The weather is getting colder and most people are dragging out their winter clothes. It seems like animals should be growing winter coats to prepare for their five minute excursions outside for potty breaks. My two black German Shepherds have decided instead to shed their fur in giant clumps and single hairs on every surface in the house.

I usually spend my Saturday washing every sheet, pillowcase, mattress pad and blanket on the six beds in our house. Even though that was three days ago, the blankets were too nasty to tolerate this morning. I cheated and pulled all the blankets off the beds, but left the mattress pads and fitted sheets on the beds. I knew it was a stupid shortcut.

At the end of the day, I pulled our warm, clean blankets out of the dryer and walked in our room eager to crawl in the bed and read a chapter of a book. I turned on the light in our dark, cool, basement bedroom to find a sleeping dog stretched out on our unprotected sheet like a cat in a sunbeam. The sleepy fur child lifted her head and smiled at me so that I could only respond to her with ear scratches and baby talk.

Tomorrow, I will strip our bed and do the laundry correctly. Tonight, I will snuggle with my large dogs while they share their fur with my bed, skin and lungs.