Helping an Older Dog Sleep Well

Finding the best bed for an older dog usually starts with something small you cannot quite un-see. They used to drop onto their bed without a thought. Now they stand over it for a moment first. They turn once more than they used to before lying down. Getting up in the morning has become two movements instead of one. And one night you find them asleep on the landing carpet, a few feet from the bed you bought them.

It is easy to feel a pang of guilt at that. You should not. Older dogs rarely complain, and these changes come on slowly enough to be easy to miss. What they are asking for is simple: lying down and getting up should cost them less, and the surface under them should stay the same all night. This guide covers the practical things that help with both, and how to tell when the answer is not a bed but a conversation with your vet.

Signs their bed has stopped working

• Circling, then circling again. A few turns before lying down is normal. Lying down, getting up and resettling over and over suggests that no position on that bed stays comfortable.
• Choosing somewhere else. If they pick the floor, the sofa or your bed over their own, compare the surfaces. A flattened bed can feel less even than the carpet next to it.
• A pause at the edge. If they hesitate before stepping in, the wall or the height may now be the obstacle, not the bed itself.
• Half on, half off. A head hanging over the edge or back legs on the floor can mean the bed no longer fits the way they lie.
• A slow start. Getting up in stages, especially on cold mornings.

Some of these can also point to pain or a change in health, and a new bed cannot tell you which. If any of them are new, getting worse or worrying you, talk to your vet first. They can also advise on the kind of resting surface that suits your dog.

What to look for in the best bed for an older dog

Support that does not pack down. Fibre filling shifts away from hips and shoulders and flattens over time. Foam keeps an even surface. Memory foam moulds to them, profiled egg-crate foam spreads their weight, and layered beds such as Martindale and Rosthwaite put memory foam over egg-crate for both.

A low or open way in. A deep-walled bed that was cosy for years can quietly turn into a climb. Coniston's oval sits close to the floor, keeping only a shallow rim for the chin. Newlands and Easedale keep a wall all the way round but lower it at the front, so they step over rather than clamber in. Rosthwaite and Martindale leave the front open, and open mattresses like Ambleside have no walls at all.

Warmth. Many older dogs seek out warm spots. Fleece, flannel and sherpa feel warmer to lie on than smooth fabric: Rosthwaite and Martindale have fleece sleeping surfaces, Newlands and Easedale flannel. Keep the bed out of draughts and off cold, hard floors where you can.

A base that stays put. A dog who pushes against the edge to stand needs the bed not to slide. On wood, laminate or tile, look for a non-slip base: Newlands, Easedale, Rosthwaite and Martindale all have one.

Protection underneath. Older dogs can have the occasional accident, and one bad night should not finish a foam bed. A waterproof liner between cover and foam, as on Coniston, Newlands, Easedale and Borrowdale, keeps it out of the core.

Where to put the bed

Put it where they already choose to be. For most dogs that means near you: beside the sofa in the evening, within sight of the kitchen during the day. An older dog torn between comfort and company will often choose company, and end up on the floor at your feet.

• Out of draughts, away from the back door and cold hallways.
• On the level. If stairs are getting harder, a second bed downstairs means they do not have to choose between climbing and sleeping alone.
• Back to a wall. Many dogs settle better with something behind them. Helvellyn is a corner bed that sits flush beside a sofa.
• Grip around it. A rug or runner on a slippery floor makes the walk to the bed, and the push up out of it, steadier.

A bedtime routine that helps

Older dogs tend to do well on a steady rhythm: a last trip outside, a few quiet minutes, lights down at roughly the same time each night. If you are introducing a new bed, put it where the old one was, lay a blanket that smells of home on top, and let them find it in their own time. Some will claim it straight away. A cautious old dog may sniff it, lie beside it for a week, then move in one evening as if it had always been theirs. Both are normal, and it is why most of our beds come with 100 nights to decide.

When to talk to your vet

A good bed changes the surface they rest on. It does not treat stiffness, arthritis or anything else, and it is no substitute for a check-up. Talk to your vet if stiffness is new or getting worse, if they are restless at night, if they seem sore lying down or getting up, or if anything else about their sleep has changed. Keep talking to them as things change; they know your dog's joints in a way no bed company can.

Beds we would look at first

• Wants walls, struggles with the climb: Newlands for small and medium dogs, or Easedale at 106.5 × 81.5cm for bigger ones. Both have a lowered front, flannel on top, a waterproof liner and a non-slip base.
• Leans, and needs an easy way in: Rosthwaite, with three bolstered sides, an open front, fleece, memory foam over egg-crate foam and a non-slip base.
• Curls up, hesitates at the edge: Coniston, low and oval, with memory foam and a waterproof inner liner.
• Stretches out flat: Ambleside, foam to every edge and no walls to step over, from 82 × 70cm to 140 × 100cm.

See more in dog beds for older dogs and the wider orthopaedic dog beds range, or read our orthopaedic dog bed buying guide.

Senior dog sleep questions

Why does my older dog keep getting up in the night?

There are many possible reasons, and some are medical, so mention it to your vet. One reason you can check yourself is the bed. Push your fist down into the middle of it: if you meet the floor, they may be getting up because no position stays comfortable for long.

Should an older dog have a raised bed?

A raised mesh bed keeps a dog off a cold or warm floor. Before choosing one for an older dog, check how easily they step up onto it, and lay a blanket on top in winter, because mesh is firm, with nothing to sink into. For a stiff dog who needs cushioning, a low foam bed is usually the gentler choice.

Is it worth buying a new bed for a very old dog?

If they spend most of the day lying down, the bed is where most of their day happens. That is reason enough to get it right. And if it does not suit them, most of our beds come with 100 nights from delivery: if it is not right, we arrange free UK mainland collection and a full refund. One trial per household; damage and other exclusions apply. See how the trial works.

Not sure which shape suits them now? The Bed Finder asks how they sleep and how they are moving these days, then points you to a bed.