Using Dog Hair

Imagine having something special made from your dog’s long, brushed hair!  The same hair that is usually discarded after grooming.  Perhaps it will be made into an ornament to remember your dog, a fuzzy scarf or hat to keep you warm, or a unique gift.  That is what happens when Fran Pike, of Rover’s Comb, spins the brushed undercoat of long haired breeds into yarn.  She then knits the yarn to create a keepsake that is truly one-of-a-kind. Because they are handcrafted and personal, these items become especially treasured after Rover has left this world. 

Using the same techniques as wool, alpaca, or other animal fiber, Fran takes the hair to the spinning wheel to make the yarn.  She promises that it won’t smell like a wet dog, because the yarn is specially cleaned and dust and oils are removed.  The clean yarn is then expertly crafted into ornaments, scarves, hats, mittens, teddy bears, and more.  The finished products are warmer than wool, and the fluffy texture resembles angora.

Saving hair is easy.  First, hair must be 2 inches or longer for best results.  Keep in mind that only the longest and softest hair on your dog is what you should save.  It is the undercoat you need, and not the coarse top coat.  Hair should be clean and dry, with no grass or debris in it.  Paper bags are better than plastic, to store hair. 

It takes about 6 ounces of hair to make a scarf, hat, or mittens…some projects require less, or more.  The Rover’s Comb website has a catalog, with photos that showcase the many things that can be made using the dog’s brushed hair.

I have found that blending with merino wool is usually necessary to obtain quality yarns with Golden Retriever, Malamute, Huskie and German Shepherd hair.   Top picks for spinning include Samoyed, American Eskimo, Great Pyrenees, Sheltie, and Standard Poodle.  These fibers are long, soft, and luxurious.  Others, such as Bearded Collie, Belgian Tervuren, Newfoundland, Old English Sheepdog, Chow, and other mixed breeds, also work very well.

Rover’s Comb offers pet owners the opportunity to have something special made from your pet’s long hair that is comforting, beautiful, and useful.

How can one describe the experience of having something made from your dog’s beautiful long hair?  A customer told me:  “It is like holding your kids.”