It’s autumn and I’m craving warm socks, pots of tea and a great big hug of a blanket. I’m sorted for socks and tea – it’s the blanket that’s my preoccupation.
Pre-Teddy, I wouldn’t have thought ‘dog blanket’ belonged on a list of Essential Dog Items. But that was when I still believed that dogs belonged on the floor and not on the furniture. How times change. Teddy is now a sofa fixture. He has mastered the art of resting his chin on the sofa and fixing us with his big Malteser eyes while we organize some blanket space for him. Why ‘blanket space’? Teddy knows that he can only go on the sofa when his rather lovely, Teddy-tonal blanket is on there.
In its brown, tan, grey and black hues, this carefully-crafted, traditional Welsh blanket suits Ted so well that even if he was a dog that shed hair – and Schnauzers tend not to – it wouldn’t show up. (I liked this idea so much that it was a key factor in choosing the three colourways for our Tales of Teddy range: A Better Dog Blanket. There’s a pattern to suit any dog’s coat.)
“But doesn’t the wool start to smell once the dog’s been on it?” asked my friend, who has two chocolate Labradors that spend an awful lot of time sporting muddy camouflage. The answer is no. Firstly, our sofa (and blanket) is not Ted’s own bed. He’s not allowed on it when he’s filthy – tough but true. Secondly, I air things. Cushions, jumpers, rugs, toys, you name it – they all get shaken out, hung-up or strung-up regularly outside, which simply and effectively keeps things fresh.
While this traditionally made Welsh blanket does a fine job of protecting the sofa and keeping Ted snug, it has the added benefit of looking good enough to show off. Some have said it’s ‘too good for the dog’. But as most dog owners know, that is rarely the case.