Brisbane Winter Nights

[Mystiqview]

My border collies if inside at night when let out in the morning find the deepest patch of frost at the moment and go and lie in it.

I have two outside in kennels at night. My boy has a thick coat and seems to prefer outside. If clean the other two tend to sleep next to the bed. I have this deep hole dug by someone.... last night, I saw one particular dog sleeping in it.

[Little Gifts]

Wow that's a great idea for the bed ... I reckon even I could probably manage one of those!

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This is what I'd put in the craft thread, although I have since purchased and used McCalls pattern M5410 (because it was easier to cut out a pattern than crawl around the floor measuring out all those ties!). In the craft thread I've also added info on a pattern for no sew dog coats so if anyone gets hold of some cheap fleece blankets at the winter sales or op shops they should get two coats out of a normal sized blanket to suit a medium sized dog. There are always sales on patterns at Spotlight. I think I got all my doggy patterns for $2.50 each.

If anyone is looking for a fantastically fun, no sew dog bed then check this thread and tute out!

www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=236744.0

Edited to add the no sew coat pattern info from the craft thread -

Someone has given me Kwik Sew Pattern 3357 which includes 2 styles of no sew fleece dog coats in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL. Basically it looks like a massive babies bib with long ties - you end up with a coat shape that covers the back that has two long straps which go round the neck and cross over the front chest, loop back around the armpits and tie on the back.

It's a great idea for people who can't sew and you would get 2 coats out of the length of fabric you required so also fairly cheap.

I did a google and it looks like the pattern is still current/available to buy.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Little Gifts

[Lasareina]

Thanks Little Gifts... I will check it out!

[Whiskeys Mum]

Just had a quick look at The Wolfs Den coats and they look fantastic, ..... and they have two different skull patterned materials, which will make it a lot easier to convince my husband that whiskey needs some more pjs :)

[Ranga]

Little Gifts that's a fantastic dog bed idea! I made one this afternoon from an old polar fleece blanket and the contents of a spare pillow :) I Intended it for my Schnauzer, however one of my poodles found it first. After several turns and squishes she was set! :)

I made mine rectangular instead of round. Thanks for the idea - I'll make a couple more now I know how easy and quick it is.

[Lasareina]

Thanks for the idea - I'll make a couple more now I know how easy and quick it is.

haha you will have to make a couple more if you want your Schnauzer to have any chance at one... I don't think that little poodle is giving up her spot one that one! :laugh: I'm definitely going to have a crack... how hard can it be :p

Edited July 24, 2014 by Lasareina

[Little Gifts]

Looks good Ranga!

What a goober I am - I should've mentioned you can make them any shape you want! We like the round ones to snuggle into so I'm used to seeing round. And if you have don't have any old pillows or doonas, check out your local op shop for big old but slightly grotty looking pillows. You can get them cheap, give the whole thing a wash, open it up after it's dry and retrieve the nice clean stuffing. I normally re-shred stuffing after a wash to fluff it up again before I stuff any new beds with it though.

Edited July 24, 2014 by Little Gifts

[flame ryder]

Those beds are great...however my larger dogs would shred them to pieces on the first night

If you read my earlier response about my blanket vandals you will know what I mean. So I decided to try something a little different...I used an old flannelet sheet, it has the flexibility which allowed me to tie it onto their trampoline bed, apparently my boxer can undo knots. So there's a sheet trashed, that was plan b.

Plan c...warm coats. Good weather beater brand coat, nice and warm and soft...um no he also has the ability to undress himself...trash coat and for good measure drag it through some poo and water. Oh well, thinking about plan d.

Come on summer

[The Spotted Devil]

Mine get a Snooza D1000 and an op shop blanket until they demonstrate they are trustworthy.

[Mystiqview]

Can you place a wool blanket IN the trampoline bed? - Like those mats that you buy. I have done this and it works. I have also lined the floor of my outside kennels in thick rubber the type they use on horse float tailgates to stop the rising cold from the concrete.

[Mike Echo]

That is a very handsome dog ME :)

Cheers Ranga! Altho that's his "bugger off, it's 10pm and I'm trying to sleep" face.

[Nic oh lah]

My dogs have been outside through winter in their trampoline beds in Brissy for years but something about this year feels freezing so they're in all night every night with a brief pee-break before we all go to bed.

Also of note is that until this year they've never been allowed on the lounge/bed, but now that Sophie (GSD) is 6 she's like "nope - im older, big girls are allowed on the furniture" and it was so cute we just let it slide with Chase (BC) following suit, they've taken over

*** WARNING - Avert your eyes if you're going to lecture me on dogs being spoil / leader of the pack etc etc as I KNOW - my dogs do as their told but we LIKE snuggling them at night! ***

So this is how they sleep at night when we're first in bed after the obligatory pats -

Chase watches TV for a bit and then goes into the ensuite and sleeps on the bathmat / tiles, and then after about an hr or however long I'm patient for Sophie gets booted off (with alot of effort) and has a pile of pillows, blankies and a dog-bed with about 20toys beside the boyfriends side of the bed - and generally she sleeps on that with her head jammed under the bed, and then every so often wakes up and brains herself on the bedframe

And when i'm on night-shift and sleep during the day while OH is at work, this is my view.

Isn't she subtle!

[persephone]

this is a communal bed in our porch - just a pile of old pillows & a couple of blankets .In the daytime it gets used by two or more ..then at night,when the others are put elsewhere- it is the chosen spot for our old Gert - who is in her teens ..and loves it. On really cold ( under 5 deg. nights) I will put a HW bottle there for her - most times she doesn't use it.