Best Heated Dog Beds For Large Dogs 2023

What Dogs Benefit from a Heated Dog Bed?

Let's be clear, heated dog beds are not right for every dog. There are breeds of dogs like Malamutes and Huskies who simply are unlikely to benefit from a heated dog bed. These dogs are actually fine being outside in the snow and cold most of the time. They mainly need an enclosed space to shelter against the wind and they will be fine because of their thick coats. Dogs that could benefit from a heated dog bed mainly fall into two categories.

First, there are those dogs of any age who either do not have a thick coat or they are hairless breeds. Especially small dogs who do not have a lot of hair could benefit.

Other dogs that could benefit are senior dogs who may have a painful condition like arthritis or hip dysplasia. Any kind of painful joint or spine condition could benefit from a heated dog bed.

There are some conditions that your dog may have that a heated dog bed would only aggravate. Skin conditions are especially problematic when using a heated bed. See your Vet to determine whether a heated bed is right for your dog.

What Types of Heated Dog Beds are Out There?

Pet bed heating generally falls into three different categories.

1) Pet beds that are powered by electricity.

2) Pet beds that are self-heating.

3) Devices that are not beds themselves, but are meant to heat your pet's bed.

The first type of bed should have a chew proof electric cord. Normally it will have settings to provide just the right amount of heat for your dog. The advantage of this type of bed is that it can be preheated so your dog has a warm place to lay down right from the start of nap time.

The second type of bed has a special fill that traps the body heat of one's dog and directs that heat back to its occupant. Obviously, this type of bed is very safe.

The third option is items like flat heaters or mats that go under your dog's bed to keep that bed warm. There are other items that can be warmed in a microwave and preserve heat. These products are inserted either under your dog's bed or in it.

What Training is Required to Get Your Dog to Use his/her Warm Bed?

One issue that will crop up to get your dog to use his/her bed warm or otherwise is training. Most dogs must be trained to use their bed and some breeds are easier to train than others.

Fortunately for us, golden retrievers are super intelligent and generally thought to be easy to train. Of course they do often carry a stubborn streak so there's that to deal with.

Generally, training is accomplished by first enticing your dog onto his/her bed with treats. First, get your dog used to getting on the bed with a treat and verbal command of some kind.

Once getting on the bed on command is accomplished,  you can teach your dog to lay down with a treat and verbal command 'down' or 'lay down.'

With enough practice, you can combine the commands that your dog gets on his/her bed and lay down come bedtime. Reward your dog with extra treats and praise when he/she lays on the bed and stays there. There are plenty of Youtube videos that talk about these key points of training.

We will now discuss some heated dog beds that are available and attempt to come to a determination as to what bed is the best heated dog bed.

Our Top 4 Heated Dog Bed Choices for Large Dogs

The best heated dog bed for your large dog depends on your dog and his or her needs. That being the case, here are our top 5 picks in order and they all make great heated beds for large dog breeds.

Lectro-Soft Heated Outdoor Pet Bed

Our first product to look at is made by K&H Pet Products. It is the Lectro-Soft Heated Outdoor Pet Bed. This bed comes in three sizes. The largest is 25 x 36 inches. The medium size is 19 x 24 inches. The smallest size is 14 x 18 inches.

This bed has orthopedic foam that is wonderful for those dogs with achy or arthritic joints. It has a thermostat control and an extremely hard to chew steel wrapped electrical cord that is 5.5 feet long. This bed is not recommended for aggressive chewers though.

This bed has a fleece cover that your dog should find pleasant to lay on. It has a one year warranty. This bed takes 60 watts of electricity and is designed to give your pet just that level of warmth to maintain his/her body temperature.

RIOGOO Heated Pet Pad

Next, we have the Pet Heating Pad made by RIOGOO. This is designed as an indoor warming mat. Again, there are three sizes. The largest, described by RIOGOO as extra-large, is 32 x 20 inches. The size down from that is 22 x 18 inches. For smaller dogs, there is the 18 x 18-inch mat.

This pad has a removable and washable fleece lining. The pad itself can be kept clean with a simple wet cloth. It is not recommended that you use cleaning chemicals to clean this pad. Never let your pet directly on this pad without the fleece cover.

Unlike other pads, this pad is very flexible and can be rolled up. Like all pet heating devices with an electric cord, this pad's cord is chew resistant and 83 inches long. This pad has 6 standardized heat settings allowing temps between 86 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. It has 5 timer settings. There is the default time plus a 2-hour setting, an 8-hour setting, a 12-hour setting, and a 24-hour setting. The heat automatically shuts off when the time of any of these settings lapse.

There are safeguards with this pad to prevent overheating. Should the pad overheat there are circuit breakers in place to shut down the heat and protect your pet.

Homello Pet Heating Pad

The last product on Amazon that I want to discuss is the Homello Pet Heating Pad. This pad has three standard sizes. The largest is 33 x 21 inches. The medium is 28.3 x 18.9 inches. The smallest is a square pad that is 17.7 x 17.7 inches.