The Orvis Dog’s Nest Story

Three dogs lay on their own dog beds on a slate floor.

A Timeline of the Orvis Dog’s Nest

1976: Orvis introduces the Dog's Nest®

1999: We introduce ToughChew®

2000: We introduce Bolster Beds and Comfort Couches

2002: We introduce Memory Foam

2009: We make ToughChew® 25% stronger

2011: We introduce Tempur-pedic®

2015: We introduce Memory Foam Deep Dish with snap-off pads

2023: We introduce the RecoveryZone® Dog Bed

Perk Perkins and his goat, William, at graduation from college.

Believe It or Not, It Wasn't a Dog Who Inspired Us to Build the First Orvis Dog's Nest.

Rather, it was a goat by the name of Williams—a pet of our past CEO, Perk Perkins, in his college days. In 1976, an English tweed salesman sent a cozy, soft bed to the United States for Williams to use. Unfortunately, Williams soon discovered he had a bit of competition at naptime.

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Pile of Orvis Dog beds with puppies climbing on the stack
"When we saw how much all the dogs in our house took to it, we knew the product was a perfect match for our dog-loving customers."

—Leigh Perkins, Perk's dad and leader of the company from 1965 to 1992

Dog laying on dog bed

And With That, the Orvis Dog’s Nest Was Born

Of all the products Orvis has brought to market over the years, none has received a better reception. Since the first Dog’s Nest was introduced in 1976, Orvis has sold nearly one million dog beds. And we have a goat to thank for the idea!

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