The Dog Blog with Kathryn Socie

Fall Fashion Must-Have

By Kathryn Socie, 8-20-08

	Dog hair, a trend to come?

If you live with a dog you are, no doubt, plagued by mounds of hair nestled in every nook and cranny of your life, traveling like tumble-weed across hard surfaces. You’ve suffered it, wrestled with managing it and probably given in.  Reducing hair-load, for me anyway, is a daily task, but recently the thought of recycling and re-using it has begun to pass through my wee brain.  It’s a little hard to even think about pulling out cold weather clothing in August, but cooler temps are just ‘round the corner and for the dogged you can never get out the rug brush and start collecting too soon.  Really.  I mean it.

After reading about a coupla Brit’s who made the news sporting his and hers dog “jumpers” (love the Brits) knitted from the hair remnants left behind by their deceased pooches, I have to say I initially leaned toward a giant fashion no, thanks anyway.  Then, on second thought, though their dog-sweaters looked a tad hideous (which is just a matter of differing style and taste), the couple reported their canine memorials are “warm and waterproof,” which should make Yvon Chouinard start shaking in his Pata-gucci boots.  Recycling plastic and turning it into high end, fashionable, outer-wear is nothing compared to the groovy, green and technical uses of re-used dog hair. 

Dog hair is an abundant, renewable resource your conscience can feel good about slipping on.  My dogs are free range, totally organic, and their hair can be collected humanely from carpet, car or couch; locally grown and harvested, no less.  There’s enough in my house alone even after vacuuming to clothe a few small children and at least one adult in a thick Yeti-like suit.  Granted, some thought as to dog clothing design needs to happen and knowing absolutely nothing about the generation of a usable material from animal hair, I’m sure there are some labor intensive steps involved that would need stream-lining.  Still, if hemp can be hipped-up and mass produced, I don’t see why dog hair can’t be as well. 

In a country that houses an estimated 52.9 million dogs, I’m amazed someone isn’t already making a booming business out of dog hair.  Wouldn’t the value of our faithful mutts just increase if we could turn a loathed aspect of living with them into gear that makes outings cozier, more comfortable?  Wouldn’t sporting a hoodie made from beloved Fido fur make you feel closer to your dog somehow, giving you a literal warm and fuzzy feeling?  The marketing possibilities are endless.

I have to wonder, though, if you got caught in the rain in your fur sweater, is it possible not to end up smelling like a dirty, wet dog? 

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