This weekend we are having some guests to stay at our country home. We have known Kathy and John for years. We love seeing them and catching up over a bottle of wine or two. In fact we love entertaining generally. Particularly as we have spent considerable time and money making our new home just perfect.
As I say, we really do love catching up with old friends. It’s just with these particular friends there is just one little problem … Eddy The Terrier.
We have known Eddy for years and go back a long way. In fact Eddy is quite a celebrity. For Eddy holds the unofficial world record for single-handedly destroying more sofas than any other dog in history. His notoriety is well known amongst our circle of friends. And it’s a record that he’s quite proud of!
You see, Eddy has a thing about sofas. In fact it’s almost an obsession. There’s a certain sense of achievement for him in destroying a sofa and I’ve no doubt that he takes pride in his work, smearing it with muddy paw prints and dribble.
And the hairs. Thousands of hairs!
Why is it that you never see a bald dog? Yet the minute they even look at your beloved sofa, they start shredding hair faster than Britney Spears at a barbers shop.
And to cap it all off there’s the rolling. I mean, what’s that all about?
However, things are not always as they seem. Sun Tze’s “Art of War” describes how every battle is won before it is fought. The key is preparation. And this time we are prepared …
Because what Eddy won’t realize is that the sofa he is attacking is in fact a fake. A dud. A copy. Call it what you will. The fact is our beloved couch is safely covered by the sofa slipcover that we use whenever guests bring their children or pets. And we’ve got matching wing chair slipcovers too – just is case Eddy takes a fancy to our favorite chairs!
We can literally cover our luxurious upholstery with the slipcovers in about 5 minutes flat and because they are elasticated it gives them a really snug finish. We decided to go for a fabric that was described as “Pet Friendly” so it’s very hard wearing and machine washable. Just as well with all things considered!
Once Eddy & Co are safely on their way back home, we will finish off the last of the wine, decide that it’s probably best to leave the washing up till the morning, and then rip the fitted slipcovers off the furniture ready for the laundry, safe in the knowledge that our expensive upholsterery remains unscathed!
And Eddy? Eddy will be curled up in the back of Kathy and John’s car, dreaming of the latest sofa he has claimed the life of and looking forward to his next weekend away …