We laugh when we see photos of very large dogs trying to curl up in tiny dog beds. We wonder why in the world that big dog would choose to lie on that little bed when there is a bigger one visible in the photo.
To try to explain this phenomenon we have to look at who the dog is.
In such a situation, there are clearly at least two dogs in the environment and one is large and one is small. It is not the case in all situations, but most veterinarians would agree that small dogs tend to have the attitude of much bigger and tougher dogs. And bigger dogs are often gentle giants who accept their lot with serenity.
Related: 12 Best Dog Beds
We can’t always explain why an individual dog prefers one thing over another, but all dogs want to feel safe and secure in the place that they sleep. Having a bed in a size that is small enough to touch the dog’s body on all sides may make him feel swaddled and safe. Some dogs certainly take the swaddling concept to an extreme, like when a Great Dane tries to sleep in a Chihuahua’s bed. But the swaddling and safety concepts may still apply.
Related: The 9 Best Beds for Senior Dogs
We can surmise that the smaller bed belongs to the smaller dog and so it is a prized resource. Because the small dog likely has a very plucky nature, the large dog may look to the smaller dog for guidance. So he might feel protected in the bed that has been pre-approved by the smaller dog.
Our human tendencies make us want to believe that the smaller dog ousted the big dog from his more desirable big bed, but this may not be the case. Only someone who carefully watches their dogs interact could say for sure.
One thing is for sure- we have fun captioning photos of big dogs spilling out of tiny beds and they seem none the worse for the wear and may even prefer the tiny bed every time!
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Toledo, United States.
