Best bed for a drooling Dogue de Bordeaux

A Dogue de Bordeaux with heavy drool is one of those cases where the bed surface really matters — because no amount of good orthopaedic foam helps if the cover gets soaked through and starts smelling within a week. At 8 years old, joint support is almost certainly a priority too, so you've got two real requirements pulling in the same direction: washable, waterproof, and properly supportive. Before I point you somewhere specific — does he tend to sprawl right out, curl up, or press himself against a wall or sofa edge when he sleeps?

That stiffness is really common in Dogues at that age — their joints take a lot of load over the years. A full sprawl means you need something with generous surface area and no raised bolster sides that would cut into him or push him off-centre. The drool complicates things because most orthopaedic beds use a soft fabric cover that soaks right up. So what you need is a memory foam or high-density foam base with a genuinely waterproof outer — not just 'water resistant' stitching, but a cover you can actually wipe down or pull off and machine wash. Has he destroyed beds before, or is he generally gentle with them?

Perfect — that actually opens up better options than if he were a chewer. My recommendation is the PLS Orthopaedic Dog Bed by Pets & Leisure, specifically their large or extra-large flat mattress version. It uses high-density orthopaedic foam that gives real joint support for a dog his weight, and crucially the cover is fully removable and machine washable with a waterproof inner lining between the cover and the foam. That means the drool soaks into the outer cover, not the foam itself, so the bed doesn't go musty or hold odour the way cheaper ones do. The flat profile suits his sprawl perfectly — no bolsters to work around. It's available on Amazon UK and is sized appropriately for a 55kg dog. I'd go XL. The cover comes off with a zip, throw it in the wash every week or two, and the foam underneath stays dry and clean. That's genuinely the right combination for what you're dealing with.

It's high-density rather than memory foam, which is actually better for a heavy dog — memory foam can bottom out under that much weight and stops doing its job. High-density holds its shape and distributes the load properly across his hips and shoulders, which is where Dogues tend to carry their stiffness. He'll sink in slightly, which takes pressure off the joints, but he won't be lying on the floor through it. That said, if you ever feel it's softening too much after a year or two of daily use, the cover is sold separately so you can replace just the foam insert without buying the whole thing again.

Good call. One last tip — if the drool is very heavy, it's worth having a second spare cover so you can swap them out while one's in the wash. Makes the routine much easier, especially in winter when things take longer to dry. He sounds like a lovely dog.