Elevated Dog Bed Frame

Our dog is a sighthound, so he's naturally very thin. He's so skinny we often get comments like "why aren't you feeding him??". Being so lean, he gets very cold during the winters (second image was taken before we knew he needed a sweater!). Even if we leave the heat on he often wakes up all shivering because our floor is freezing and his mattress is not a good insulator. So I set out to solve the problem by raising his bed off the cold floor.

The bed frame I made turned out to be sturdy, easy to assemble, and very cheap. I hope you enjoy reading, and if you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer all of them at the comment section below.

The base I made is 85x85 cm^2 (or 34" x 34"). Making a different size will require minor adjustments. Keep in mind you want the bed frame to fit your dog's mattress.

Lumber

1. 5x5 cm^2 (2" x 2") - 4 meters (160") in total cut to the following sizes:
2. Four 20 cm (8") long pieces (legs)
3. Two 70 cm (28") long pieces (frame, part 1)
4. Two 80 cm (32") long pieces (frame, part 2)
5. 15x2 cm^2 (6" x 1") - 4.25 meters (170") in total cut to the following sizes:
6. Five 85 cm (32") long pieces (bed slats).

You can either ask the lumber shop to slice the lumber for you, or cut it down to size by yourself.

Screws & Joints

1. 12 units of 70 mm (3") long screws.
2. 32 units of 30 mm (1.2") long screws.
3. 8 units of L-shaped brackets.

For this step you'll need the 4 longer 5x5 cm^2 (2" x 2") pieces.

1. Drill a guiding hole about 2.5 cm (1") from either edge of the longer (80cm / 32") pieces (1st GIF). The drill bit should be thinner than 70mm (3") the screws you're going to use.
2. Lay the pieces so that they form a square. Using floor tiles or a right-angle tool will help (first image).
3. Screw in four 7" screws to hold everything in place (2nd GIF).

After this step you should end up with a square frame looking like that in the 4th image.

• Place the slats on top of the frame and spread them evenly. They should be about 10mm (3/8") apart.
• Double check that the frame is square and adjust it if necessary. This step will finalize the shape of the bed.
• Use the the 30mm (1.2") screws to fasten the slats to the frame (2 at each end of the each slat). It's wise to drill guide holes in these slats, but I didn't do it :)

• Place the legless bed frame upside down, and place one 20cm (8") long 5x5 cm^2 (2" x 2") at each corner (first GIF).
• Connect the legs using two 70mm (3") screws to the frame. Drilling guide holes is a good idea (second GIF).
• For additional strength, use a couple of L-shaped brackets to fasten each of the legs (3rd GIF).

Almost done! Place the bed frame at your dog's favorite spot, and lay his mattress over it. If it wiggles, use furniture sticker pads or something similar to level it.

Test it! My dog was cautious the first time he climbed into his new bed, but now he seems to love it. The important part is that it really does work - winter is almost over and he didn't wake up shivering even once this year.

That's it for today! I hope you enjoyed reading and that some of this article inspired you to make something of your own!

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