but apparently not. Stores like TJ Maxx and Home Goods also have products for dogs and cats to the rear of the stores.

teacherbailey

My house is covered with nonskid bathroom-type rugs that get really furry and peed on a good bit and the washer and dryer dont seem to mind! Crate mats sound good, I'd use towels inside rather than batting for ease of washing and drying.

KR

Try putting your towels, or whatever, in the dryer first....just on air fluff, no heat. That should remove most of the hair before washing. Just remember to clean the dryer filter!

Hookem

Living in a small Midwest town our dog shelter is private and needs all the help they can get. When I decided I wanted to learn quilting I figured the dogs wouldn't be too critical of my work so I've been making them mini-quilts. Some do get chewed to shreds, but it's for a good cause.

lizzy

My little yorkie poos like to lay on pillows so I go to the thrift store and buy small throw pillows, wash them and fluff them up again. I make new covers with some of my fabric if needed. My family room looks like a harem with pillows on the floor in their favorite spots . I did make them each a doggie bed with the collar all around and used a thrift pillow in the center. I keep those in my sewing room so that they can come and sleep while I sew.

rj.neihart

I have 3 very hairy dogs, one in particular is a Great Pyrenees - wanna talk about hair loss daily? lol - clumps of hair are lost almost daily, regardless that I brush him often! And yes, I have made this member of our family many blankets to lay on, and yes, they become EXTREMELY hairy. And YES, I wash them regularly - but usually hang them on the line to dry - if they are too hairy then I do put them in the dryer. The hair collects into the dryer trap - and I remove them a couple of times while drying. They always come out looking like I just made them.

Sewnoma

I'm grateful that my 3 mutts are well past the puppy chew-on-everything stage! They share one gigantic crate out in the garage (when they're not on the couch and/or in our laps) and we have a variety of things in there. We have 3 beds in there and then they have a variety of blankets - some store-bought, some made by me.

They don't chew the blankets usually, unless they get into a game of tug-o-war with them. I usually just patch the rips since they don't actually eat any of the fabric, it just gets yanked apart. They're very good at wrapping themselves up, though...when it's cold you can't see a single nose or paw in there! (There's also a heater mat under their crate that we put on a nightly timer during the coldest months...even though it rarely gets cold enough for frost outside, we like to spoil our doggies! And one of the girls is 13 now so we try to keep her old bones nice and warm.)

Everything that's theirs (beds, blankets) is machine-washable. I shake stuff out in the yard before tossing it in, but I don't do a lot of work to remove fur. Our old girl is a Lab/husky mix so she produces a LOT of fur - so far our washer & dryer handle it all just fine!

AZ Jane

I would not put any padding in a crate with a puppy. Nothing they could chew and swallow!

nancia

I make dog mats by folding a fleece into thirds and then sewing the sides. it gives two areas for a puppy or small dog to curl up in.