How to Choose the Right GUNNER Dog Bed Size for Your Dog

Quick Answer

Measure your dog from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail while standing, then add 6 to 12 inches for a pillow bed like the HOMESTEAD DOG BED. If your dog sprawls or sleeps on its side, add closer to 12 inches. For a kennel or travel bed like the LONG HAUL BED, match the bed to the interior footprint of your crate or vehicle space instead of your dog's stretched-out length. When two sizes both fit, size up for the pillow bed and stay true to the crate dimensions for the travel bed.

Measure Your Dog the Same Way Every Time

Stand your dog on a flat floor with its head facing forward and its legs square under the body. Run a soft tape measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, not to the end of the tail hair. Write that number down. Then measure the widest point across the shoulders or ribcage, whichever is broader, because a bed that is long enough but too narrow will still leave your dog hanging over the edge.

Do this while your dog is calm, not right after a walk or during a play session. A wiggling dog adds inches that are not real. If you get two different numbers, take the larger one and round up to the nearest inch. You will use this same number for every GUNNER bed you consider, so keep it in your phone notes.

Match the Bed to How Your Dog Actually Sleeps

A dog that curls into a tight ball needs less usable space than a dog that stretches out flat on its side. Curlers can use a bed that is roughly their nose-to-tail length plus a few inches. Side sleepers and sprawlers need the full 6 to 12 inches of extra room, and they benefit from a bed with a low, open center rather than a tight bolster all the way around.

Watch your dog for three nights before you buy. Note whether it presses against walls, hangs a leg over the edge of its current bed, or circles before lying down. Those are sizing signals, not personality quirks. A dog that hangs a leg over the edge is telling you the bed is too small, even if the length measurement says otherwise.

Pillow Bed vs. Travel Bed: Two Different Sizing Jobs

A pillow bed is sized for comfort and sprawl. The HOMESTEAD DOG BED uses a bolstered design with a cooling support core, so the usable sleeping area sits inside the bolster. Measure the flat center, not the outer edge, and compare that to your dog's nose-to-tail number plus your sleep-style allowance. If the flat center is smaller than your dog's length, the bed is too small no matter what the outer dimensions say.

A travel or kennel bed is sized for containment. The LONG HAUL BED is engineered for dogs that spend serious time on the road and is designed to fit a kennel footprint, so you size it to the crate or vehicle space first and the dog second. A travel bed that is too large will bunch up or get pushed aside; one that is too small leaves your dog without support on long drives. Measure the interior floor of your crate or the flat cargo area you use, then choose the bed that matches it.

When to Size Up and When Not To

Size up for a pillow bed if your dog is still growing, if it shares the bed with another dog, or if it routinely sleeps stretched out. Size up is also the safer call for senior dogs that need extra room to shift position without help. The trade-off is floor space: a larger pillow bed takes up more room in a living area or truck cab, and it is heavier to move for cleaning.

Do not size up for a travel bed. A kennel bed needs to fit the kennel, and an oversized bed defeats the purpose of a defined, secure resting spot on the road. If your dog has outgrown its crate, the crate is the thing to replace, not the bed. For a dog that is between two pillow bed sizes and you cannot measure in person, choose the larger size only if you have the floor space to spare.

Check the Bed's Cleaning and Reassembly Routine Before You Commit

Size is only half the decision. A bed that is hard to clean will not stay in use, no matter how well it fits. GUNNER pillow beds and the Long Haul Bed are both described as easy to clean and just as easy to reassemble, which matters when a bed gets muddy, wet, or soiled. Before you buy, think about where you will wash it and whether you can lift the size you are considering.

A larger bed holds more water and takes longer to dry. If you plan to hose it down outdoors, a bigger bed is fine. If you wash in a home machine or a small tub, a bed that is too large becomes a chore, and a chore bed gets retired early. Match the size to your cleaning setup, not just to your dog.

Sizing Decision Rules

• Rule 1: Measure nose to tail, then add 6-12 inches: Use the standing nose-to-base-of-tail number. Add 6 inches for curlers and 12 inches for side sleepers and sprawlers. This is your target flat sleeping area for a pillow bed. If the flat center of the bed is smaller than this number, go up a size or choose a different bed.
• Rule 2: Size a travel bed to the crate, not the dog: Measure the interior floor of your kennel or the flat cargo area you use. Choose the bed that matches that footprint. Do not oversize a kennel bed to give your dog more room. If the bed does not fit the crate, the crate is the wrong size, not the bed.
• Rule 3: Let sleep position override the tape measure: A dog that hangs a leg over the edge or presses against the bed wall needs more usable space, even if the length measurement says the bed fits. A dog that curls tightly can use a bed closer to its own length. Watch three nights of sleep before you finalize the size.
• Rule 4: Match size to your cleaning routine: Bigger beds hold more water and take longer to dry. If you wash indoors in a small tub or machine, a bed that is too large becomes a chore and gets retired early. Only size up if you have the floor space and the drying space to handle it.

GUNNER Bed Facts That Affect Sizing

• HOMESTEAD DOG BED Treeline Green: HOMESTEAD DOG BED Treeline Green is a pillow bed with a bolstered design and a cooling support core, made in the USA of global materials and designed in Nashville. The bolster takes up part of the bed's footprint, so measure the flat center sleeping area rather than the outer edge when checking fit.
• LONG HAUL BED: LONG HAUL BED is a premium kennel bed engineered for dogs that spend serious time on the road, developed for nearly three years to be a more durable, more comfortable and waterproof resting place. Because it is built for kennels and vehicles, size it to the interior floor of your crate or cargo space, not to your dog's stretched-out length.
• HOMESTEAD DOG BED Quail Tan: HOMESTEAD DOG BED Quail Tan is a special-edition version made in collaboration with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, and it shares the same GUNNER-Grade materials and construction as the standard Homestead. Sizing is identical to the other Homestead colors, so choose this edition on color preference, not on fit.

Who Each Bed Size Fits Best

Best for

• Dogs that sprawl or sleep on their side and need a full 12 inches of extra room beyond nose-to-tail length
• Owners who want a bolstered pillow bed with a cooling support core for a primary sleeping spot at home
• Dogs that travel regularly in a kennel and need a waterproof bed sized to the crate footprint
• Owners who want a bed that is easy to clean and reassemble after muddy or wet days

Not for

• Owners with very limited floor space who cannot accommodate a larger pillow bed
• Dogs that have outgrown their crate and need a bigger kennel before a new bed
• Owners who wash beds in a small home machine and cannot handle a large, water-heavy bed
• Dogs that need a bed sized by outer dimensions rather than flat usable sleeping area