Hello there! I am a gorgeous mostly white Labrador Retriever. I live in a fine country home that has lots of cherry wood furniture, leather seating and fine handmade wool rugs. I have a big brother who is a hairy Golden Labrador Retriever mix. I am telling you this so you may understand how much our people-parents must love us because we are allowed to rest most anywhere we want. Here are a few stories and suggestions about how we treat our fancy environment.
Rugs and Puppies
When I was a puppy, my first exposure to a fine handmade rug was in my whelping box with my litter-mates and mom on a fluffy red blanket. I liked to chew on the papers the people put down and chewing on the blanket was a comfort to me. I was the runt of the litter and often had to wait for my food.
When I moved in with my full-time parents, I had an entire laundry room with papers, ceramic tile floor, a cheap-o rug and a kennel with blanket. Once again, chewing was my favorite pastime. When I joined the family in our great room, the huge 75-year-old rug was such a cozy, warm place to cuddle, that I quickly made it my favorite spot to curl up with my big hairy brother. I never got into trouble on this rug, because it was like my kennel, which I considered to be my sanctuary. Doggies will not mess up where they sleep and live. So you might say I was well trained as a small pup.
First Year Training
I was such a good puppy that during my first year, I only had to sleep in my crate with its blanket and pillows. The rest of the time, I was allowed to be anywhere my people were. This is where I got into trouble. My parents have a nice condo in town where we like to go walk in the park, dine out and visit friends. When I was about six months old, my people decided to let me be free in the condo, since my big bro could look after me. (He is a perfect angel!) While he slept, I found that I could pick up the large wool and silk hand-woven runner in the bedroom and run with it into the living room. This was so much fun that I plopped down and folded up the runner to gnaw on my new found treasure. When mom and dad returned from dinner, I was banished to my kennel. I had managed to chew a perfect circle in the middle of the runner. Even worse, I had eaten the wool and silk, so there was no trace of the missing piece.
In a few weeks, the runner came back to the condo, only now it was two rugs instead of one. My parents had a great rug store owner friend whose people split the runner and surged the frayed ends. I NEVER chewed on rugs again. It really did not taste that great anyway!
Adult Dogs and Fine Rugs
I have complete respect for my family’s furnishings, so I am allowed to snooze on the leather sofas, stretch out on the rugs and sleep beside mom on my dog bed covered with a damask quilt.
The only issue my doggie parents have is dog hair!My lab hair is very fine and white. My brother’s hair is longer and golden. When you visit, you will probably not want to wear black, unless you adore doggies! The fine rugs all have deep red or blue backgrounds with rich colors in the designs. Of course, our hair shows up all the time! Spring and Summer are the worst times, because we shed our winter fur.
So what does my mom do? She is so smart! She has a housekeeper! We have the sweetest lady who comes to our house every week to vacuum and clean up all the dog hair on the rugs and wood furniture. If we are shedding a lot, mom may vacuum the traffic areas in between our housekeeper visits.
My brother and I have had an occasional upset tummy and for some reason it always hits us when we are near a fine rug. However, we are quite fortunate that our parents feel sorry for our upset. Mom gets paper towels to blot up the mess, and then she uses a damp cloth to gently wipe the stain. Mom has even spilled a glass of red wine or two on these rugs, so what is the big deal? She just knows how to get onto the stain quickly and soak it with cold water and a wet cloth.
As my brother and I age, we know the rugs may take a beating with accidents or shedding. But the good news is that our parents spare no expense in their choice of floor coverings, so they really have no issues with our presence at all times, in all rooms! When we are raised with fine things, we respect their beauty just like it is our crate or kennel or home!