Interiors
It’s a dog’s world
I
What’s the best way to live side by side with our four-legged friends, asks Arabella Youens
N Georgina Montagu’s book Top Dogs (Review, September 21, 2022), which explores the relationship between humans and their four-legged friends, the matter of where they sleep is regularly addressed. At one stage in their lives, all six of Carole Bamford’s shih tzus slept on her bed —on a pillow, stretched out alongside her and curled at her feet. Cedric, a whippet belonging to the gallerist Philip Mould, regularly sneaks under the duvet at night. John Pawson, the architect famous for his neutral, pared-back aesthetic, owns a cockapoo, Lochie, who enjoys free rein of the house and all its furniture; his dog bed, for when he chooses to use it, is upholstered with one of his master’s cashmere jumpers. Even the shepherdess Alison O’Neill allows her sheepdog, Shadow, to snooze in front of the fire in her house. The Duke of Richmond’s dogs, two cocker spaniels and a dachshund, exist in what might be described as the twilight zone when it comes to dogs’ sleeping habits. ‘We don’t say they’re not allowed upstairs, but they don’t have beds up there.’ The only person interviewed in the book who seems to hold a more old-fashioned view on this subject is Jake Fiennes, head of conservation for the Holkham Hall estate in Norfolk and brother of the actor Ralph. Logan, a cocker spaniel, sleeps in a crate. ‘Dogs in the bed? Absolutely appalling,’ he says.
Over the past century, dogs have migrated from the chilly climes of the outdoor kennel to the warmth of their owners’ homes. The first penetration into the domestic space was when they were ushered into vinyl-floored utility rooms to sleep in plastic baskets, typically chewed around the edges and upholstered with newspaper and an old towel. A spluttering hot-water tank, sheathed in some disintegrating insulation, gave warmth and company throughout the night. Today, things have moved on: they are more likely to enjoy the comfort of the Aga, a sitting-room sofa or their owners’ bedrooms (and beds). In most cases, it’s been seen as a welcome advancement of civilisation. A house without a dog lounging in front of a fire or radiator risks feeling sterile, lifeless or inanimate. Lucy Hammond Giles, associate director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, is unequivocal on this matter (020– 7518 8571; www.sibylcolefax.com). ‘As with children, people ask if dogs should be allowed in the smartest of rooms. Yes, in our house, absolutely—houses are for living in!’ she replies. Her family’s dog Storm ends up sleeping on all sofas in the sitting room and then on her sons’ beds at night.
A house without a dog lounging in front of a fire or radiator risks feeling sterile, lifeless or inanimate
96 | Country Life | April 12, 2023
Below: Doggy luxury from Charley Chau. Right: Stephen Pettifer’s Hungarian vizsla, Bean, comfortable on the Wilton estate