I got a chance to wash several of Sid’s beds this weekend (yeah, he’s got a BUNCH of ’em). His more oft-used beds had been looking pretty flat and were omitting that charming odour d’pug, so it was a much overdue task. His “fancy” bed (which he got for his tenth Birthday) washed up really nicely though it did require some disassembly prior to washing. After a thorough hot-water cycle down at the Pug Slope laundromat, the bed was restored to its super fluffy, clean-smelling state.

I reassembled all the bolsters, zipped-up all the zippers, and plunked it down in front of Sid. After a five-minute sniff test, he proceeded to spend the next twenty minutes digging, face-mashing, and sneezing on the bed to make it his very own.

I think he got it just right.

Those of you that have been following Pug Slope for a while know that Sid has a thing for bolsters. He’ll use just about anything for a bolster, whether it’s a plush toy, someone’s leg, or even the edge of a laundry basket. It doesn’t matter if the object is hard or soft, small or large. If a pug’s head can be rested on it, Sid will plop his little cranium down on said object.

I was wondering why Sid was taking so long to warm up to the new fancy bed he got for his 10th Birthday this past October, but today I think he finally figured out what makes this bed so amazing and now he can’t get enough of it.

Holy big billowing bolsters, Batman! And he doesn’t even need to lay down to use them!

When the weather gets brutally cold and I find myself cooped up at home, I finally find that I have time to do those little projects that I had put on the back burner during the more pleasant summer months when all I wanted to spend every minute outside.

Today’s project involved one of Sid’s many beds. He was given this bed as a gift for his 7th birthday back when he called NY home. While the sturdy material the bed is fashioned from had stood up well after repeated washings and feverish digging/nesting sessions courtesy of Sid, over time the stuffing had compressed and the bed just looked flat and sad.

During the summer, when I got the idea for this project, I had picked up a bag of fiber fill from Joann Fabrics for this very purpose. I wasn’t sure how much to get so I got a rather large bag (thinking I might eventually re-stuff one of his other beds, too!).

Plumping up the bed was much easier than I had anticipated. First, I took the bed to the laundromat and put it through the hot wash cycle to get it squeaky clean. I hope Sid doesn’t mind that the patches of peanut butter that were mashed into the fiber are now long gone!

I then cut a hole big enough for my hand to fit into on the underside of the bed and finally got to the fun part: I just began stuffing fistfuls of the fiber fill into the bed (making sure to pack it in tightly) and distributing it evenly throughout all the nooks and crannies. As you can see from the photo above, I ended up using up over half the bag! My Sid will not stand for a saggy bolster.

Then a quick row of stitches to seal up the hole and PRESTO! Good as new! In fact, BETTER THAN NEW!

I think he likes it, wouldn’t you agree?

And so Sid’s Birthday month continues on…

Since he was turning the big 1-0 this year, I thought it’d be okay go a little overboard with regard to Sid’s Birthday present. At Pug Slope, we don’t mess around. When we decide to go big, we GO BIG. Literally.

Somehow as soon as the monolith entered our apartment, Sid knew it was for him. Maybe the cute graphic of the dog wearing a bowtie on the side of the box was a give-away. Or perhaps it is the fact that the majority of the letters and packages that arrive at Pug Slope HQ are inevitably for Sid.

Not caring who it came from, what it was doing here, or who it was actually for, Sid was determined to get that giant box open.

Once he got the enormous box open he pulled out the BIG gift…

He immediately hopped into the new bed, started spinning around and circles while digging at the pillow and bolsters to break it in. He’s very particular when it comes to his bed. Like most pugs, he’s crazy about bolsters, too, and this bed has the plushest bolsters I’ve ever seen!

So Sid, do you approve of this ridiculously luxurious new bed?

WOO HOO!

I’ll take that as a yes.

Wait, hang on a minute. What is going on here? Do you mean to tell me I could have saved myself some money and replaced your bed with a box from the recycle bin?! Oh brother.

Sid did extremely well on his flight from NYC to Chicago. It actually wasn’t nearly as stressful as the first time he went on a plane. This time I was prepared! He was getting smiles left and right as he strolled through both airports and a few people even asked to get a picture of him (without even being aware of his internet fame! LOL).

Since I didn’t have room to bring the entire Sid Accessory Kit™ with me on the plane, he even managed to obtain ANOTHER brand new bed, despite just getting one for his Birthday in October. As you can see in the photo below, he approves of the new bed.

It’s still technically Birthday Week here at Pug Slope as Sid’s 7th Birthday was just last Thursday.

About a week before the BIG DAY, he gave us a list of potential gifts he would like (and I quote):

1. Giftcard from MrChewy.com

2. Baby Carrots (like 10 bags min.)

3. Another batch of Plush Potatoes (yellow is my favorite color)

4. Jar of Peanut Butter (left on floor with lid removed)

5. Framed black-and-white portrait of T-Buttz and I looking all romantic and stuff

(NOTE: Puhleeez do not get me any more CONFIDENCE SHIRTS. I have like 2000 already and also I’ve already got enough confidence without  them – remember how I scaled Mount Couch sans shirt?!)

Much to his surprise, we actually appealed to requests #2 and #4 (though not is the requested quantities) via his Birthday cake,  which consisted of a cored & peeled apple topped with peanut butter, a crunchy venison treat, and 7 baby carrot “candles”.

Sid was even more shocked when something large and billowy was pulled out from its hiding spot and placed on the floor in front of him.

Being a gentle-pug of leisure, he knew exactly what this item was and what he was supposed to do.

This is mine.

While he was occupied with fluffing-up his new bed, we were able to covertly slip in and purloin his old, crusty, stinky bed (complete with peanut butter remains mashed into the fabric). We’re hoping he doesn’t notice.

Sid has two “official” beds, three if you count our bed (which he most assuredly does). So why does he also need to claim EVERYTHING ELSE as his bed?!

If something, and I mean anything, is left on the ground for more than 15 seconds it becomes a bed.

Here are some of the more recent “beds” that Sid has claimed:

1) Scrap Piece of Foam Padding. I was cutting pieces of this foam to augment the wood slats that support our mattress. I turned my back and during those few moments, Sid managed to claim the scrap piece of foam as his own. (I must have had a sixth sense about this one and made sure to retract the box cutter before stepping away!)

2) OK, yes an Aero-bed is technically a proper bed – but not so much when it’s DEFLATED. C’mon, Sid. That is just pitiful, man.

3) Pile of Clothes. This is classic Sid. I think we have at least a dozen or so photos of Sid atop a pile of dirty clothes. He can’t seem to get enough of the stuff! Sometimes he’ll even go for a stray sweatshirt that gets left on the floor. At least I’ve never seen him curl up on a lone sock (not yet, anyway).

4) Cardboard Box. Sid must either think he’s a cat or a hobo. I guess he could probably pass for one of those sad clown hobos with that mopey little face of his.

This is just a glimpse into the mind of a pug who looks at the world through mattress-colored glasses.

What is the weirdest thing your pug has slept in?