I have two dog beds from Harry Barker for our dogs. The covers are 'decor friendly' and can be removed and washed.

Can't comment on whether she would miss the crate or not, but you'll probably be able to tell if you keep it available for a while and see if she goes back to it.

We have 3 dogs. Only our youngest is/was crate trained, but our oldest dog goes into the little one's crate at least once a day and sits there for a while. Guess she wishes she was crate trained!

Our Golden was also crate trained and loved his crate. We ran out of space for it while renovating our home and had some of the same concerns you have. After he got used to a dog bed and being out of the crate while we were not at home we removed the crate. He did really well and I think it helped that it was a gradual transition.

There are larger crates available... like, great dane crates. :) It sounds like you are over the crate idea, anyway...

Our two dogs were crate trained and used them for the puppy years. We still use crates for travel, but they very easily transitioned to dog beds at home. The beds are comfortable, after all! One of my dogs especially likes to sleep in "den" like places, so I put her dog bed in a secluded corner. She always goes there when she wants to sleep. My other dog doesn't appear to care and often sleeps as close to where the humans are as possible. (If our bedroom door is closed, she'll often be on the other side of it sleeping.)

RE: your second question, I would love to hear other answers. The beds at Costco are a good value($20-30) and very durable, but they have limited colors and are only round here. I bought some darling ones from TJ Maxx, of all places, but they are terribly quality and start to fall apart after washing.

Sorry that I can't help you on the bed choice/ideas. However I doubt your dog minds the tight fit in its kennel. If the dog did then it would not use it. Like many "problems" this issue tends to be more of the owner's than the pet's. Secondly one of my good friends breeds and shows Great Danes. If she can find kennels that fit her dogs I am sure there is a size larger than the one you currently have. Unfortunately it may not be easy to find.

LoLauren,

It appears as though LL Bean's dog beds are highly regarded (by humans at least). See link, and video (!).

Etsy has several purveyors of custom, washable duvets. I like that idea.
Wonder if I can get a dust ruffle and some "throw" pillows.

Thanks, everyone, for the crate opinions.

Here is a link that might be useful: dog beds

I've purchased several through the below link. I don't think it's their website, but another one, that talks about finding the correct bed for your dog(s). I wanted one that went in our MBR without clashing. My dog curls up and likes to prop his head, so I bought him a donut with an open front. My smallest dog needed a closed donut, since she needs to stay warmer.

DD2 has 4 dogs with different needs, so she has two different style of beds. Also decide on filler, she has a three legged dog, so she gets an ortho bed.

Here is a link that might be useful: In the company of dogs

I like the dog beds from Orvis, LL Bean, Lands' End and Costco. The ones from Costco are considerably less expensive than the others!

People like LL Bean. Do a search on Amazon, and you'll find many kinds of dog beds. I keep looking at them, but I'm pretty sure my dog isn't past the "chew up the bed" stage yet.

we have a round 'XL' size from llbean and a 'large' rectangular on from cuddledown. i like both alot-especially the cuddledown velveteen zipper on/off covers.
i think the llbean fleece covers are very nice- cozy and comfy, but aren't super durable- the 'fleeciness' wears thin where the dog lays most often, but it's no big deal to me to replace it every couple of years... it's nice to be able to order the covers separate from the beds!

I'll second the Costco beds. They are so well made, the covers are removable so you can wash them, and they usually have at least one or two in neutral colors like browns and beiges. My Costco has had rectangular ones, but I like the round ones better... they don't become as lumpy because there are no corners for the stuffing to migrate to and get stuck in.

I removed my dogs' crates and they are fine with just the beds. We have about 5 dog beds at this point but only two dogs, so they are spoiled.. My GSD/Lab mix's favorite bed is the one located in a corner behind the couch, by the back door so he can see out. It doesn't hurt that I piled two beds on top of each other in that spot, so it's extra cushy.

Dog beds have been a source of frustration for us for too many years to count!

At the moment, we have two Costco beds for our doberman, one in the family room and one in our bedroom. They're reasonably well-made, both have washable covers that work well with the room decor and colors.

In the past, with our last dobie Turk, we went through many beds from many different stores. He had a bad chewing problem and pretty much destroyed every bed we got him, including Orvis' chew-proof dog bed. Turk chewed that one up within a few days. I do have to say, though, that it was a very good, high quality bed that most dogs probably couldn't destroy . . . except for my Turk. Orvis was great about refunding our money quickly, though.

The biggest problem I have with a bed for a medium-to-large dog is that, regardless of the washable covers (which are great to have), the beds themselves soon start smelling like stinky dog. And, the heat of the dog lying on it makes it stink even more! I now take the bed inserts out onto the porch and hose them down when the weather is warm, because they don't do all that well in the washer or dryer. But, after they've been washed, the filling is never the same. It's lumpy and Ronin is always pawing at them, trying to make them comfy again.

Another problem with dogs beds is that many these days seem to come with cedar shavings in the fill to keep them "smelling fresh". But, not only do I not want our bedroom smelling like cedar, DD and I are both allergic to cedar. And, our vet told me that many dogs have allergies to cedar,including Ronin.

Personally, I wish my dog would be content with a (color-coordinated) folded blanket that I could easily throw in the washer and dryer once a week . . . but he's not, and I've tried! He'll paw it until the darn thing is spread out all over the place . . . and then he goes and sleeps on one of our Oriental rugs someplace. One bed now needs to be replaced and I'm here hoping to find another, better option.
Lynn

You could just remove the door from the crate. Your dog won't go in if it's uncomfortable, so he must like it for now.
If you really want to get rid of the crate, don't obsess. Just remove the crate and put the bed where the crate was and lay the crate's mat on top of the bed. You can just transition him to just the bed. Look at LLBean or Land's End for beds. They have charts for recommended sizing. Good luck!

My senior dog Ginger seems to prefer the sofa or rug. Boo, the new dog, is also enjoying the sofa and or rug - but that's why I refuse have anything but a leather sofa. Except for the oriental rug in the den, I have heated tile floors.

Both my seniors' Mocha and Rusty passed away last year. However, they along with Ginger had graduated from needing a crate in the den. Rusty is the only one who seemed to sometimes seek out a "den-like" area (particularly in a thunderstorm or 4th of July). In addition, Rusty and Mocha both had hip trouble as seniors and I needed a really good ortho bed for Mocha after his rotator cuff surgery as well.

I picked up one on Overstock that had some great reviews and have not regretted it AT ALL. Rusty inherited it after Mocha, and he loved it too. It has memory foam but even for 100+ pound dogs, it did not depress all the way to the floor with their weight. I even tried it myself and it really is comfy and supportive (I'm not a small woman).

Both Ginger and Boo (the new dog) love this bed now too, and sometimes lay on it together. I moved it under my desk and it fits perfectly. Plus the cover is removable and washable. There are 324 reviews on it now on the site and it still gets 4.6 out of 5 stars - and that says a lot. I am putting a link at the bottom to it.

My office is in a walk in closet and I have a desk on each side. The bed fits perfectly under the side I don't use as often, and Boo has taken to napping in there every afternoon behind me when I am working. Here's a pic of 80 lb Boo on it and room for him to grow. It does come in different sizes and colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Memory Foam Bed on Big O

We have a Costco dog bed too, and it has lasted really well. Our labradoodle Hendrix is about 65 lbs, and he sometimes digs at his bed like crazy but it has never split or worn. We've had it for about 15 months.

re: missing the crate: Hendrix liked his crate too, but he adjusted to his bed just fine. Most dogs are pretty adaptable.

Both of my boys would have continued to use their crates forever if I left them out.

As long as you don't have any "issues" with your GR, I would put the crate away in favor of a nice comfy dog bed. LL Bean, Orvis as well as several other specialty dog boutique-type stores have all sorts of beds to choose from. Thankfully neither of my guys chew, but my female lab chewed through even the "indestructible" dog bed advertised by Orvis. If your dog is a chewer, you will need to really look around for something she won't destroy. Also, size is key. I believe most stores sell their beds in many different sizes. I would advise against the beds with the tiny little beads of styrofoam. Once they rip, you've got one hot mess on your hands.

I don't think I've ever seen a dog bed that would read sylish to me, at least not for a larger dog like a GR.

My younger lab stayed in his crate a bit longer than I would have liked - almost a full year. Since we always keep the crate in the foyer (close to the front door) while training our pups, I definitely get tired of looking at it once they're about a year old. If you left it in place I am sure your dog would continue to use it. If you decide to keep it over a dog bed, you would definitely be successful in finding a crate that your GR can stand up and turn around in.

My older lab can't do the stairs any longer. His bed which was always next to our bed in the MBR, is set up in the foyer. We want him to be as comfortable as possible despite the fact that his bed is not even close to stylish, lol. With the old guy we are shooting for comfort over style. We've pimped his bed up with some egg crate foam for a bit more cushion. Down side to his bed being in the foyer is that every four legged family member wants to use it.

PS... ignore Boo's drool stain. Apparently the flash woke him up when I snapped the pic. LOL

Cindy.......Boo needs a pillow! :~)

Frontgate also has some nice large beds. DIL ordered the Comfy Pet Bed/Couch for their Boxer and have been pleased with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Beds

Most likely, your dog will miss her own individual space. Like kids, they often like enclosed spaces that feel like their own and feel safe. But, I'm sure she will get over it.

My dad built a dog beg for my sheepdog when I was a kid. It's just a very simple form. He built it out of mahogany. It's just three sides and a front with a wide notch taken out for her to trample in and out. I haven't looked at it lately (my dog is in it right now) to see the underneath. But, the bottom is a little higher than the sides. Periodically, I buy new cloth cushion beds (like all above) to put in it. It fits those perfectly. I like to use the ones with box trim on them. It looks neat and tidy. The sides are high enough for a larger dog to lay it's head on comfortably. And, enough tall to snuggle in when I throw blankets in there.

All (my dad built it in 1985) dogs have loved it. I think five dogs (included one chewer). It has a nice clean look. It's obviously well made. But, it's kind of big.

It has a lot of sentimental value, so I won't be getting rid of it. My husband even made a duplicate of it when we had two dogs. It's now living in our friend's home. Their two shih tsu dogs sleep together in it.

If you've got the space, I'd highly recommend it.

I have a big bed from Orvis. The inside bag is filled with the beans that are used for bean bag chairs. Then the outer bag, comes off for washing. I have quite a few other dog beds and I notice the Orvis one does not retain odors like the others. I think it is because of the bean bag filling.

I had some old sofa cushion slipcovers so I made another "bean bag bed" by filling one cover with the beans (they sell huge bags of them at Kmart for $15 and I only used about 1/5 of the bag) and then putting a second cover over it. The dogs love it and the only cost was the beans, where the Orvis bed cost $75.

a leftover sofa cushion cover

Btw, the Orvis beds are rather pricey and there is very little selection in fabrics. If I needed a new bed, I'd go choose my own fabric and have the cover (and liner cover) custom made...add beans and you are done. The cost might come out to about the cost of Orvis, but you would have the fabric of your choice.

If anyone in your family is handy, there was an article in the latest issue of Atomic Ranch where a couple made a dog bed for their beagle/boxer mix, so not a small dog. Although their aesthetic in building the bed was MCM, their ideas are adaptable for any decorating style. They built a platform out of plywood with a pine molding around it (built up a little bit so a cushion wouldn't slide off). They salvaged MCM style legs from a thrift store table to attach to the bottom and got a local upholsterer to make a foam cushion with a slipcover made from their leftover sofa fabric. It gave the dog bed a very custom, unique look that matched their sofa and their MCM decor.

They go into more details in the article, but the end result looked very nice. They said the whole thing cost about 100.00. I don't have a scanner and I couldn't find a picture online to show you, sorry.

Take a look at the Kuranda dog bed. They come in many sizes, cannot be chewed up, dogs love them. To clean, just hose them down or rinse off in the shower. They now have decorative covers for them.
My dog, and cats, were in such competition to sleep on the first one, that I bought another one. Worth a look.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kuranda

Our Golden is a very good dog and not a chewer. She likes to retrieve things, but she doesn't chew them. My girls own several hundred thousand stuffed animals, two of which she likes to steal but does not chew ( one is a golden puppy, the other is a very old dalmation puppy that she probably finds pleasantly malodorous.)

We ordered an LL Bean canvas bed that fits her crate, and we will transition her that way. When we know she likes it, we will order a custom duvet from Etsy.

Thank you all! and thanks for the cute pic, too

Our Golden is a very good dog and not a chewer. She likes to retrieve things, but she doesn't chew them. My girls own several hundred thousand stuffed animals, two of which she likes to steal but does not chew ( one is a golden puppy, the other is a very old dalmation puppy that she probably finds pleasantly slightly malodorous.)

We ordered an LL Bean canvas bed that fits her crate, and we will transition her that way. When we know she likes it, we will order a custom duvet from Etsy.

Thank you all! and thanks for the cute pic, too

How about an organic dog bed? I saw some nice ones when shopping around for an organic mattress. The store had both dog and cat beds, and I considered getting one for the cats. Except that they prefer to sleep on whichever piece of furniture we want to sit on. Naturally.