Pine or Cedar Shavings for Dogs: Which Bedding is Better?
Okay, so I've been getting a lot of questions about what kind of bedding is best for dogs, especially when it comes to wood shavings. I decided to do a little experiment of my own to see what worked best, pine or cedar. Here's how it went down:
The Great Bedding Experiment
First, I got my hands on both pine and cedar shavings. Made sure they were the kiln-dried kind, because you don't want any of those extra oils or dust causing problems. you know, the less processed, the better, generally speaking, for our furry friends.
Then I cleaned out two identical dog beds. One would be the "pine zone," and the other would be the "cedar central." I wanted everything to be as fair as possible.
I filled each bed with a good, fluffy layer of the respective shavings. I made sure it was deep enough for a dog to really burrow in and get comfy.
Next came the fun part – introducing the test subjects! I have two dogs: Buddy, a super-chill lab mix, and Pepper, a hyperactive terrier. I figured their different personalities might give me some good insights.
For the first week, Buddy got the pine bed, and Pepper got the cedar. I watched them like a hawk, I was note down their behavior, how much time they spent in their beds, and any signs of scratching or discomfort.
- Buddy seemed pretty happy with the pine. He's not a big fussbudget anyway.
- Pepper, on the other hand, seemed a little restless in the cedar. She was scratching a bit more than usual.
After a week, I switched the beds. Buddy moved to the cedar, and Pepper got the pine.
- Buddy still didn't seem to care much. He's just a happy-go-lucky kind of guy.
- But, Pepper seemed much happier in the pine. She settled down, stopped scratching as much, and seemed to sleep more soundly.
I kept this up for another week, just to be sure. My observations were that Pepper definitely preferred the pine, and Buddy was indifferent.
So, after all this, I'd say it to choose pine shavings. It seems to be gentler, and less likely to cause any *, every dog is different. You gotta pay attention to your own dog and see how they react. If they're scratching a lot or seem uncomfortable, try switching things up.
