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Felted Hair of the Dog Coat

Felted Hair of the Dog Coat
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Every winter we have a dilemma with our indoor Cocker Spaniel: if we leave him hairy, he's too hot for indoor life and walks around panting and drinking water incessantly. If we shave him, he's too cold when he goes outside. 
This winter I solved the dilemma: I shaved the hair off his back and belly and part of his legs, then used his own hair to make a coat for him. His hair was needle-felted into a tailored wool coat that he can wear outdoors and be toasty warm, then take off when he comes back inside. Problem solved!

How to felt a dog hair coat.

You will need:

Water and soap
Grooming shears
A piece of wool or craft felting fabric
Hook and loop fastening tape
Scissors
Straight pins
Needle and thread
A felting brush
A felting needle (preferably a multi-needle gadget)

 
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Step 1Get Some Hair of the Dog

Get Some Hair of the Dog
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Almost any animal fur is good for felting. Using your own dog's hair to make a felted coat for him is ideal. You can't get a better color match!
However, getting your dogs hair can be tricky. Dog's don't naturally take to being groomed. My main tips for DIY dog grooming are:
  • Wash your dog with soap or shampoo before grooming and dry him completely.
  • Let your dog get used to the grooming shears over a couple days. Show him the shears, turn them on, and give him a treat. Repeat this until he allows you "access" to his fur. 
  • Always shave in the direction of hair growth
  • Hold your dog with one arm if necessary while shaving with the other
I found the best felting hair was from my dog's legs and belly. It was silkier and finer than anywhere else. Focus on those parts.
Put the hair in a bag and save for later.

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26 comments
Jan 28, 2012. 4:07 PMRteen says:
Brilliantly embarrassing
Brilliant because who else would have thought of this
Embarrassing for the dog because think about how he/she feels if fort of his/hers doggy friends
Jan 20, 2012. 6:45 AMAlexandriaEisenhower says:
People! It's just yarn!

I have a year-round shedder and have been brushing and saving my pup's fur for many years but never knew what to do with it. I have thought of spinning and making into a hat/scarf for me, needlework for the wall, or a crocheted likeness of him. The canine coat was one of my ideas, but with the same problem of a hot long-haired dog. However, I do like the idea of a coat for the other dog -- a short-haired lab mix.

I wish others would share their creative thoughts on this fun and abundant freebie!
Jan 17, 2012. 8:35 AMKiteman says:
Oh, my goodness.

That is both creepy* and awesome.


* Shades of that guy from the Hannibal Lecter stories. The one that skinned his victims and turned them into a suit...
Jan 20, 2012. 12:00 AMjfearnside says:
LOL - I was just about to comment "It puts the lotion on its skin" when I spotted you had beat me to it! It really does remind me of that movie!

Jan 19, 2012. 12:45 PMbrewhead says:
I thought the same....

brilliant, but a little creepy. lol
Jan 19, 2012. 8:27 PMsusanrm says:
*snort* Too much.

Should I be thankful that my dog has hair that's too short for something like this? And somehow manages to stay quite warm in the winter without a coat?

Nice job, anyway.
Jan 19, 2012. 8:12 AMMsJaxFla says:
Oh my this is fantastic. I have been putting my babies fur in the yard in a special bird place for them to get what they need for nesting..... there is enough to do both with my three fur pups and hey I might incorporate my kitty kats in this too.
Jan 19, 2012. 10:54 AMNatureGeek24 says:
Great project; but I don't think I'll do it. ;) My dog takes long enough to find the right blade of grass to water... I don't want him any warmer and more comfortable while he makes up his mind.

Jan 19, 2012. 1:13 PMmarcward86 says:
Nice, I finally know how to make this happen: I have a long haired orangish colored dog and a short haired black dog. The black dog gets cold in the winter and orange dog sheds more than I thought possible. So I thought...why not make a coat for one dog out of the other dog's fur?

Alas, my wife said NOOOOOO thats gross and weird. I didn't think it weird at all, keeping in mind the other bizarre things that dogs do.

Now I know how to make it happen on my own!!!
Jan 19, 2012. 1:40 PMrafari says:
Congratulations on such a good job and great idea. The dog looks very stylish!
Jan 19, 2012. 11:34 AMdanorama723 says:
Fabulous and funny. Great job!
Jan 19, 2012. 8:29 AMi_luvcanada says:
What a wonderful idea. Where do you buy the felting gadget? How long did it take to acquire enough fur to do this coat? Thank you.
Jan 19, 2012. 8:20 AMMyMenagerie says:
What a great idea! It is a lot cheeper than t-shirts and more natural looking! My border collie is elderly and would love such a coat! Thanks for the instructions!
Jan 19, 2012. 8:06 AMmanintveld_nl says:
That is brilliant! Such a humane idea for our 4 legged family members!
Jan 17, 2012. 10:07 AMCatTrampoline says:
Now I know what to do with all those pellets of cat hair felt I brush out of the kittehs. Anyone want to buy a cat-hair felt vest?
Jan 18, 2012. 11:03 AMmezcraft says:
I have seen a woman who knits with cat hair and makes purses for people out of their old .. deceased... cats. People can get weird.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSOh34982Vo
Jan 18, 2012. 12:20 PMCatTrampoline says:
It sounds odd until you are overcome with grief at losing a friend who has been with you for 15+ years. I can understand it.
I actually considered having a cat freeze-dried, but it was WAY over my budget. In hindsight (now that the grief has mellowed), I'm glad I was forced to go with the more traditional pictures and flower patch. I was 1 cat over the legal limit at the time so I couldn't go out and adopt another which made it harder to move on.

There is a new show on TV - American Stuffers - that features a family of taxidermists that specialize in pet taxidermy. I feel for the clients, but I think in the long run a new pet to love is healthier and equally respectful of the bond they shared with their deceased pet.

Sorry for hhijacking the "pet coat" thread into a "pet grief" thread.
Jan 18, 2012. 11:40 AMCatTrampoline says:
Okaaaay.... I guess anything that helps them move through their grief and deal with the loss is good. I settled for a backyard pet funeral and leaving Bertie's pictures up on the fridge as a rememberance.
Jan 18, 2012. 11:30 AMwilgubeast says:
Dressing up one's pets always seems a little, well, unseemly. Not so when you're using the animal's own hair. Excellent work.

Kiteman is right, it does have a certain canine Buffalo Bill creepiness to it. But a cocker spaniel is the breed least likely to serially murder anyone. It was on an unaired episode of Dogs 101. The most likely breed? Bloodhound, obviously.
Jan 17, 2012. 8:39 AMjessyratfink says:
I love this so much. Such a fantastic solution. :D

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Author:flyingpuppy(Do It Yourself and Save)
My favorite quotation is: All you need in order to accomplish something great is a good idea and not quite enough money.  Anon I live by that theme, and the ideas just keep coming.