# Rugged crate mat/pad? (puppy resistant)



## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

Butter has a tendency to shred his bedding lately (he's at 10 months). Is there such a thing as a bite resistant mat or pad that I can put in his crate? Something that isn't $100+? I was looking at horse stall pads online, but I'm not sure if that would be soft enough.

He destroyed a nice/thick pillow that my neighbor had given me. He was fine with it for a couple months, but got bored and tore it open one evening. It was filled with egg-shell/foam pieces, so it was comfortable for him. I'm afraid to repair that pillow and give it back to him because I don't want him tearing it open again and risking ingesting some of the foam. At some point though, I guess he decided that the entertainment value of tearing it open was more important than having a comfortable bed. He also destroyed the comforter that I replaced that with. He's just got sheets and towels in there at the moment.


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## luvbuzz (Oct 27, 2010)

Buzz is also a shredder. Pillows, blankets, foam are gone quickly. I have horses; those matts are strong but do not seem very comfortable. I used soft carpeting but made it long enough to wrap around the bottom of the crate panel. Since he is lying on it, he is unable to pull it up. Good luck. I have said goodbye to many blankets already.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

luvbuzz said:


> Buzz is also a shredder. Pillows, blankets, foam are gone quickly. I have horses; those matts are strong but do not seem very comfortable. I used soft carpeting but made it long enough to wrap around the bottom of the crate panel. Since he is lying on it, he is unable to pull it up. Good luck. I have said goodbye to many blankets already.


That's a good idea. That's also probably the cheapest option. I'll get a piece of plywood to cut for a bottom panel (he's got a plastic crate), a small piece of carpet padding, and a small piece of carpet (the wife's uncle is a contractor). I'll tack the carpet on the bottom so he can't get to it. If he tears it up, I can just recover the piece of wood. That will also be very easy to clean.  Thank you.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

I don't have anything in Beamer's crate and that seems to be how he prefers it. He likes sleeping on the cool plastic at night. Maybe he really doesn't need anything.


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## canine_mommy (Dec 27, 2010)

I got the Kong bed 2 months back, and Austin hasn't been able to tear it (yet!). He likes to chew and scratch the bed like he's digging. I've also heard FetchDog DogArmour is pretty good...


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

Rainheart said:


> I don't have anything in Beamer's crate and that seems to be how he prefers it. He likes sleeping on the cool plastic at night. Maybe he really doesn't need anything.


That's possible. Maybe he's happy without a clunky pad in there. I just put sheets in his crate for months before I tried to re-invent the wheel by putting something "more comfortable" in there. That's something I really hadn't thought about. Hmm...



canine_mommy said:


> I got the Kong bed 2 months back, and Austin hasn't been able to tear it (yet!). He likes to chew and scratch the bed like he's digging. I've also heard FetchDog DogArmour is pretty good...


I'll give that some thought. The largest Kong one says "for dogs up to 65lbs." That might not work for him for long (the last time I had him weighed ~three months ago, he was 60lbs).


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## KaMu (May 17, 2010)

Hi! Roxy always pushed aside anything I tried to put in her crate, she still to this day a year later prefers the cool tile, or the floor, occasionally my hubbys chair 

In Roos crate (still a pup) I have one of those LLBean dog mats, which Roo seems to like, I also have an inexpensive mat I bought at a local Marshalls store, It has ASPCA written on it, it is very flat and has a little bit of rubber backing which helps the matt adhere to the slippery vinyl flooring in the crate. I use that one in the car so they done slip.

Anyway, I think if you look at a local KMart or Wallmart store you may be able to find a bathmat that is very very flat, like the kind they sell for in front of your kitchen sink or in front of a fireplace. As long as he doesn't chew at it....I haven't had that problem yet, but if there was a fluffy bed in his crate, I know hed be tempted to chew, because he loves his stuffies....


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I think a lot of dogs are just as happy with the smooth plastic surface. We have a small crate that my toy spaniel still crawls into. It's too small for her but it's her favorite place. Since we live in Northern Calif. she doesn't really need a pad so we don't have one in there. She really loves it in there.

Tucker got sick on the crate pad the other day and I haven't put it back in yet, and he seems happy too. May just leave it out until cold weather arrives.


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

canine_mommy said:


> I got the Kong bed 2 months back, and Austin hasn't been able to tear it (yet!). He likes to chew and scratch the bed like he's digging. I've also heard FetchDog DogArmour is pretty good...


I thought this sounded great and looked it up Kong bed at Petsmart, didn't have good reviews, smaller dogs seem to not be able to chew through but larger dogs can. Bayne chewed the zipper off a canvas bed I bought and started to eat the stuffing. So for right now he's sleeping on the plastic tray in his crate with nothing on the bottom. This was great for the summer but winter is coming and we keep our house on the cool side, don't know if Bayne likes this and I find him curled up sleeping rather than sprawled out on his back like during the summer.


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## P2B&J (Sep 1, 2011)

Lucy seems to prefer to sleep on the plastic crate base, too. She pushes her blanket to the side (but uses it some as a pillow). I took out the crate pad because she would scratch at it and cause a huge mess daily--white fuzz everywhere!! We are much happier now that I don't have to vacuum around the crate so often! Not sure how she will do with winter...will have to see as we go...

We also have a Kong bed for outside the crate, and so far, she hasn't destroyed it...likes to chew on the cording, but we are trying to curb that...


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## goldengall (Aug 13, 2011)

Our breeder recommended the kuranda bed. Dog Beds, Elevated Dog Bed, Cat Beds & Dog Cots | Kuranda. I have one that fits perfectly inside our crate. Super durable; various options/colors/fabrics. I chose ballistic nylon with a microfiber cover. Love it.


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## wakemup (Feb 6, 2011)

Kuranda beds. Haven't put anything else in a crates since I got them six years ago.


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## Sterling Archer (Feb 8, 2011)

We're going sans-bedding for a while. He ingested some of his bedding (a piece of a sheet) this weekend and **** all over the crate. Somehow, he managed to not get any on himself though. This morning was a different story. OMG...it was all over EVERYWHERE and all over him. 

I talked to the vet and they said to feed him rice and chicken. I gave him some leftovers from last night. I'll see how that settles.


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## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

Well, it does sound like just the crate bottom is the thing. Sorry about all the problems. While Jaro is a terrible chewer, he has never touched the mat in his wire crate. It is vinyl covered some kind of foam, I guess. Had it for at least 10 years. If it gets dirty we take it outside and hose it off. Had it from our previous Golden who used it when he was in the crate, but stopped crating him when he was about two. So while it is 10+ years old it was probably only used 3 1/2 years between Jaro and Subiaco.


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