Choosing the Perfect Dog Bed - Charley Chau - luxury dog bedding

How to choose the perfect dog bed

Charley Chau's guide to choosing the perfect dog bed

Charley Chau is an award‑winning British business, specialists in designing luxury dog beds since 2010, trusted by happy customers in over 60 countries around the world who want the best for their dogs.

The average dog spends 12–14 hours sleeping every day, and good sleep is essential for a dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Most dog lovers instinctively recognise this, and it’s for this reason that we believe dog beds form part of a dog’s essential care.

Charley Chau specialises in designing luxury dog beds but, in the context of good health for dogs, physical and emotional, we believe that luxury is not an indulgence – it’s essential. We don’t just design dog beds; we are specialists in keeping dogs in the comfort that all dogs deserve.

Here’s our guide to choosing the perfect bed for your dog – from size and shape, to styling and specialist use scenarios.

What shape dog bed is best for my dog?

From a dog's comfort perspective, shape is simply driven by how they like to sleep.


Choose round dog beds for dogs that love to curl up, and rectangular dog beds for dogs that love to stretch out. If they like to do both, and you choose a round bed, make sure you allow enough space for your dog to stretch out fully.


From a practical perspective in the home, round beds take up slightly less space on the floor as there are no sticky out corners, and can work well in corners of the room, or next to furntiure such as sofa or armchair where people may walk by frequently.

Rectangular for space to stretch
Rectangular for space to stretch
Round for dogs that love to curl up
Round for dogs that love to curl up

Should my dog’s bed have high-sides?

If your dog loves to nestle their back into something soft, or rest their chin on the side of their bed, a bed with cosy, deep sides is a must. High-sided dog beds offer comfort and a feeling of safety and security for many dogs.


For dogs who love to stretch and hang off their beds, choose a simple dog bed mattress with no sides. Some dogs who love to stretch also like torest their heads on something soft - adding a Mini Bolster Pad to a stretch out mattress is a simple but effective way to deliver this extra support.

If the bed is in a room that can be cold or draughty, opt for a dog bed with sides - many dogs keep warm by nestling their backs into cosy bed sides.

Italian Greyhound dog lying on a dark gray high-wall pet bed against a white background.
Deep, cosy sides to nestle into & lean on
Stretch out mattress with no sides
Stretch out mattress with no sides

What kind of support does my dog need from a dog bed mattress?

The mattress is key to comfort in any dog bed and we recommend that dogs are given the most supportive mattress possible for their main daytime and overnight beds. All Charley Chau beds have our deep-filled luxury mattress as standard to provide fantastic levels of support on an ongoing basis, not just when the mattress is new.

For heavier breeds of dogs in particular, proper joint support really is critical to their physical welbeing and Memory Foam Mattresses should be considered. Memory Foam Beds are also a good option for older dogs who may benefit from the orthopaedic levels of support delviered by memory foam,

Charley Chau also offers Travel Pads and Burrow Bags with slimline mattresses for occasional use, or for use when placed on an existing soft surface (e.g. on a sofa). Travel Pads and Burrow Bags are great options for occasional beds and when transporting a big bulky bed is not practical.

The photos show the difference between our luxury deep-filled mattress and our slimline Travel Pad insert. in the same outer cover in Weave II - Oak.

Dog lying on a beige luxury dog bed mattress against a white background
Deep-Filled Mattress
Dog sitting on a beige travel dog bed cushion with a white background
Slimline Travel Pad

What specialist dog beds are available?

There are times when a dog needs a bed designed for specific sleep requirements or specific use scenarios. The list is endlesss but here are just a few common examples ...

Cosy Crate Dog Bed
Cosy Crate Dog Bed
A Dog Snuggle Bed made specifically for dogs that scratch at their beds as part of their nesting ritual. The top of the bed has an insualted duvet cover to keep your dog calm, cosy and content.
Designed for Burrowers

What size dog bed does my dog need?


Your dog’s bed should be big enough for them to stretch out fully without hanging off the edge, even if you observe them prefering to sleep curled up small.

Whilst lots of dogs like to curl up, it’s not good for their joints if they are not able to stretch out when they want to.

To work out the minimum size your dog needs:

  • Stand your dog on all fours in a relaxed position.
  • Length: measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.
  • Height: measure from the top of the skull to the floor.

Once you have the measurements, scale up the height and length to choose a dog bed. We recommend using a multiplier of 1.25 to allow for extra room to stretch out, giving your dog the option to curl up tiny or stretch out like a starfish.

Example: if the length of the dog is 40cm and height is 35cm, we recommend a bed that has a sleeping area of at least 50 x 44cm.

illustration showing how to measure a dog for a dog bed
illustration showing how to measure a dog for a dog bed

Explore all dog beds by design

two italian greyhound dogs sleeping inside a snuggle dog bed with a stitched in blanket top.
Snuggle Beds >
Fawn Italian Greyhound dog lying in a dark grey-blue high-wall dog bed with deep, cosy sides and the head poking up above the sides of the bed in a modern kitchen setting with wood floor.
High-Wall Dog Beds >
Faen coloured Italian Greyhund dog sitting on a red and orange velvet dog bed cushion in a room with a brick wall and a window, and wooden floors.
Dog Bed Mattresses >
Dog lying in a metal dog crate on a grey dog bed cushion and soft bed bumpers around the side of the crate, with a pale oyster colour fleece blanket rolled up.
Beds for Dog Crates >
Dog lying on a jade green memeory foam mattress style dog bed in a room with a white wall and hessian floor.
Memory Foam Dog Beds >
Dog Bed Mattress with a beige waterproof bed liner on it being unzipped, on a wooden table with a rustic background.
Waterproof Dog Bed Liners >
Person putting an orange dog bed cover into a washing machine in a laundry room.
Spare Dog Bed Covers >
All by design >

Why choosing the right dog bed really matters


The importance of a good dog bed is often undervalued when it comes to a dog's health and good wellbeing.

How well a dog sleeps is closely connected to how well they feel, think and behave. Research shows that dogs move through different stages of sleep, including deep sleep and REM, much as we do, and those stages are believed to support brain function, emotional balance and learning.

Sleep is part of how a dog recovers physically from their daily exertions, processes stress from their day, and maintains equilibrium. Veterinary researchers studying healthy adult dogs have even mapped normal sleep–wake rhythms to create baselines that may help detect early changes linked to chronic pain or age‑related cognitive decline.

The right dog bed is a comfortable bed for your individual dog, one that supports your dog’s body properly, can be kept hygienically clean, and one in which they feel safe and relaxed so they can rest and sleep well.

Why trust Charley Chau with your dog’s bed

Charley Chau are experts in canine comfort, specialists in designing luxury dog beds & blankets since 2010.

Our collection of luxury dog beds and blankets has been tried and tested by literally thousands of happy customers in over 60 countries around the world, proven to deliver sublime comfort for our customers' dogs, and unbeatable performance over time.

If you need advice on anything related to your dog's bedding and sleeping arragements, our expert team is always happy to help.

Here to help

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need any advice on how to choose the perfect bed for your dog and your home.

E: hello@charleychau.com
T: +44 (0)161 848 8702