Anyone who knows me will know two things; number one I love dogs and number two I love a good cup of tea. So when Nici & Karin, the designers behind Alpenfraulein contacted me about their ‘Dog Mugs’, it sounded like a match made in heaven. Why? Well….
Of course. Anyway, back to the mugs. As soon as I saw them, I was impressed with the bold dog designs and the attention to detail on the gorgeous illustrations.
There are currently four dog designs to choose from; the pug and his friends the dachshund, poodle and bulldog. Note to self…never try and choose between dogs, even when it is just a design on a mug.
After much deliberation I finally decided on the pug mug. Pugs are such funny little dogs, so having a pug around even if just on a mug would be bound to brighten up my day. Turns out that the pug is the most popular design so it seems I chose well.
What makes these dog mugs special is the little touches. For each of the dogs, they have some extra detailing in gold on the design which gives it that special feel. For the dachshund it’s a gold sparkly eye and for the pug it’s on the ear.
The other lovely thing about these mugs is the playful little gold motif on the inside of each mug. This really adds to the personality of each one. On mine it’s a little pile of gold dog poo and a fly and odd as it may be, I love it! There is something strangely satisfying about seeing a little gold poo emerging from the depths of your cup of tea (or coffee).
I’m sure any fellow pup owners will find this amusing but if that’s not your thing, don’t worry; the other mugs also have cool dog themed motifs to make you smile. The dachshund has a stick, the poodle a dog collar and the bulldog a bone.
So who’s the inspiration behind these fabulous dog mugs? Meet Fred the French Bulldog. Fred belongs to Nici, one half of the Alpenfraulein design team and is a regular on AlpenFraulein’s Instagram.
Apparently, lots of people (including Fred) have been asking for a Frenchie design. Well, rumour has it that a Frenchie design (amongst others) is just round the corner, so don’t worry Fred!
After speaking to Nici and Karin, the Austrian born designers behind Alpenfraulein, it’s clear that a lot of care and love goes into their work. The mugs are all hand-crafted with screen printed illustrations in Stoke-on-Trent, the home of fine bone china here in the UK.
Given my over-reliance on my dishwasher, I wondered if ‘hand-crafted’ would translate to ‘only makes an appearance on special occasions because it can’t go in the dishwasher’. That was before I got my mug. The pug mug has become a such a strong contender for ‘favourite mug’ that I’m prepared to make an exception for the little fella (and his gold poo). Who would have guessed.
(Alpenfraulein do advise the mugs can occasionally go in the dishwasher but hand-washing them is best to keep the gold and black tones rich.)
The dog mugs are available from the Alpenfraulein website for £22 each or £72 for a set of four and can be shipped worldwide.
Giveaway
If you would like to get your paws on one of these doggie-licious mugs, then good news we’ve got one to giveaway!
- All you need to do is log in to the giveaway widget below with your email address.
- There is only one mandatory entry method – scroll down to the bottom of this page and leave a comment telling us ‘Why Alpenfraulein Dog Mugs are your Cup of Tea’. Don’t forget to leave the name you commented with in the giveaway widget!
- Optional bonus entries are available by visiting The Dogvine and Alpenfraulein Facebook pages (likes very much appreciated) and tweeting. When you complete one of these options, please do so via the giveaway widget to validate your entry.
- The giveaway closes 11.59 pm Monday 31st August 2015.
Disclaimer: Alpenfraulein provided us with a Dog Mug in exchange for an honest review and will also be providing a lucky winner with their choice of mug.
These are “my cup of tea” because they are whimsical, darling and I can tell they are high quality. Just adorable!
Oh poop!!! You have to disqualify me. Just saw that this give-away is U.K. only. Sorry! Good luck to all who enter!
Love the little gold detailing on the inside! Need a GSD mug really to keep my dog happy 😉 but all 4 designs are lovely.
Much more interesting than a normal mug and may scare my cat loving hubby away from my tea 🙂
They are so unique and the artwork is very intricate.
I’ve started collecting mugs with dogs on.This would be a great addition next to the border collie, german shepherd and dalmation.
The Aplenfraulein Dog Mugs are my cup of tea because they are just sooo unique the detail on them is fantastic the quality compared to supermarket and store items of this nature are clear to see! All of them are are gorgeous but my personal favourite is is the Pug one, as I bought my husband a Pug 2 years ago and he is his baby. We got married last year, and he, proposed to me 3 years ago on Christmas Day, he would be absolutely over the moon if he unwrapped one of these on Christmas Day!! . And all we drink is Tea! This is my reason why Alpenfraulein Pug Mug is my cup of tea! xxx Thank you so very much for the chance to win one of these gorgeous mugs! xxx
Alpenfraulein Dog mugs are my cup of tea because the artwork is delightfully quirky, but the subjects are instantly recognizable. It’s like you are seeing something very familiar (very familiar to me-I have 5 dogs!) but in a totally different way. Beautiful.
Alpenfraulein Dog Mugs are your Cup of Tea because They’re as unique and adorable as my little dog Barney.
they are unique beautiful and i would be very proud to owen them
These are my cup of tea because not only do they have fabulous illustrations on the outside, but the cute details on the inside are so charming!
I love your mugs because they are just so different & there so cute too.
Passionate about dogs – a great way to relax with them.
oooooooh the Pug! We want to get a Pug pup so much! I love that mug its so cute! x
They are my cup of tea because the designs are gorgeous and I love the small design on the inside 🙂
they are my cup of tea because they are so cute and I love my dogs and everything doggy 🙂
very unique especially with the poo and would make me smile every time I had a drink
I think these are funky & cool
Everything thing about these mugs are my cup of tea, they are so simple but effective and that would bring a smile to my fave everytime I saw it 🙂
Wow! These are fun and really artistic! Love Them!! My cup of tea!
The designs are funky with massive faces & little bodies. My dog often looks like that, she knows it’s cute! I love the golden poo too!
They’re stylish and unique!
Also waiting for the Frenchie….
These are my cup of tea because I love my little Cavalier. But my brother is studying in Cardiff and hasn’t had a chance to see my pup yet. A dog mug would make him feel much closer to my Doggie. 🙂
Gorgeous! Love the gold dog poop haha! I th hunk a frenchie design would be great!
These just make me laugh and make me happy.
Hahaha, my cup of tea because I like the little poop detail LOL
I love the character captured in the artwork
They are my cup of tea because they are so cute and the poo makes me laugh!
They are just so cute and would make me smile 🙂
Gorgeous design! Love the gold detailing – great addition to the cupboard for any dog lover!
I love pugs! Thats my favourite one! x
Just love these! Thanks!
Nothing I love more than a cup of Rosie after a walk with Teddy, so Tea in a dog mug with my pup by my side… Bliss ❤️
Great mugs, dogs are such a part of our lives and always there to brighten up the day. Lovely cups dogs make the world go around nothing better than cup of tea after a long walk
Oh my FUR. These mugs are amazing! I can see why you’re willing to make the hand wash exception 😉 I start my day with a cup of earl grey and a sit on the couch with my Chi. I wouldn’t mind drinking out of one of these!
I too love the gold detail on each mug – adds a little something 🙂
I love dogs and my own dog so much, so I would love this adorable mug!
These are my perfect cup of tea because, well, its all about dogs!! who doesn’t love dogs?
I WOULD LOVE THIS FOR MY MORNING COFFEE IN WORK 🙂
These beautiful mugs are my “cup of tea” because they’re comical whilst being formal and of high quality. The gold detailing is also very appealing
These are my cup of tea cause they unique, creative and adorable!
I love the little gold bone – are they made of bone china?
Adore the pug mug looks so much like my daughters pug and she’s in hospital at the moment so this would certainly put a smile on her face
I like the little poo – it’s not every day you see a poo in your drink.
Any wonderfully designed merchandise that celebrates our love of the canine species gets a thumbs up from me. Without dogs life would be so mundane and rather futile. These amazing creatures get under your skin, into your heart and leave pawprints long after they have passed!
Alpenfraulein Dog Mugs are my Cup of Tea
I love my tea and pugs you see
And in a pug mug of such great design
The tea will taste just sublime
How I wish that one was mine!
because I’m a dog lover, they’re quirky & fun.I love that they are made from bone china too which is a must for tea drinking.A doberman one would be fab by the way 🙂
My dogs is FULL of dogs all the time being a dog sitter and I’m known as the crazy dog lady with all my mates xx
Top giveaway, love those mugs
They are so cute and I am a big dog lover.
i love anything a lil quirky
These are so cute. When will a JRT one be available!?
These are my cup of Tea because I’m a little bit quirky and so is my gorgeous little dog
I love the beautiful illustrations!
They are so quirky and cute