We bought a hard plastic travel crate for Humphrey (the sort used on airlines) which we could then use in the car and when we go to stay overnight anywhere. Its his familiar little den, a secure mobile haven and we‘ve never had any problems if we‘ve had to leave him in a hotel room for instance.
Initially we used it at night or for very short periods in the day with the door closed, eventually we took the door off altogether. He doesn‘t use it much these days but will retreat into occasionally if he just wants a bit of peace and quiet!
I‘d never had them for my previous dogs either and was very sceptical but used properly and kindly (not for hours on end for house training, as is often recommended on some American websites I‘ve seen
), I think they‘re a great help.
Don‘t have any particular recommendations for a bed, sorry - I bought a cheap small one to start with but Humphrey was never much of a chewer anyway and even though he had a big grown up bed
for his first birthday, he still prefers to curl up into the tiny originial one (with feet and head hanging over the edge!! )