Both Sir John and Freethinker99 have given excellent analyses on the various options available. On the other hand consumers must constantly balance questions of quality vs. cost. There is no doubt that 8 way hand tied coils and 5/4" solid wood frames are superior to drop-in coils (or no-sag) springs and plywood frames. On the other hand a well-built plywood frame sofa with an inexpensive no-sag spring system, costing many hundreds of dollars less, can still be expected to last at least 10 years. Cushions and fabric are far more likely to wear out long before the frame and springs. On sofas retailing for under $1500 by far the most popular type of cushion construction is a 1.8 density HR (High Resilience) polyurethane foam with a polyester fiber wrapping. This type of cushion construction will typically hold up for only 3-5 years before beginning to lose its shape and resilience. If you are looking for a sofa to hold up for 10 years you will need to upgrade your cushions. The two most popular upgrade options include spring-down or high density foam cushions. Spring-down cushions are constructed using a coil spring system inside which is surrounded by foam and typically topped with a down/feather/fiber blend. Another popular cushion upgrade option is one using a high density foam. The higher the cushion density, the more foam is used per cubic inch and the greater the cushion durability. Although a 2.0 density HR (High Resilience) foam is a definite improvement over the standard 1.8 density, I would recommend a 2.2 density or higher if you want your cushions to last 10 years. Fabric durability is the other primary concern for a sofa lasting 10 years. Although there are literally hundreds of variations that can affect a specific fabric's durability, in general look for thicker, heavier fabrics that are tightly woven. Keep in mind that a fabric's cleanability may also be a factor as a "dirty" or badly stained couch is unappetizing no matter how long you have owned it.

As a vet, I can say truthfully that NO, vets do NOT get kickbacks from ANY pet food company. I personally don't recommend science diet except in certain instances. For example, end-stage kidney failure and severe liver disease might make me recommend either the Science Diet or Purina prescription diet for life. Short term, I've used s/d to dissolve bladder stones, but back to regular food once stones are dissolved. And very short term maybe an easily digestible food prescription diet for after a major abdominal surgery or severe GI disease. Other than those specific instances, I rarely use any prescription diets, and certainly not the Science Diet non-prescription foods. Even for food allergies, I prefer novel protein and carbohydrate diets such as Natural Balance vs prescription diets (except Royal Canin, which is good food, but we don't sell it) As far as how much food my own dogs get, I feed Eagle Pack Holistic Select, Natural Balance, or Solid Gold. My huskies (37-48 pounds) eat 1 cup of food a day each. My 65 pound VERY active rottie eats 3 cups a day. I'm sure if I fed Iams or Beneful or whatever they'd eat a LOT more. Of course the BEST food is natural whole food, like a raw diet or homemade cooked food. But most of us don't have the time or expertise to cook balanced meals for our pets. Also check your local pet store for good deals. I get the 10th bag of food free...

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 that island. I bought it when we moved into our house and the kitchen had a french vibe and no island and little work space. I like it a lot looks-wise. The dislikes -I wish it were a little bigger. The open bottom is nice and charming and keeps the space open - I have bottles of wine lying on the shelf and a basket of dishtowels. I also have a rice cooker and other random stuff there but that's a function of my lack of storage - not what looks good there! Anyway, the dislike is that it always gets really dusty. Always. We have a dog that tracks in dirt which becomes dust that settles there. The towel bars are very slightly rusted from wet towels but I do love them - will have them on my next island as well but in something that doesn't rust. The top has stayed pretty nice even though we have not been careful at all. It's got some etching and there are big scratches from some house sitters who decided to cut on the island. : ( But I am the only one who notices all those things. I'm hoping to start our kitchen renovation in 3-6 months and probably won't have a spot for it anymore...I'll probably sell it on craigslist!