How to Choose the Right Dog Bed Size: The Australian Owner's Complete Guide

Why the Right Bed Size Directly Affects Your Dog's Sleep Quality

Dogs sleep in a variety of positions — curled tightly in a ball, stretched out on their side, lying on their back with all four legs in the air, or in the classic "sphinx" pose with front legs extended. Each position serves a different physiological purpose, and a bed that restricts any of them reduces the quality of your dog's rest.

When a dog curls tightly, they are conserving body heat and protecting their vital organs — an instinctive behaviour that requires the bed to be wide enough for the full curl without the paws hanging over the edge. When a dog stretches out, they are releasing muscle tension and cooling down — and this requires the bed to be longer than their body by at least fifteen centimetres.

A bed that is too small forces the dog to hold partially contracted muscles all night to stay on the surface. This creates low-level tension that contributes to morning stiffness — particularly noticeable in senior dogs and breeds prone to joint issues. I have had physiotherapists tell me that bed size is one of the most overlooked environmental factors in canine muscle health.

How to Measure Your Dog for the Perfect Bed

Measuring your dog for a bed is not the same as measuring them for a coat or a collar. You need to capture their fully extended sleeping length — not just their standing length. Here is the method that works.

1. 01

   Measure while sleeping

   Wait until your dog is fully relaxed and stretched out on the floor. Measure from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail — not the tip of the tail, which adds unnecessary length

2. 02

   Add the stretch buffer

   Add 15cm for small to medium breeds, 20cm for large breeds, and 25cm for giant breeds. This ensures they can stretch without hanging off the edge

3. 03

   Measure width at the shoulders

   Measure across the widest part of your dog's body — usually the shoulders or hips. Add 10–15cm so they can roll onto their side comfortably

4. 04

   Consider their preferred position

   Dogs that sleep curled need less length but appreciate more width. Dogs that sleep stretched need maximum length. Observe your dog for three nights and note their dominant position

5. 05

   Factor in growth for puppies

   For puppies under 12 months, buy for their anticipated adult size or choose a bed with room to grow. Most breeds reach 80% of adult length by 8–10 months

Australian Breed Size Recommendations

While individual dogs vary, these guidelines based on common Australian breeds provide a useful starting point. Always measure your own dog — these are averages, not guarantees.

Sizing Mistakes That Waste Money and Hurt Your Dog

After talking to hundreds of Australian dog owners, these are the sizing errors I see most often — and the consequences they create.

Measure Once, Sleep Well Forever

Getting the size right is the foundation of everything else. A high-quality orthopedic bed that is too small is still a bad bed. A basic bed that is the perfect size is already doing more for your dog than an expensive bed that forces them to sleep in an unnatural position.

At Pets Heaven, we list detailed internal dimensions for every bed in our range — not just vague labels like "medium" or "large" that mean different things to different manufacturers. We want you to measure your dog, check the specs, and buy with confidence.

Take ten minutes tonight. Wait for your dog to stretch out on the floor. Grab a tape measure. Add the buffer. Write it down. That ten minutes will save you from buying the wrong bed, returning the wrong bed, and watching your dog make do with something that was never the right fit. Your dog deserves a bed that fits — and now you know exactly how to find it.