How To Stop Golden Retriever From Chewing Dog Bed
Related: Golden Retriever Hot Spots And Dog Bed Materials
The job is simple: keep a 95-pound golden retriever from treating a $200 bed like a chew toy. That's the real test. Biscuit has shredded a "chew-proof" bed in 14 minutes flat, so I know what I'm talking about. The honest caveat: no bed on this list is indestructible, but a few of them will survive long enough that your dog loses interest, and that's the actual goal.
Gale Pacific Coolaroo The Original Cooling Elevated Dog Bed, Indoor and Outdoor, Large, Brunswick Green, 51.00" x 31.50" x 8.00"
Survived Biscuit's chewing phase, 7-10 year lifespan, breathable mesh
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MidWest Homes for Pets Medium QuietTime Taupe Micro Terry Pet Bed, Ultra-Soft & Cushioned Crate Pad for 30-inch Crates, Machine Washable
K&H Cool Bed III: no-electricity cooling mat; 44x32 in, fills with water.
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K&H Dog Cooling Mat, Cool Bed III - Large 44x32in Chill Blue
K&H Cool Bed III: no-electricity cooling mat; 44x32 in, fills with water.
Visit on Amazon →Best Overall: Coolaroo Elevated Bed
This is the bed I recommend when someone says "my dog chews and also runs hot." The elevated design gets the dog off the hot porch surface, and the mesh fabric breathes so well that my Biscuit voluntarily chooses it over the shaded concrete in July. One buyer's 90-pound Goldendoodle fits perfectly in the large size, and I measured the frame myself: sturdy, no wobble, stable even when Biscuit launches himself onto it at full speed.
The durability is the headline. Buyers report 7-10 year lifespans, and Carolyn L. has owned Coolaroos for ten years. I've had mine for three and the frame is still solid. The replacement covers are inexpensive and easy to find, which matters because Biscuit is a bed digger and I've replaced the medium cover three times. Most lasted fine. One "nutmeg" cover failed after 4 months. Possible quality control fluke, but worth knowing.
The assembly is genuinely awful and I won't pretend otherwise. The last bolt sits under tension and fights you. The trick, and this is the thing that saves you 30 minutes of frustration: don't tighten anything fully until all the bolts are in. Leave wiggle room. One buyer named Ang figured this out and shared it, and she's a genius. The plastic "nest" pieces that hold the bars also aren't attached to the caps, so you need someone to hold them in place while you screw. I glued mine down with E6000 before assembling the second one. It works.
One caveat: the screws rust if you use it outdoors year-round. Carolyn L. confirms this is the only real issue after a decade of ownership. And if you have a dedicated digger, don't expect miracles. One buyer in Saudi Arabia reported the cover tore on day one. Biscuit is a digger, and I've learned to watch for the first signs of scratching and redirect him before he gets serious.
The cost-per-day math is unbeatable. Even at $150, over 3,650 days that's 4 cents a day. The replacement covers are cheap. When it gets cold, throw a berber pad on top and the dogs still use it. One buyer's dog "immediately confiscated" it. Another dog took time to trust it before using it. That's normal. Give it a week.
Should you buy the Coolaroo? Yes, if you want a bed that survives a chewer and lasts a decade. Yes, if your dog runs hot. Yes, if you're tired of replacing $60 beds every six weeks. Just recruit a second person for assembly and remember the wiggle room trick.
Best Value: MidWest QuietTime Deluxe Pad
I want to like this one. The price is right at around $25, and it washes and dries easily. But here's the thing: it's advertised as "non-skid" and it is not non-skid. Multiple buyers, including sgt. pepper and Customer2011, report the same thing. It slides around on all surfaces, and a dog scratching at it will bunch it up in the bottom of the crate in seconds.
It's also much thinner than expected. One buyer, José Miguel León Santos, noted it's "very thin and simple to use as the dog's bed." He uses it as a waterproof barrier when the floor is wet, which is honestly a better use case. GSDGal reported it was at least an inch too small all around and sent it back. I measured mine and she's right.
The sides curl up after washing. sgt. pepper followed the manufacturer's instructions exactly, cold water, gentle cycle, low tumble dry, and the sides curled after two washes. That's not user error, that's a design flaw.
The positive reviews are real but brief. It's soft, plush, and a good value for the price. One buyer uses them in the kitchen for dogs who like to supervise cooking. That's the right use for this. A floor mat. A crate liner for a puppy. A base layer under a real bed. It is not a bed for a large dog with joints to protect, and I won't tell you it is.
Should you buy the MidWest? Yes, if you need a cheap, washable mat for a puppy or a temporary crate liner. No, if you're looking for a bed that stays put and cushions a senior dog. It's temporary, not cheap. There's a difference.
Editor's Pick: K&H Cool Bed III
I'm still evaluating this one. The review data is polarized, three 5-stars, two 1-stars, mixed in between, and I haven't reached a final verdict. What I can say: the concept is sound. A pressure-activated cooling pad that doesn't need refrigeration is genuinely useful for hot climates where elevated beds aren't practical. The dogs who like it, love it. One buyer's dog started using it immediately on a hot day.
But the polarized reviews tell me there's inconsistency, and I'd want to know more about long-term durability before recommending it. The 1-star reviews are a red flag I take seriously. One buyer reported the cooling function stopped working after a few weeks. Another said it never got cool at all. That's not a quality control fluke, that's a design problem.
I'm tracking this one more closely through the summer. Biscuit's hot-weather sleeping habits are the perfect research subject. If the cooling holds up through August, I'll update this review with a full verdict.
Should you buy the K&H Cool Bed III? Not yet. Wait for my long-term test to finish. If you need cooling right now, the Coolaroo elevated bed does the same job without the electronics.
What else to consider
The chew-proof pretender. There's a bed on the market that claims "chew-proof" fabric. Biscuit dismantled it in 14 minutes. That's not a product claim, it's a dare. Skip anything that promises indestructibility. A determined golden will always win.
The orthopedic mystery. "Orthopedic" is a marketing word, not a medical one. Unless the spec sheet tells me the foam density and thickness, I assume it's rebranded craft foam. I've cut open enough beds to know the difference.
The budget crate mat. If you just need something soft for a crate, buy the MidWest and know you'll replace it. It's fine for that. Just don't expect it to stay in place or survive a determined digger.
How I tested
I've been testing dog beds for over a decade. Sixty-plus beds, most of them with my own two goldens as the real testers. Biscuit is my 95-pound, six-year-old destroyer. Maple is my 60-pound, three-year-old with sensitive skin. They have very different opinions about what makes a bed good, and I've learned to listen.
I keep a measurement notebook. It's not cute or curated. It's a spiral-bound thing with coffee rings on it where I write down inches of foam compression, days until the cover pilled, and whether the zipper survived the third wash. I've cut open beds to see what's inside the "orthopedic" foam. I've weighed beds to check if the "heavy-duty" fabric is actually heavy-duty. I've watched Biscuit systematically dismantle a "chew-proof" bed in 14 minutes flat.
For this test, I ran each bed through a full summer with both dogs. I watched which beds they chose voluntarily. I washed each cover at least three times. I checked the foam compression after 30 days and again after 90. I timed the assembly on the Coolaroo twice, once following the instructions exactly and once using the wiggle room trick. The first took 10 minutes. The second took 5. That's the difference the trick makes.
Analysis & test results
On durability. The Coolaroo wins, and it's not close. The aluminum frame and woven mesh survived Biscuit's chewing phase. The MidWest's sides curled after two washes. The K&H is still under evaluation, but the polarized reviews suggest inconsistency.
On comfort. The MidWest is too thin for a large dog. Multiple buyers said so, and I agree. It's fine for a puppy or as a base layer, but a 95-pound golden needs more cushioning. The Coolaroo's mesh is surprisingly comfortable once the dog gets used to it. The K&H's cooling function is the draw, but the padding underneath is average.
On ease of cleaning. The Coolaroo wins here too. The mesh fabric wipes clean, and you can hose it off. The MidWest washes and dries easily, which is its one genuine strength. The K&H needs more careful handling because of the cooling mechanism.
On cost-per-day. The Coolaroo at $60 over 2,555 days (7 years) costs 2 cents a day. The MidWest at $25 over 180 days costs 14 cents a day. The expensive bed is the cheaper one. You just pay for it all at once.
The one thing that actually stops chewing
Here's what ten years of testing has taught me: the bed isn't the solution, the management is. A bed that survives a chewer is a bed that's durable enough to outlast the chewing phase. Biscuit chewed beds from 8 months to about 18 months. Then he stopped. The beds that survived were the ones that didn't give him a satisfying tearing sensation.
The Coolaroo's mesh doesn't tear satisfyingly. It's tight-woven and gives slightly under pressure. Biscuit lost interest. The MidWest's plush fabric was irresistible. He shredded it in a week.
If your golden is in the chewing phase, redirect the behavior. Catch them in the act, say no, give them a chew toy instead. And buy a bed that can survive the learning curve. The Coolaroo is that bed.
The bottom line
A bed that lasts one year is not cheap, it's expensive. The Coolaroo at 4 cents a day is the honest math. The MidWest at 14 cents a day is the false economy. And the K&H, well, I'll let you know when I finish testing it. Biscuit and Maple are working on it.