Hi guys! My Akita Miko sleep on hard floors, we've bought her beds, blankets etc but she prefers to sleep on the floor. I'm guessing this is probably cooler for her. Is it going to effect her health in the long run? The fur on her elbows seems flatter but she won't sleep on her bed grr.
If she is happy sleeping on the floor, and is it wood or stone tiles? Then I would leave it up to her, but as Tina says, put a blanket down so she has the choice as to whether she wants to sleep on it or not.
I got her a very flat bed today, just like the mattresses but without the extra padding and she seems to like it so far I will also put blankets down so she has the choice. It's wood flooring so she isn't on anything to cold I was just worried about her elbows but I suppose they will sleep were most comfortable. Just like us!
They do tend to get calluses elbows when they sleep on hard floors. My old lad Sam did but they never bothered him until he was nearing 16 and spent more time laying down than walking around and then one erupted into a pressure sore
Ouch! Poor lad! She isn't the most active dog when indoors but she tends to be on carpet during the day so isn't to bad. Fingers crossed she uses the bed tonight!
I think hot or clammy weather does encourage them to lie flat on the floor. My smooth coated dogs have Vetbed on top of lightweight memory foam bed pads, and they have definitely been too hot some recent evenings. Your girl has a double, or maybe even a triple coat, so she must feel the heat even more. I have only ever had one dog, a Golden Retriever, that developed calloused elbows, I think some breeds are prone to this, but as Chris suggests, it does not usually happen to dogs that live in a house till they reach old age. I hope Miko likes her new padded mat though, I'm sure it must be more comfortable to have a little support.
My previous dog liked doing this and when he got old he had rough elbows, too! Couldn't get my current boy to lay on the floor if I tried! My girl spent years outside and always took pads or blankets out of her laying areas and peed on them. Indoors now, she carefully bunches up any blankets put in her crate to the back and lays on the hard crate. Despite that, she doesn't have the rough elbows and she's 13+ years old. Weird!
Well she likes her new mat came down this morning to find her sleeping on it. I know a few people with vetbeds, are they any good?
I find Vetbed washes and wears very well. I always buy the original type, not the rubber backed one. It is quite supportive, but it does insulate and can be quite warm. It could possibly be too warm in Summer for a heavy coated dog, - perhaps owners of other Spitz types could give you a more knowledgeable opinion about this. Could be nice and cosy for the Winter months though.
