We Finally Found a Dog Bed Our Saint Bernard Can’t Rip to Shreds

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen a few weeks ago when I posted about our Saint Bernard, Liberty, jumping onto one of our couches and putting a big rip in it. Ugh!

She’s not allowed on the furniture but we’ve caught her jumping onto it sometimes once we go to bed for the night (and have to come back down unexpectedly to get something…and there she is).

Here is the big rip she put in the cushion. Of course, just our luck, these cushions are secured to the couch. I can’t flip it over to hide the rip or even take it off of the couch to repair it.

I ended up buying these adhesive no-sew patches on Amazon and it worked pretty well to fix the spot. If you didn’t know to look for it, I don’t think you’d even notice. Thank goodness! This is what it looks like now:

After the couch fiasco, I decided maybe it was time to upgrade Liberty’s bed in the hopes that she would happily choose to sleep there instead.

We’ve had a few different beds for her over the years. She likes to dig at her bed which inevitably means that they get rips and holes in them in a few months. Here’s her old bed:

With a big, active breed in our home, we knew we needed two things in her new bed: (1) support for her large frame and mature joints, and (2) durability so it would stand up to her bed-scratching habit before she settles down.

When we came across the K9 Ballistics beds, the promise of a high-density orthopedic mattress + “Tough Ripstop ballistic fabric” seemed like the perfect combo for our needs.

First Impressions & Setup

It arrived well-packed. For the XL size you’ll want a few minutes to allow the mattress to expand, unzip, insert the bolster pillow, lay the mattress, zip it all up and flip it so the “good” top side is facing up. According to the manufacturer, the cover is made from 1200D ripstop ballistic polyester, while the mattress uses a solid sheet of CertiPUR-US polyurethane foam for support.

I chose the Sandstone color. It’s a warm neutral, a nice fit with our living space and it hides “dog hair” reasonably well (which is a win in a house of 8 kids + one big dog!).

My kids even wanted to climb onto this bed because it looked and IS so comfy!

Performance & How It’s Holding Up

Support

Right away we noticed our Saint Bernard (who tends to do a mix of sprawling, while other times curling up remarkably small) is able to stretch out comfortably without rolling off the edges.

The bolster edges give her a place to lean her head when she wants, and the mattress underneath feels firm enough that she isn’t bottoming out. For a large dog, that’s a big plus! It gives her the structure and comfort she needs rather than just a floppy cushion.

There’s even enough room for her to keep a few of her toys on the bed with her.

Durability

This is where the bed had to really deliver. She still does her ritual of scratching and “nesting” before settling down. The ripstop fabric and heavy-duty construction have so far shown no tears or punctures. According to the brand, the cover is resistant to digging & scratching.

That said: the brand does note this is not “chew-proof” for extremely persistent chewers. In our case, since scratching (and some paw pressure) is the issue rather than heavy chewing, this seems to be doing very well.

Obviously time will tell when it comes to durability. I’ll be sure to come back and update this review if she manages to scratch a hole through it.

Ease of Cleaning and Upkeep

With kids and dog hair everywhere, any bed we get needs to be practical. The cover unzips and is machine-washable and the color and fabric has done a good job hiding light wear.

What We Like Most

• The “big-dog sized” dimensions make a real difference: our Saint Bernard doesn’t feel cramped.
• The bolster edges add a cozy “supported” feeling. Liberty loves those!
• The Sandstone color is attractive, neutral, and practical.
• The sturdier fabric gives me peace of mind that the bed will outlast her scratching habit (and hopefully spare our couch any more rips!).
• The mattress underneath actually gives her genuine orthopedic support rather than just being a flat cushion.

What to Consider / Things to Know

• If your dog is a heavy chewer (tearing seams, chewing through fabric aggressively), this is durable but not “chew-proof.” The manufacturer explicitly states that very aggressive chewing may still damage the bed. This particular bed from K9 Ballistics is specifically designed for dogs who like to scratch (like Liberty), however if your dog is also an aggressive chewer, check out their Chew Proof Armored style beds.
• The size/weight: XL is large and heavy with the foam inside—so choose a spot that works and consider how often you might need to move it.
• Price point: This is a premium-quality bed, so the cost is reflective of that. But for a big dog and in a busy household, the investment may be worth it to avoid frequent replacements. I expect this bed to last Liberty for the rest of her life.
• Not only does Liberty like her new bed, one of our cats has become obsessed with it, often beating Liberty to her bed and not wanting to share it. If you have cats in your home as well, you may end up wanting to get them their own XS size bed as well.

Buy It

You can purchase this bed and many other great dog beds on the K9 Ballistics website. You can also shop their products on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

If you have a large dog (like our Saint Bernard) who needs both comfort and durability, and especially if they tend to scratch, dig or “settle” vigorously when lying down, the K9 Ballistics Tough Ripstop Rectangle Bolster Orthopedic Dog Bed (XL in Sandstone) has been a solid choice for us.

It delivers on the support side and has held up well to the preparation rituals our dog goes through. While no bed is truly indestructible, this one strikes a great balance of ruggedness + comfort. I’d recommend it for other pet owners who want one “good bed” rather than replacing cheap ones every few months.