I was 12 when this photo was taken. My brother, in worn out denim with dirt stains, was 16. His loyal Plott hound, Shadow was 4 (according to my mother's handwriting on the back of the photo).
Their relationship was a made-for-tv-movie about a boy and his dog.
The blanket in this photo had already seen so much use by this time - I don't even know exactly when he got it. It was faded, dingy, stained, and pilled.... and it was loved.