What is a Dog Snuggle Sack?

It’s more than just a Dog blanket.

My Gorgeously cosy and soft Snuggle Sacks are perfect for keeping your hound toasty. They are handmade by me from super-soft velour fleece and lined with cosy Sherpa fleece, are ideal for dogs who like to burrow and snuggle and are one of my best sellers.

Gorgeous stuff for Dogs.

My Snuggle Sacks are more like a sleeping bag than a blanket as your dog lays inside and is surrounded by softness. With a blanket that won’t fall off during the night, with a chance to burrow further in if they wish or flip the top part off if they get too warm, your dog gets to be in control. They are also perfect for nervous or anxious dogs as it gives them a safe place to retreat to in times of stress and anxiety, like a little safe cocoon.

How are they Made?

And what are they made from?

I use quality velour fleece and Sherpa fleece to create them and each Snuggle Sack is made up in two parts, the inner fleece and the outer fleece. Fleece is notoriously fluffy along the raw edges, and I wouldn’t be without my sticky roller after all the cutting is complete, I often look like a a Snuggle sack has sneezed on me when I’m done! This is all contained in the sewing, however, as each part is double stitched and over locked along all the edges to stop it fraying, for strength and for added durability. They are then hand stitched around the top fold to join them both together. This creates a luxuriously thick Snuggle Sack with a padded opening edge to help your hound find their way in.

Can you wash a Snuggle Sack?

All of my snuggle sacks are machine washable, preferably at 30’, but I have a sample one in the shop that I also take to shows that is regularly washed at 60’ as it is tested out, and often wee’d on, by so many dogs, and it’s still in amazing condition. The inner fleece can be pulled away from the outer one to enable you to shake it out or use a sticky roller on it before washing and this also helps to speed up drying time. They can go into a warm - not hot - tumble dryer but, as they dry quickly, I recommend a quick flutter on the line on a windy day to get them dry. Shake them once dry and pop the inner back into the outer, and it’s all ready to be used again, which will be a great relief to your pup waiting to get back in! I’ve had dogs ~ Amber and Hazel Dachshund ~ who were so bereft when their Snuggle Sack went in the wash, their mum has had to buy another one so there is always one available! I can just imagine their little faces as they sat by the washing machine watching their beloved Snuggle Sack get tossed around in there.

What colours do you make them in?

I started out with just a couple of different colours, but over the years I have expanded this for various reasons - my Chocolate and Caramel plain Snuggle Sack is the result of Alfie Bear - a Springer Spaniel - wanting one to match his colours and my new Duck egg and Grey is inspired by the colours in my new shop at Hatfield House. The other plain one I do, and by far my most popular colour, is the charcoal and light grey. I also have them with a gorgeous star pattern in Grey, Blue, pink, red and black, all with white stars, and these are available with a white or light grey lining. The first one I ever made, five years ago, was a blue with white stars for Aston, which is still going strong, and it comes in the car and on holidays with us all the time.

How does my dog get into their Snuggle Sack?

Generally they will figure this out for themselves, but I usually suggest that they are laid flat on either the floor, bed, sofa seat etc and the top half folded back to allow access. Your Dogs snuggle Sack needs to be big enough to allow your dog to go in, turn around and then lay down. There is a wonderful video, sent to me by Steph at stephandthespaniels, on the homepage of my website, where Lily shows how it’s done with aplomb - Watch Video.

Lily is demonstrating with a medium if you wanted an idea of sizing too.

What sizes do you do and what is the best size for my dog?

I currently do three sizes as standard, a Small, a Medium and a Large, but I have made bespoke sizes for cats, Guinea pigs and even a tiny Pygmy hedgehog called Snuffles. The Small one is perfect for toy breeds, Dachshunds, small terriers, and puppies. The medium is good for Whippets, Spaniels, Cockapoos etc and the Large, which is huge, is great for dogs who like to share, or larger breeds like Greyhounds, Labradors and Lurchers. I’ve also made quite a few of the large ones, with the opening at the top instead of the side, for kids and teens, who absolutely love them!

Please contact me if you are unsure and I’ll be happy to advise you.I can also make any of the Snuggle Sack fleeces into double sided flat blankets if you think your dog would prefer it.

Happy Hounds.

So there you have it, a round up of all the frequently asked questions about my Snuggle Sacks. I would like to end on a little review I had from a customer, which I always love getting,

“Just a message to let you know that we received our (well Ozzy's) snuggle sack yesterday, just before storm Dennis hit. Much to my delight..not so much the soaking wet postman!! Ozzy loves it. It is absolutely beautifully made and so thick and comfy. We have only had it 24 hrs but it has been great and worth every penny.

Ozzy is my medical assistance dog, so we travel quite a bit back and forth to hospital as I'm in the middle of medical trials. Yesterday one of my nurses thought it was a posh foot warmer!!..then Ozzy demonstrated how you snooze in it while he waits...shall we just say it was a bit of a talking point. I lost count of the number of people who asked 'do you do them for humans?'

Today he is snuggled in it. He has got so warm and toasty he can't be bothered to move. Something tells me that this is going to be the new favourite that will go everywhere with him. In my eyes that isn't such a bad thing and it will be a regular at the hospital..just not for nurses...just happy hounds!!! Oz will have to sleep with one eye open and make sure those pesky nurses don't pinch it!!

Many thanks for such a brilliant product.”

Do you want to know more?

I understand that with the current worldwide issues a new blanket for your dog may not be high on your list of priorities, but for some of you, it may just be the thing that helps you and your hound get through this. I am still taking online orders, so if you would like a Snuggle Sack for your dog, please take a look at the listings on my website by going to Star Snuggle Sack or Plain Snuggle Sack

You can also get in touch with me via email or phone to have a chat about what you need at slumberinghound@gmail.com or 07973 193074.

The Gorgeous photographs are by Fur and Fables, Moo Moo and Bear ,Cotswold spaniels, Steph and the Spaniels, Natalie Griffiths, Dotty4paws and Emma Bearman.