About Us

Our mission is to give you the best information and resources to care for your dogs. Sleeping, food and nutrition and the care required for different stages of your dog’s life from puppies to senior dogs.

We have dog beds to suit all budgets and dog breeds. From the ever popular elevated dog bed to beds your dog can really snuggle into. When you choose a quality pet bed from our preferred manufacturers, like Choozy, you’re buying premium quality, handmade workmanship and supporting Australian business. We love that.

About Me

A dog with arthritic joints needs exercise, swimming is ideal
Take your dog for regular walks and swims if you can get to the beach

I’m Martin and I can’t remember a time when a dog hasn’t been a part of my family. I have so many great memories of the times I’ve spent with my four-legged friends.

We’ve owned many different dogs, from Dachshund to Staffordshire Bull Terrier, German Shepherd to crossbred wild dogs. Each was very different in nature but had one thing in common, loyalty. I’ve learned over my 50 years that if you treat your dog the right way you’ll have the most loyal companion.

Looking after a dog is simple. All you need is to be able to supply good, healthy food, clean water, exercise (for you and your dog), shelter and a good, comfortable dog bed, and most importantly, lots of love.

There’s no doubt that the bond we share with our dogs enriches our life and that of our family.

This picture is taken with our dog ‘Beepa’. A dog that had a beautiful nature and truly was a special part of our family. He loved the beach, chasing sticks up and down the beach and swimming. And like all dogs, loved open spaces.

As he aged, sadly Beepa suffered from arthritis, so I understand the importance of keeping your dog comfortable and providing a comfy bed for his poor old aching joints. Exercise plays an important part in managing arthritis in dogs, along with medication and diet. It’s an area that’s close to my heart.

Having a dog join your family from a puppy is loads of fun, and there’s a lot of learning about each other as you go – for both you and the dog.

Here are a few of my tips for those new to looking after dogs.

Dogs are smarter than you think!

Rule 1 – Discipline

Dogs are pack animals and need to know where their place is in the pack.  I’m a bit of a softy with dogs but they need to be taught early in your relationship who the boss is. I’m not trying to sound mean but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Once you achieve this simple rule then it’s smooth sailing.

Dogs are smart and they’ll test you to see what they can get away with when you don’t establish the rules. I’m talking generally about bigger dogs.

Settling a puppy to sleep

taking time to get to know your new puppy
Puppies should be fed about 3 hrs before bedtime

When you bring your new puppy home, find somewhere he can be safe and warm, for example, in a laundry, where he has his own sleeping space at night. And he’ll settle down in his cozy little bed. (Of course, make sure he’s totally safe and detergents and any dangers are well away from inquisitive paws.)

Tip:  If you have a clock that actually makes a ticking sound and place it under a blanket or somewhere so the puppy can hear the ticking sound, he’ll be comforted. To the pup it can sound like the heartbeat from the mother so your new puppy doesn’t feel alone. It sounds crazy, but I’ve found it often works.

There’s a good chance the puppy will need attention during the night. Some puppies settle quicker than others, but this phase will pass. It’s all a part of getting to know your puppy.

Leaving your dog home alone

It’s much easier, if you’re home during the day when you bring home the puppy so you can get used to each other. However, this isn’t always possible. So make sure your pup is in a safe space, with clean water, food, and his special bed. A little background noise like a radio in the background when you’re not home is helpful.

Cameras are a great idea like the one you’ll find on this link. You can watch your dog and talk to him through the speaker occasionally. Your dog will be comforted hearing your voice. And you’ll have your mind put at ease as you can check on him.

Toilet training your puppy

Now you don’t want to be following the puppy around with a disinfectant bottle and cloth for too long. So this is another hurdle you’re going to have to cross. I always gave my puppies lots of ‘outside time’ during the day and had their beds in the laundry at night so they could learn where to go to the toilet.

If they happen to mess inside, this is when you need to be firm. Show them what they have done, say ‘no’ in a slightly harsh voice. Make sure they know what’s going on, then take them outside or where you want them to go to the toilet.

They will catch on pretty quickly.

Simple tips for training a naughty puppy

As your puppy grows it can be hard to keep him under control. I suggest you have plenty of little toys for your puppy to chew on because just like babies, puppies will start teething. They want to chew everything… furniture, kids toys, hose reels, motorbike mudguards, you name it – they’ll chew it!

Use dog chew toys for a teething puppy. That will save your furniture from being damaged
give your puppy plenty of chew toys with different textures to save your furniture

Show them what they have chewed and in a stern voice say ‘no (your dogs name)’.  All of my dogs went through this stage.

It’s our responsibility to think ahead. Don’t leave precious items around your puppy. He will destroy them; he can’t help it.

Put things away that you don’t want your puppy to chew (this includes shoes and cords, anything those little teeth can sink into.)

Exercise

It’s good to take your puppy for a walk. He’ll love it. It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing outside, your puppy will catch on very quickly and know when you grab the leash and head for the door, it’s time to get excited.

Dogs need exercise. They can’t just sit around and wait for you to play with them. You’ve got to wear them out. It’s good for you to get some exercise as well and you get special time to bond with your puppy.

The more you give, the more you get back

man's best friend
Alan and his Cocker Spaniel ‘Barney’. You’ll notice we’ve a huge soft-spot for the gorgeous ‘Barney’. He’s definitely one of our favs.

They’re like a party – it’s what you make of them. 

Dogs are great animals and it’s easy to love them. But if you don’t spend some time with them, they might just become ‘the barking dog next door’, and we all know that is not what we want.

Dogs need exercise and stimulation.

Spend time with your dog and you’ll find a loyal friend. They really are a man’s best friend.

Sleep

There’s no doubt our dogs love having their own special, safe space in the home to relax; just as we love our own bed. Our luxury dog beds will have your pet loving his bed too.

He’ll get more sleep, and so will you. 

Thanks for joining us, Martin

Update 2021: We welcomed Susie as a contributer to trampolinedogbeds. Susie’s dog was born with skeletal and bio-mechanical problems and as a result her dog needed multiple operations.

Susie’s experience supporting her pup through post operative physical recovery, inspired her to do exhaustive research to find the best nutrition to bolster her dog’s recovery. And on into his future to maximise pain relief.

Susie shares her knowledge in a series of articles on the best dog foods for pups through to senior dogs.

“I’m Susie – a dog lover and writer. Earlier this year I got my chug puppy named Pierre. Since Pierre joined our family I’ve been on a pretty big learning journey with our new pup as he has had a few health problems and some deformities.

He’s had to have multiple operations to correct his front legs. Although he’s had so much to cope with already in his short life, I’d describe his personality as pure joy.

It’s certainly been a steep learning curve to find the balance to support him through his operations.

To keep an active puppy quiet to allow time for his legs to heal has been challenging when he just wants to be excited about absolutely everything and everyone. It’s been key to make sure he has the right nutrition for the best recovery and balance discipline to train my pup.

I hope the tips I have to share will help you and your furry friend.” Susie 

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