This is Bruno the St Bernard.  Bruno loves his life and enjoys his bed.  So if you’re looking for the best dog bed for a St Bernard you’ll benefit from our findings below.

By Alan Levine (Flickr: Ready to Play!) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

When he is not up mountains rescuing stricken mountaineers from danger, Bruno loves nothing more than getting comfy in his bed.  Find out more about how dogs like Bruno need the right kind of bed.

Here is a quick run down of what we feel is the best dog bed for a St Bernard dog.  We’ve taken into account dog weight, sizes and length to pick the right ones.

In list order, our top rated St Bernard dog beds are:

1. The Kuranda dog bed – chew proof and rock solid
2. The Dogs bed – an Orthopaedic memory foam supportive dog bed
3. The LEO4Dog XXL dog bed – just like a sofa
4. Kozipet XL dog bed – simple and affordable

Let’s talk bed sizes first, shall we?

As I’m sure you can appreciate a big bed is going to be needed with a very comfortable base.

Your St Bernard will grow to be a huge dog that is considerably heavy.

A thin layer of fluff from a £5 bargain store really isn’t going to cut it for more than a few hours, and will amount to nothing more than an old towel being placed on the floor.  Neither you nor your dog would find it comfortable.

When choosing correctly, the best dog bed can either be a thick large piece of material (going for the likes of a memory foam bedding material will make it an even better place) that sits on the floor like most dog beds, or you could opt for a raised bed – known as an elevated dog bed.  These are handy to help cool air circulate on hot days, and also help the dog if it suffers from any joint issues (which St Bernard’s are known for).

Size wise you need a dog bed that allows for your dog to lay in various positions. 

Your dog will at times enjoy curling up, laying in his or her back, and at the other extreme he or she will like to lie at full stretch with both sets of legs pushed out (the front 2 paws out to the front, and the back 2 out to the rear) making them take up twice the space you’d think.

During hot Summer days, a cool material will feel better for them, whereas on cold days they may prefer a more box type bed that they can really get snuggled up into, unless you opt for constant heating on where the dog lies.

So to summarise what sort of size, consider this:  If A St Bernard can grow to 90cm tall, their length can easily reach double that when stretched out full, so this is why we suggest you go for the biggest size bed you can.

The BEST dog bed for a St Bernard therefore should really big a simple big wide flat foam type that sits on the floor (in most situations)

This allows them to choose any sleeping position they want – and at full stretch they could lie from corner to corner across the bed, or even have their paws outstretched over the edge of the bed if it is not quite big enough.

Doggy facts and statistics for St Bernards.

Most St Bernard dogs grow to between 70 and 90cm tall if a male dog, and 65 to 80cm tall if a female St Bernard, and their weight can fluctuate anywhere from 64 to 120kg (that’s “way” over 100 lbs!), so we need a dog bed that can comfortably accommodate these figures and keep the dog well within its comfort zone.

• They live anywhere from 8 to 10 years on average (typically).
• They’re not great in the heat.
• They’re not designed for high energy and high impact exercise (so not really great for accompanying you on your morning run or cycle ride).
• They do need regimented regular exercise – not a lot of it, but it must be consistent.  You need to do this to help protect their joints, elbows etc.
• They are some of the most adorable, laid back loving dogs you will ever come across.  You will fall in love with your St Bernard without fail.
• They will appear a little bit wary whenever you have strangers to the house, but once in, they’re usually fine.  You might find that they bark a little bit at first.
• They are normally easy to train on the lead and around kids.  You don’t want them to be out of control with small kids who could easily get knocked over due to the enormous size of your St Bernard.
• They were originally bred to be used in the mountains as rescue dogs, but the vast majority no longer do this and are simply kept as pets.  So even though their bodies were designed for these duties, they won’t be in the same environment, so this is why it is important that you take special care with exercise.  Very little as puppies, but around an hour a day as an adult.  You do need to be strict with this to try and minimise health issues down the line.

Lets talk slobber.

Image courtesy of Legav [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

St Bernards slobber a LOT, especially after eating and drinking, so we need to think about this when choosing a dog bed.  Something you can clean fairly regular is a must.  So either a wipe easy surface, or one with a cover that can be popped in the washing machine once a week.

Hair shedding.

Due to their protective coats designed to help them keep warm when rescuing people off of mountains, St Bernards do shed a lot of hair, so a dog bed that cleans easy would also be of use.  That said with regular daily grooming this can be kept to a minimum.

Health issues to consider.

Not all of the scary list items below will be an issue, but it’s just a list of possible issues that “could” arise – note that many dogs are usually prone to certain ailments as time goes on, so it’s not intended to scare you off, but just something you can possibly think about when looking at a good dog bed (hint: super comfy and easy to get on and off).

• Hip Dysplasia
• Elbow Dysplasia
• Bone Cancer (sadly common in a St Bernard)
• Ectropion and Entropion (a condition where the eyelids droop inwards or outwards) (not really relevant to a dog bed by the way)

Exercise needs

Being a large dog you have to be careful not to over exercise your St Bernard – it can cause issues later on in life if you do so.  This is important as you are raising your St Bernard from a young age.  So the key thing here is to listen to your Vet’s advice on the matter.  Some exercise but not too much.  Plus, plenty of comfortable rest.

• As a puppy you must not over exercise your St Bernard
• As an adult around an hour a day is the maximum

So what are we up to now?

What we want is a super comfy, strong and large bed that is also easy to clean.

Out of the hundreds of dog beds available we only found a few that we thought would suit “a large heavy dog”.  These had to be REALLY thick with plenty of foam filling or support to ensure it would hold the dogs’ weight easily.

Let’s take a look below at the dog beds we recommend.

1: Here is the Kuranda dog bed. 

This is a very pricey dog bed although there is no disputing how good a job it does at keeping your St Bernard well rested.

• It’s an elevated dog bed – really good for large dogs to get up off, more so as they get older and joints can be painful.
• It’s chew proof, and easy to clean but very well made.
• NUMEROUS reviews state that although they were hesitant with the pricing they were extremely pleased once it arrived, and claimed that these needs are designed to last for many years.

There is a Silver framed and Khaki coloured material version like below, and there is also a Walnut framed with Smokey Cordura coloured version as well that works out a bit cheaper.

The Kuranda dog bed above is the largest in their range at 50 x 36 inches and holds up to 250 pounds (113 kg)

Good enough for all St Bernards

With the responsibility of owning a huge dog, you have to ensure their comfort needs are met and choose large comfy beds.

Due to their weight also, an elevated bed off the floor will be a welcome relief for them.  Especially more so on older St Bernards.

What we like about it:

• We love the fact it is one of the strongest elevated dog beds around.  truly worth it’s weight in Gold for this feature alone.  Your dog will have a tough time destroying this bed.
• It is actually REALLY comfy.  Other buyers have mentioned this, that the bed worked out to be worth the higher price tag, as it was likely to outlast other dog beds by many years
• It will help keep your dog cooler in hot months due to the increased air flow underneath
• It is chew proof!
• It is simple to clean! – Just a hose pipe or water and a wipe and job done.
• It is GREAT for any dog with joint issues (St Bernard’s are prone to issues later in life if they are over exercised both as a puppy and as an adult)

The downsides:

• It’s mainly a USA based dog bed, and costs considerably more when sold here in the UK (circa £300!)

Check the Kuranda St Bernard bed on Amazon.  There is a Khaki coloured one above, or a Cordura coloured one that’s a bit cheaper.

2: Memory foam large dog bed

*** “Our favourite!” ***

Your typical dog bed.  Pretty much half the cost of an elevated XXL dog bed and will be good enough for the vast majority of situations.

Super thick memory foam holds the weight of your St Bernard with ease and helps it to stay well rested.

The one above (Available here on Amazon) is available in a handful of colour options.

It comes with a waterproof inner that helps protect the bed.

Price wise, it’s middle of the road, roughly around the £100 to £130 mark give or take.

It has a strong foam base with a thick 5cm memory foam topper and waterproof properties.

These beds are some of the most popular beds for larger dogs available to buy online.

What we like about it:

• We actually LOVE THIS BED.  It is our favourite in so much as it covers all of the requirements of a bed for big heavy dogs.
• It’s going to be SUPER COMFORTABLE due to the thick foam base AND the memory foam topper.
• It’s easy to clean
• It can help with joint issues due to the memory foam topper helping to provide extra cushioning (and this is what St Bernard dogs are known for)

The downsides:

• There is no way for it to protect from draughty areas, but you could easily remedy this yourself by making sure the bed is in a warmer area free from draughts, or pop a couple of pillows on the bed to shield your dog from draughts.

Check it out here – it’s available on Amazon Uk here.

3: An “Amazon Basics” version of the elevated dog bed – CHEAP!

There’s no doubt about this.  It’s a brilliant low-cost entry

BUT the weight limit may put you off – it’s claimed a maximum of 60 kg which is around the weight of a small St Bernard

Typically around the £30 mark for an elevated bed is unheard of!  If you have a smaller dog this would be ideal.

Choose the XL version of this dog bed (it’s about the same size as the Kuranda bed above) for a St Bernard.

What we like about it:

• Truly, it is CHEAP AS CHIPS and will help keep your SMALL St Bernard cooler on hot days.

The downsides:

• The bed itself isn’t really cut out for many St Bernards sadly due to it not being able to hold the weight of most of them.  Only the smallest ones would benefit as long as they don’t exceed 60 kg.  It would do as a basic bed for growing puppies.

Visit this dog bed over on Amazon Uk.

4: An XXL Bed just like a sofa – from Leo4Dog

Quite a budget priced XXL sized dog bed at under £60 typically.

This dog bed is scratch proof and has a removable and washable cover, so perfect for St Bernards.

NOTE:  There is no memory foam in this bed, just your typical dog bed foam filling.  After some time this will become less effective (as with all dog beds), and will need replacing.

There are different sizes available but the XXXL is the version you should go for.

What we like about it:

• We like the size of the dog bed at 150cm wide
• It allows them to feel snuggly when their back is pressed in to the support
• It helps them to avoid draughts when sleeping
• They can overhang their front paws out the front if they want that extra stretch out
• It looks great and may help your dog keep off your own sofa (when they have got their own why would they want to go on yours? :-))
• The covers are removable and washable at 30 degrees

The downsides:

• It dips down around the central sleeping area – a flat surface would have been better for comfort and to avoid trapping crumbs of food and small objects

Check it out here on the Amazon Uk website.

5: Kozipet XL dog bed – low cost and meets the needs of most St Bernard dogs

What we like about it:

• We like this bed because of its simpleness.  It’s a simple basic foam dog bed at the right price.
• It allows your dog to lie in whatever position he or she wants to
• It’s flat, so no falling into dips or recesses that come with a funky design
• It is cheap at way under £40 (typically closer to £30 though).
• A simple velcro attached cover can be removed for easy cleaning.

The downsides:

• The only negative we find is that its width is only 136cm – which is fine for almost all St Bernard’s but bigger dogs would benefit from the extra 20 cm or so to allow for that extra stretch.  Most of the time they would be ok to stretch from corner to corner (if they can figure this out).
• It’s just your basic foam bed, so it’s simply a matter of time before it begins to compress down however you can probably live with it if you’re happy to replace every few months – so that your dog can enjoy firm cushioning to get a quality rested sleep.
• There is no protection from draughty areas, so you may want to address this issue with room draught excluder’s or ensuring the heating is at the right setting for comfort.

Check it out on Amazon Uk here.

Summary

Have you genuinely found what you were looking for here?  If so please share this article – it would mean a lot.  If not, please let us know, so we can improve it to ensure that all the facts are covered.  yes, we really do care!

Getting the best dog bed for a St Bernard is as simple as making sure it’s a big comfy bed, and then looking at your own budget.  Extra features come into play if you have a draughty room (so choose one with sides and backs on), or if your dog suffers with joint issues – then an elevated one makes the most sense.  You will also need one that is easy to clean and can hold a lot of weight.

St Bernard Resources:

PDSA – gives some great advice on caring for your St Bernard

Our full list of dog beds for all shapes and sizes of dogs

RSPCA – dog bed advice