Pendleton pitches pooches

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 4/22/2004 12:00:00 AM

PORTLAND, Ore. — Giving the lie to the old adage that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, century-old blanket producer Pendleton Woolen Mills is making waves and building sales with an unexpectedly hot new line of canine couture.

“This whole pet thing started out almost as a lark, a way to use up excess fabric, and morphed into quite a nice little business,” said Bob Christnacht, manager of Pendleton Home.

It started with a jacquard woven woolen dog coat in a classic black and white houndstooth pattern, and it was such a big hit with catalog merchants that it has now evolved into a full-fledged business, focusing on holiday gift-giving.