Best bed for elderly Yorkshire Terrier

A 13-year-old Yorkie sleeping 20 hours a day puts a lot of mileage on a bed, and at that age the right replacement really matters — worn-out beds lose their support fast, and small senior dogs feel the cold and aches more than you'd expect. The right bed depends a lot on how your dog actually sleeps and whether there are any joint issues showing up. How does your Yorkie tend to sleep — curled up tight, stretched out, or tucked against something? And have you noticed any stiffness getting up, or any signs of arthritis?

That tells me a lot — a dog who curls and leans against the sides is looking for warmth and that enclosed, secure feeling, and morning stiffness in the back legs in a 13-year-old is almost certainly early arthritis or general joint wear. She needs two things: proper orthopaedic support underneath, and raised, padded sides to lean into and stay warm. What's the current bed like — does it have sides, and roughly what size is it?

Right, so she's been making do without the sides she clearly wants — that explains the leaning against the edge. For a dog her size and age, I'd go with the PetFusion Ultimate Dog Bed in the small size. It has a solid memory foam base which will make a real difference to those stiff joints, and the bolstered sides are firm enough to actually support her when she leans in, not just soft fluff that collapses. The cover is waterproof-lined and removable for washing, which matters at her age. It comes in around 61x46cm, which is a good step up and gives her room to stretch on the days she wants to. It's consistently well-reviewed for older small dogs, and the foam holds up properly over time rather than flattening in a month.

It's absolutely worth it for small dogs, especially senior ones. The misconception is that small dogs don't need it because they weigh less — but memory foam works by distributing pressure evenly across joints, and a 3kg dog with arthritis still has the same pressure points at her hips and elbows relative to her size. She's also lying down for 20 hours a day, so the cumulative benefit is significant. A cheap foam bed that flattens within weeks gives her nothing. The PetFusion uses a 10cm solid base foam rather than shredded fill, which is the key difference — shredded foam shifts around and creates uneven pressure. For a dog sleeping as much as yours, it's genuinely one of the most impactful things you can change.

Yes, the small is right for her. Yorkies often prefer a bed that feels snug rather than vast — too large and it loses that den-like quality she clearly likes. The small PetFusion gives her enough room to fully stretch out on warmer days, but it's not so big that it feels exposed. One tip: place it somewhere away from draughts, ideally with one side against a wall or furniture, since she's already telling you she likes that backed-in feeling. That plus the bolster sides should mean she settles really quickly.