I know, this is another impossibly cute Dachshund photo. But the point of this post is not to showcase another impossibly cute Dachshund, but rather to highlight his expensive and fancy bed. Yes, a $5.99 plastic laundry basket.
We discovered a while ago that the new favorite sleeping spot in the house was a laundry basket next to the washing machine -- and whether it had dirty clothes in it or not, they didn't care. We would come through the back door into the laundry room and invariably find a dog sleeping in the laundry basket. So we'd pick up the dog, pull the dirty laundry out and place it temporarily on the floor, put some clean bedding back in the basket, and replace said dog. And it could be any of the dogs -- they all decided this was the best bed in the house.
Doing the repeated laundry swap-outs got very old very fast, of course. Rather than swim against the tide, we bought a couple more of these cheap laundry baskets, filled them with fleece blankets that our friend Margaret N. in Seattle sends us, and distributed them in strategic locations.
When I walked into the house on a recent evening, there was Dexter poking his head out of the basket in the dining room. He also thinks that this is a great spot to hide out in before we have our dinner, because somehow we might not notice him buried in the bedding ... and then he won't get placed on the other side of the Barbarian's Gate. Thus he can pop out in time to pester us at the dining table. Dexter T. Dickens indeed.
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Still No. 1!
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This made me laugh, dogs are all the same. We have three dogs, and they make themselves right at home on the couch, and don't forget that soft pillow.
Posted by: Rita Boatright | January 21, 2010 at 11:20 AM
This looks super comfortable...want some human company in there Dexter? I'm ready to snuggle in with you!
Thanks for the blankets Margaret, I can see they're being put to sleeping good use.
Posted by: boundforglory | November 09, 2009 at 07:02 AM
That is so funny! I love how we spend so much money on kitty or dog beds & they go for the cheap stuff. I also love how we give into their whims & accommodate those desires. I have a shopping bag (the kind w/ handles) I left laying on my guest bed for a couple of days. I heard some crinkling noises one night & walked in there & Erin had decided it is the place to sleep. It has now been laying there for quite some time & only time it is moved is when guests need to sleep in the bed, which Erin doesn't seem to mind, but he is very happy when they leave & the bag is put back on the bed.
Posted by: Colleen & Sweet Kitty Erin | November 08, 2009 at 09:38 AM
dogs in a basket. What could be cuter.
Posted by: Ev | November 07, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Just love it. I really love it.
xo, suzy
Posted by: georgiapeachez | November 06, 2009 at 10:19 PM
i love this photo!
Posted by: Penny Heinrich | November 06, 2009 at 09:08 PM
Isn't that something how we pick them out a $30 bed and they crawl into a box or basket? Truly like kids, where they're more interested in playing with the packaging the actual present came in!
Posted by: Aliza | November 06, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Haha - Thanks for the big laugh! Dexter is absolutely the cutest little Barbarian I will ever see - and smart too with his strategic thinking, eh? Winter is here and my electric blanket is not working - I may look around for a human-sized laundry basket:)
Posted by: Angela | November 06, 2009 at 09:23 AM
I'm SO flattered! That makes my AM Dexter.
Posted by: Margaret N. | November 06, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Doxie's and warm blankets/laundry just seem to go hand in hand, err, I mean paw in paw, don't they? My mom takes my blankies fresh out of the dryer and wraps me up like a cocoon... ahh, I just love her for that!!
Frankie, the Walk ' Roll Dog
http://www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com
Posted by: Barbara Techel | November 06, 2009 at 08:54 AM
They've worn you down! Sometimes it's better to just give in...
Posted by: Linda | November 06, 2009 at 08:50 AM
Oh, the things you and Alayne find yourselves doing. :)
Posted by: Kelly Luchtman | November 06, 2009 at 07:59 AM
Adorable picture. Dogs do not require expensive items. I, too , have found that the simple things in life are great for them. Recycled quilts, blankets that have been marked down to practically nothing. All good materials along with fleece to make that comfortable bed.
Posted by: Dee in KY | November 06, 2009 at 06:03 AM
Impossibly cute.
My dachshund mix likes to burrow under blankets. I have four strategically placed beds in the house so he can always keep an eye on me. He's deaf and likes to know where Mommy is. I have not tried the laundry basket bed... a good one to remember.
Posted by: Adele in the Bronx | November 05, 2009 at 11:21 PM
SO INCREDIBLY CUTE!!!
Posted by: Shirley * James/Portland, OR | November 05, 2009 at 09:07 PM
Laundry baskets are incredibly useful for so many things, the least of which is laundry. They are the perfect size for dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, especially when lined with the wonderfulness of Polartec or should I say, generically, fleece? Less is more!
Posted by: Janet in Cambridge | November 05, 2009 at 08:34 PM