Designer Dog Beds for Small Dogs: Sizes, Shapes and How to Choose the Right One

Small dogs are not easier to buy for. They're just harder to measure correctly, and the mistake most people make is assuming that any bed in the smallest available size will do. It won't. A Dachshund sleeps differently to a French Bulldog. A Chihuahua has opinions about enclosure that a Maltese does not share. Once you know the three things to measure and understand the four main shapes, the decision becomes straightforward. Here's how to get it right the first time.

How to measure a small dog for a bed

The measurement that matters most is your dog's length from nose to the base of their tail, taken when they're lying flat and stretched out. Not curled, not sitting. Stretched. Add around 20 to 25 cm to that figure and you have the minimum usable bed length. The reason for the buffer is that small dogs, contrary to what the name suggests, do not sleep small. They sprawl. They push against the bolster with all four legs. They rotate 90 degrees for no reason at three in the morning.

Width matters more for dogs that sleep on their fronts or spread flat. Take the widest point of your dog when they're relaxed on their side, then apply the same 20 to 25 cm addition. Our dog bed size guide works through the same method for medium and large breeds.

According to the PDSA, most dogs need 14 to 16 hours of sleep or more in every 24, so a bed that's slightly too small will make itself known quickly. If your dog keeps repositioning, hanging a leg over the edge, or abandoning the bed for the sofa, the size is probably wrong.

One more thing to check: height from the floor to the top of your dog's shoulder. For dogs like Pugs and French Bulldogs with very short legs, a bed with low, soft sides is easier to get in and out of. For a Dachshund with a long body and a tendency to vault in from the side, a low-profile cushion or flat mattress often works better than a deep box bed.

Which shape actually suits your dog

There are four shapes worth knowing about, and they suit different sleeping styles. Our dog bed shapes guide goes deeper on each of them.

Box beds are four-sided, usually with a lower entrance panel at the front. They contain a dog well, which suits breeds that like to feel enclosed or push against a boundary. Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas often prefer these. The Senso Luxury Dog Bed from the German design house MiaCara comes in an S at 65 x 50 cm and an SM at 80 x 65 cm. MiaCara's own size guide puts the Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier and Chihuahua on the S, and the Dachshund, Pug and French Bulldog on the SM, so the SM is the one to look at for the longer or stockier small breeds. The Mare Dog Bed comes in an S at 70 x 55 cm, a slightly longer footprint that suits Dachshunds well given how much body they have to accommodate.

Cushions and flat mattresses suit dogs that sleep on their fronts or sprawl sideways without using the edges of the bed at all. If your dog regularly migrates off their current bed onto a flat floor or a rug, a cushion format is likely what they actually want. Both the Senso and Mare cushions are available in an S at 80 x 60 cm, which is the most generous of the small-dog options and handles a spreadeagled Frenchie or Pug without drama.

Baskets sit between a cushion and a box bed for containment. The Covo basket is a bent plywood shell, 75 x 60 cm, that rises into a high rear wall and stays open at the front, with a foam cushion under a removable cover. Worth considering if your dog likes to curl up covered on three sides while keeping sight of the room.

Pouffe-style beds are lower to the ground, wider, and have no defined entry point. The Senso Pouffe in SM at 70 x 70 cm is roughly square, which suits dogs that sleep in circles or shift position through the night. Pugs tend to take to these immediately.

Luxury dog beds for small dogs: why the investment makes sense

The honest version of this question is: why not just buy something cheap and replace it when it goes wrong?

The main reason is what is inside the bed. For a dog resting 14 to 16 hours a day, the fill matters over time. The Senso and Mare box beds use recycled foam that returns to shape under daily use, the Mare Cushion's foam is chosen for its high restoring force, and every cover in the range is removable and washable. That last detail is the practical one that matters most with any dog bed, regardless of price. Our washable dog beds guide lists what goes in the machine, bed by bed.

There's also the question of size accuracy. The dimensions listed here are actual measurements from the product pages, not approximations. If you measure your dog, add the buffer, and pick accordingly, the bed will fit. That sounds obvious, but it's not guaranteed with every brand.

We chose MiaCara because the range runs from 65 x 50 cm up to 120 x 93 cm with measured dimensions on every product page rather than a generic chart, and the covers come off for the machine. Every size mentioned here is in our designer dog beds collection.

Matching breed to bed: a quick guide

The list below is a starting point, not a rule. Your dog's individual sleeping style will tell you more than their breed will, but if you're buying before you've had a chance to observe carefully, this is a reasonable place to begin among our luxury dog beds for small dogs. If your dog falls between sizes, go up. A dog in a slightly large bed will find the corner they prefer. A dog in a bed that's too small will simply use your sofa instead.

• Chihuahua: Senso box bed in S at 65 x 50 cm, the size MiaCara's guide gives for the breed. They like containment and warmth, and the bolster gives them something to press against.
• Maltese: Senso box bed in S, per MiaCara's guide, or the SM if yours sleeps stretched out. Long enough for a full stretch, contained enough that they feel settled.
• Yorkshire Terrier: box bed in S. Yorkies tend to curl tight and don't usually need the SM footprint, but it gives room to move.
• Dachshund: Mare box bed S at 70 x 55 cm, the Senso in SM at 80 x 65 cm (MiaCara's guide size for the breed), or the Mare cushion at 80 x 60 cm if your dog sleeps flat rather than in a tight curl. The extra length is the point.
• French Bulldog: Senso box bed in SM, the Senso cushion S at 80 x 60 cm, or the Senso Pouffe SM at 70 x 70 cm. Frenchies are short but wide and tend to splay out rather than curl up.
• Pug: the pouffe format in SM, the Senso box bed in SM, or the Mare cushion. Low entry, generous width, no high bolsters to negotiate.

Where to put the bed

Placement affects whether your dog actually uses the bed. Small dogs in particular tend to want to be in the room with you rather than tucked away somewhere quiet. A bed in the corner of a rarely used room will be ignored. The same bed near a sofa or beside a reading chair will get used every day.

For short-coated breeds like Frenchies and Pugs, position matters for temperature too. Near a radiator is fine in winter, but not directly against one. Away from draughts is more important than you'd think for a dog that's low to the ground and doesn't have much coat to fall back on.

Frequently asked questions

What size bed does a French Bulldog need?

Most French Bulldogs fit well in a bed with a minimum length of 80 cm, which is why the Senso box bed in SM, the Senso cushion S and the Senso Pouffe SM tend to work. The common mistake is buying the S box bed instead and discovering that your dog's elbows and haunches both hit the sides at the same time. When in doubt, go to the SM and let them use the extra space.

How do I know if my dog's bed is the right size?

Measure nose to base of tail when they're stretched flat, add 20 to 25 cm, and that's your minimum bed length. The signs it's wrong are fairly unmistakeable: nose jammed into the bolster, legs hanging over the edge, or your dog choosing the floor over the bed entirely. Getting the measurement right before you order saves the return entirely.

Is there a designer dog bed that suits Dachshunds specifically?

The Mare Dog Bed S at 70 x 55 cm is the one to look at first. Most small-dog beds are designed with width in mind, not length, and a Dachshund needs length. If yours sleeps stretched flat, the Mare cushion at 80 x 60 cm gives even more room. The box bed format works better for dogs that like a contained feel; the cushion suits a dog that spreads out and doesn't use the sides.