Spring has sprung! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the first daffodils are popping up and my house is covered in white fluffy dog hair.
It’s that time of year when we all shed off our winter coats and swap out our wardrobes for the warmer weather. My dog Mazzy does the same thing – in rather dramatic fashion. If you have a long haired dog, you might be able to relate. My 135 pound Anatolian Shepherd Dog doesn’t just shed. Her breed does something affectionately referred to as “blowing her coat”. It’s pretty accurate, because it is like a fur bomb went off in the house. BLAM! White fur EVERYWHERE! (Thank goodness for hardwood floors).
This time of year it becomes a daily ritual to stand in the back yard and brush her every time I let her out. My yard is all set for a summer time winter wonderland photo shoot. This is not an exaggeration.
There is a support group facebook page for owners of ASD’s and every year at this time, a new owner will post a desperate plea for help: Will she go bald shedding all this hair? What should I use to brush her? I broke my vacuum! What do you do with all this extra FUR?
Funny you should ask that last question. Most times, the fur in my house goes right into the trash from the vacuum cleaner. There are, however, a few ego-friendly options for those mounds of discarded fur.
DOG HAIR YARN: It’s called “Chiengora”. There are people who will spin your favorite pup’s fur into yarn and knit things like sweaters and mittens. I read the reviews and one woman swears her dog hair mittens are warmer than sheep’s wool.
OIL BOOMS: Living on the coast, I am sure you have seen the containment booms and giant mats used to clean up smaller oil spills. After the Deep Water Horizon spill in the Gulf in 2010, a company called Matter of Trust was thrust into the internet spotlight for using discarded hair clippings and fur to make oil booms.
GARDEN FUR BALLS: According to more than one site, you can fill the toe of nylons with dog fur and tie them to stakes placed throughout your garden to keep pests like rabbits, deer and woodchucks away. Give it a try. Let me know if it works!
FUR LINED BIRDS NESTS: This seems more reasonable to me and something I have accidently done for years. You can fill a suet cage with fur and hang in a tree. It’s like self-serve Home Goods for the birds. OR… You can just let the piles of fir blow all over the neighborhood like I do. The birds will find it. They are smart.
If you have any other ideas for these mounds of leftover fur, please share them!
And if you want to try any of these crafty ideas, but you don’t have a dog, just let me know – I have fur to spare!
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About Cat Wilson
