There’s nothing cuter than a snoozing puppy right? Puppies just love being tucked up cosy and warm in a puppy blanket, I mean who doesn’t? They’ve had their mother and littermates to snuggle up with until now. But do puppies really need puppy blankets, or will a regular puppy bed do?
Here at Zigzag, we like to answer all of your burning questions, so we thought we’d tell you all you need to know about puppy blankets and puppy comfort blankets. We’ll fill you in on:
- Why we think puppy blankets are essential.
- What you should look for when choosing a comfort blanket for your puppy.
- What puppy blankets can be made from.
- Blankets for puppies who might have specific needs.
There’s more to puppy blankets than you thought isn’t there?
Hopefully, our guide will prevent you from getting overwhelmed and help you choose a good one for your puppy. Meanwhile, we have a lot more information in our Zigzag puppy training app, about every aspect of puppy training; be it socialisation, life skills, teaching your puppy to be ok home alone, and we have a dedicated team of puppy coaches available for you 7 days a week to answer any questions. It’s basically like having a dog trainer in your pocket. We look forward to being your bestie. Be it on WhatsApp, email or the good old phone!
Puppy Blankets: are they an essential?
Let’s lay it out here. Yes, we do think puppy blankets are essential. Puppy comfort blankets are necessary for several reasons, actually.
Puppy blankets provide a den like experience
Now, we know dogs were domesticated a long time ago, but puppies still appreciate the den and cocooned like feeling they get from a blanket. When at home your puppy will probably retreat to familiar places like their crate or bed if they feel worried. By having a blanket in that space you can use it as a portable den when you take them out and about.
Puppy blankets provide warmth and security
Dogs like to stay warm, and puppies are no different! When they are with their littermates, they all sleep on top of each other. It’s a phenomenon that is well documented in scientific papers, often called ‘huddling’. It is a way of reducing heat loss and keeping warm.
Sleeping curled up together provides security and comfort and would be essential for survival ‘in the wild’. Even older puppies and dogs will sleep curled up next to each other.
Side note: Did you know a dog’s resting body temperature is 37.8° to 38.9°C – which is a lot warmer than a human’s!
Puppy blankets smell nice
Did you give a blanket to your breeder before you got your puppy to act like a puppy comfort blanket? Or maybe your breeder gave you some blanket material that ‘smelt like Mum’? Whichever it was, that familiar smell will give your new puppy comfort when they’re in their new home and reduce anxiety when they’re older by having ‘their’ blanket when you take them somewhere new.
What to look for in a puppy blanket
When choosing a puppy blanket, there are probably some things you want to look out for. We hope we’ve shared our top tips below, but do get in touch if we’ve missed something! We love getting feedback from our readers.
Is the puppy blanket a good size?
Can you wrap your puppy up in the blanket like a puppy burrito? Just kidding, but your puppy comfort blanket wants to be big enough for them to easily lie down on and scratch up into a nest. Yes, you might see your puppy doing that odd behaviour of circling and digging at their blanket. It’s perfectly normal, don’t worry.
Is the puppy blanket padded?
Who doesn’t love a quilted throw to snuggle up in? So how about a quilted puppy blanket? Blankets that are thicker will be nice and warm for your puppy, especially if they choose to snuggle down underneath them.
Is the blanket fluffy?
Let us tell you, most dogs and puppies love a bit of faux-fur action and fortunately, many faux fur puppy blankets are machine washable these days. If you’re not a fan of faux fur, perhaps you’d consider more of a fluffy puppy blanket?
Is the puppy blanket washable?
Some of the newer wool puppy blankets are designed to be machine washable, but for many puppy blankets, your best bet is a fleece puppy blanket as it’s washable, quick drying and often waterproof too. Oh and use a guppy bag. Not only will this stop microplastics from getting into the environment (marine mammals and oceans say thank you!) but if your puppy sheds, then it saves your washing machine or tumble dryer from having all of your puppy’s fur stuck in the filters.
Most snuggly puppy blankets to choose from
You would not believe the range of materials that puppy comfort blankets come in these days, fleece, velvet, washable, faux fur. Lucky puppies! Let’s take a walk around the puppy blanket department with you.
Fleece puppy blankets
Fleece is commonly used in puppy blankets because it’s cheap, easy to keep clean, quick to dry on a washing line, and soft and warm.
Some of the more eco-conscious readers will know that it’s not wonderful for the environment, and some environmentalists will go so far as to ask us not to use fleece at all. Use a washing bag if you have fleece blankets to stop microplastic from entering the water system.
Waterproof puppy blankets
Many blankets these days have a waterproof membrane that will keep your furniture safe when toilet training your puppy.
Puppy blankets made of recycled materials
It wasn’t an easy find, but take a look at this blanket as one which is made up of recycled materials. We can all try and do our bit for the environment can’t we?
Velvet puppy blankets
Do you own a luxury bitch? Give her (or him!) the finest puppy blanket made of velvet. Because they’re worth it!
Puppy blankets to lower anxiety
These days, many blankets claim to help with your pet’s anxiety, reduce separation anxiety, comfort your puppy when stressed, or provide overall wellness support. Now, we don’t know of any science that says a specific type of blanket will help your puppy cope with being home alone, but sure a comforting shaggy blanket is going to be nice for your puppy to snuggle down into.
Well, we hope you’ve given you some ideas about the kind of puppy blankets that are available and what might be the best puppy comfort blanket for your puppy.
On the subject of sleep, have you checked out our article on how to get your puppy to sleep through the night, or perhaps you’d like to learn more about puppy sleep aids and have considered getting a puppy heartbeat toy?
To jump on the puppy training train, why not download a free trial of the Zigzag puppy training app and get started on your puppy training journey today. Don’t forget to reach out to the puppy coaches and tell them all about your puppy. They love receiving puppy pics too!
(in Google Playstore)