Dogs need rugs.

Summertime urged us to clean, straighten, divest and lighten. The living room seemed better without the rug, coffee table and a few other things. Clean, open space seemed just the thing. As fall fades into winter, however, that aesthetic left me feeling a bit cold. With the fireplace in frequent use, I didn't want a table or anything else that would block heat, but a rug would have been nice.

The dogs never seem to mind changes. But Winston was having trouble getting up on the couch from the slick floor, so we decided to add an area rug in front of the couch again. The results have been very, very entertaining.

From the moment we unfurled the large rug (a cheapie from Freddies) the dogs have luxuriated on it. Winston immediately stopped, flopped and rolled from one side to the other, snorting and snuffling and rolling in delight. Upon finishing, the most lively and extended snousting session commenced, and we laughed so hard at the antics going on right at our feet we thought we'd sprain something.

And each night since, it's been the same routine.

Poor guys, I had no idea they missed the rug so much.