Choosing a size, and why it matters more than the color

When we went looking for a bed for Lilly, the first problem was room. She sleeps stretched out, and most of the beds we found were too small for her. It's why we take size seriously, and why it's worth a few minutes before you order, since a bed can't be returned once it has shipped.

Start with weight

There are four sizes, and weight gets most dogs to the right one.

• 01 ono · for dogs under 22 lb · 25 × 31 in
• 02 kaya · for dogs 22 to 54 lb · 33 × 42 in
• 03 nori · for dogs 55 to 99 lb · 41 × 52 in
• 04 sora · for dogs 100 lb and up · 49 × 62 in

Every size is four inches thick.

The dogs in our photographs show how it plays out. Poppi, a 24 lb french bulldog, and Cody, a 33 lb miniature american shepherd, both fit kaya comfortably. Mimi, a 40 lb vizsla, stretches out on kaya too. Moli, a 66 lb dalmatian, sleeps on nori.

Then think about how they sleep

A dog that curls up tight, nose to tail, will be comfortable at the size their weight suggests. A dog that sleeps stretched out, like Lilly, needs length more than anything, so go one size up. The same goes for a dog near the top of a range: at 54 lb or 98 lb, size up.

A puppy goes by the weight they'll grow into, not the weight they are now.

Measure, then tape it out

Wait until your dog is asleep in their usual position and measure from the nose to the base of the tail, then add four to six inches. That number should fit inside the longer side of the size you're considering. If they sleep both ways, measure them stretched out.

Then mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape, in the spot where the bed will live, and leave it there for an afternoon. A sora is about four feet by five, closer to an ottoman than to a pet bed, and taping it out is how you find out whether it clears the sofa and the door before it arrives.

Two dogs, and cats

Two dogs who share lie side by side, so tape out the footprint and try it with both of them. Two small dogs usually fit on kaya. For two medium dogs who sleep touching, nori or sora is usually right. If they sleep near each other but not together, two beds in the same color look lovely side by side.

Cats take to it as well: ono suits most cats, and kaya a large cat or two who share.

If you're between two sizes

Go up. A bed that's a little generous is rarely a problem, and a dog that has to fold to fit will eventually stop using it.

• The size guide, with every footprint drawn out.
• Order free fabric samples.