Barking! Willyou buy your pet a £12,000 sofa?
DOG owners have long been divided over whether to submit to the yearning, sad-eyed looks – and let their pets on to the sofa.
But a new generation of pampered pooches have achieved even greater luxury and been given their very own furniture.
Sales of canine couches are on the rise, even at the top-end of the market where items can cost five-figure sums.
Designer Christopher Howe offers bespoke dog settees from £12,300, having been inspired by dogs he saw lounging in luxury when viewing his future house, the Cotswolds hunting lodge Newark Park.
‘On the wide staircase, there was a plain George III settee, and on that settee were these two Great Danes,’ he said. ‘I promised myself I’d make a sofa for dogs one day.’
Canine couturier Lilly Shahravesh, whose clients have included Jonathan Ross, Amal Clooney and the photographer Rankin, said a family dog deserves its own spot.
‘In recent years the role of pets in the household has become more humanised and they have now become part of the family,’ she said. ‘Lockdown has just accelerated this trend towards humanisation so the retailers are now ready to supply where there is a demand.
‘Just like grandad has his favourite armchair, it’s the same for your
dog: they like to have their own comfy space. They like to sit on high surfaces and be comfortable.’
Not every dog sofa needs to break the bank. Made.com has a design for £129 which it says is perfect for medium-sized breeds such as Jack Russells, French bulldogs or
beagles. DFS has a range of dog sofas starting at £269, and Next has a tartan design from £125.
Some experts say the higher-end furniture is unnecessary. Debora Robertson, author of Dogs’ Dinners, said: ‘Dogs really don’t care what they sit on so long as it is com
fortable and ideally has sides, so they feel protected. It’s also important that any covers are washable, which often with these posh pieces they aren’t. People are free to spend their money on whatever they like, but their dogs are entirely indifferent to these indulgences.’