PVC Dog Cot Tutorial
by TheDIYGirl
Having two dogs with a disposition for hip displasia I wanted some kind of bed for them that would keep them off the hard floors. I made PVC frames and sewed washable slings to go on the frames. You can see the full tutorial at my blog link below. This tutorial is for cots for large dogs but there's a link at the bottom that goes to a post with measurements for smaller cots as well.
The frame consists of 3-way corners with caps on the ends of the legs and PVC cut to 32" and 26". I have found 6" legs keep large dogs off the floor. All of these materials should be available at your local big box home improvement store.
The only difficult part is getting that last corner together since you want the slings really tight -- otherwise the slings will sag with the weight of the dog and the dog will end up resting on the floor. Not what you want.
Below is the fully assembled PVC dog cot. I use cotton duck cloth because it's sturdy and washable. The cots are easy to pack for travel and maintenance.
Below is the very first cot I made for Nikki and Ellie. I was worried I'd spend the money and effort on making them and they wouldn't even set a foot on them. I was wrong. Aren't my girls cute?
Nikki always served as my QA department making sure the cots were up to her standards. She's keeping me company while I sew slings for someone else.
The cots are easy to make and easy to keep clean and I think every dog deserves a nice bed to keep them off the floor. The beds are cool for the dogs during the summer and when it cools off I put a quilt on each bed so they are snuggly warm for the winter. If you have any questions contact me through TheDIYGirl.com and I will be happy to help.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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2 of 86 comments
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Similar cots like this are used in dog boarding places. They cost quite a bit. Thanks for providing these instructions at a fraction of the price!
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I have one of these I won at a dog show and I know what these go for as I had a boarding kennel! My favorite client had a Great Pyrenees that broke the beds regularly. My husband had a spell of feeling pretty good after a kidney transplant and made four of these with very large support pipes. I still have two of those, I sold the other two to my client!
Frequently asked questions
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Anyone have the link for measurements and materials?
Where do you get the cotton duck cloth? I've never heard of it. Though I'm kot very domesticated or crafty either LOL
Your dogs appear to be bigger dogs but is there a weight limit or does using two layers of material help compensate for that?? What about the PVC pipe - are their different sizes/thicknesses??