Protecting my shivering skinny

[big_swede]

I've somehow ended up being a dog owner. A very nice situation indeed. It's not a very typical bushcraft dog. I have always had something for sight hounds, originally I wanted a scottish deerhound or a Irish wolfhound. But the one who melted my heart was a big greyhound. So greyhound it is.

As he has very little body fat, he sometimes needs a coat. Store bought ones were expensive here, so I thought, why not make one myself. I also hope this coat will work as a sleeping garment when sleeping out.

Here it is:

The outer is a pertex-like nylon fabric, wind proof, and water repellant. The inner is thick fleece. I lost the bias tape I bought for this project, so I ended up using home made pig leather edge binding. Note to self, pig skin does not handle like bias tape! I also put reflective piping at the inner edge of the binding, I don't like those hi-viz coats with reflective stripes everywhere. It works really well, he can take a leak without soiling the coat. The collar can be flipped over, for ventilation, e.g. when we're walking in steep terrain (usually I have to take it off if it's a long hill, he gets up in temps really fast).

Next project will be a pack for him. And maybe booties.

 

[Chiseller]

Now that's good

 

[Chiseller]

Now that's good

Mine is a lurcher so has more hybrid vigor but would still appreciate a good coat at the end of a long days mooching or on wet n windy waits. I tip my hat to you squire.

 

[cbr6fs]

Absolutely fantastic.

We've got a Jack Russell, as she's only 6 months old she also tends to feel the cold.
It's ok when walking but she quickly starts shivering if i stop for a few mins.

We looked at the Hutta and Ruffwear range but your talking £60 for a dog coat, i don't pay that for my coats
Plus she's only 6 months so hasn't stopped growing yet.

After seeing how great yours looks i might see about having a go ourselves.
Where did you get the fabric from please?

 

[The Cumbrian]

Good job there Olle. My aunt used to keep greyhounds and I used to walk them when I was a kid. Lovely natured dogs, and surprisingly agile for such long legged and seemingly delicate beasts.

,Cheers, Michael.

 

[Bowlander]

We bought our beddy whippet an 'Animate' coat for £8. Its brilliant. She's got a fair bit of coat but as soon as it rains it soaks up moisture like a sponge. When we're camping she gets into the bottom of the sleeping bag - toasty and warm for me and her!

 

[big_swede]

Absolutely fantastic.

We've got a Jack Russell, as she's only 6 months old she also tends to feel the cold.
It's ok when walking but she quickly starts shivering if i stop for a few mins.

We looked at the Hutta and Ruffwear range but your talking £60 for a dog coat, i don't pay that for my coats
Plus she's only 6 months so hasn't stopped growing yet.

After seeing how great yours looks i might see about having a go ourselves.
Where did you get the fabric from please?

Thanks everyone for comments. Lovely lurcher there too. I was at a point looking for a lurcher, but they are uncommon here, and getting one from an irish shelter seemed to be like taking a chance.

I bought the fabric from a local high street vendor, so the materials ended up around £15, had I done my e-shopping I could done it at maybe £9 or so. I've seen british greyhound kit suppliers who sells coats for around £20, and that's a price I would pay, but as you say, they are typically £60 locally.

 

[Realbark]

I've somehow ended up being a dog owner. A very nice situation indeed.

You dont choose a dog - they choose YOU. Nice dog. re the booties - dogs sweat thru their paws so watch the material if you go down that route. Personally i wouldnt put them on a dog as they have more disadvantages than advantages - traction, reduced ability to sweat and the fact that people will laugh at you

 

[big_swede]

You dont choose a dog - they choose YOU. Nice dog. re the booties - dogs sweat thru their paws so watch the material if you go down that route. Personally i wouldnt put them on a dog as they have more disadvantages than advantages - traction, reduced ability to sweat and the fact that people will laugh at you

He got a crack in the paw the other week (they are just starting to salt the streets now, wreaks havoc on the paws) so I bought a pair. We tried them indoors, and I put both on the front paws, man, I have never seen a sillier walk, jeezus, the poor mutt was doing some sort of disco jiggin', haha. And you are right people laugh at you. But at spitzbergen we used booties for the greenland dogs a lot during the winter mushing season. They wouldn't last without them.

 

[big_swede]

We bought our beddy whippet an 'Animate' coat for £8. Its brilliant. She's got a fair bit of coat but as soon as it rains it soaks up moisture like a sponge. When we're camping she gets into the bottom of the sleeping bag - toasty and warm for me and her!

View attachment 8151

The problem is that I couldn't find any coats at that price level. And I needed a big collar too.

 

[cbr6fs]

Always a tough call with the dog boots, as the terrain here is really rocky the first few walks our dog Bella's pads started getting very red and thin in places.
The vet advised to try dog boots, but as they were not bleeding and didn't seem to cause her any pain or discomfort i waited 5 days for them to heal then tried her again without boots.

Now at 6 months her pads are VERY tough and although i check often even on the roughest terrain here she has not had anymore problems.

It's the same with dog coats with some breeds, if the dogs wear them too long then they tend to not grow a winter coat or if they do not as thick.
So they tend to adapt really well to their surroundings and pretty quickly, it's really just a case of us keeping an eye on them and using a bit of common sense.


With regards to the salt on the roads, i'd honestly advise to try some booty things.
Our Doberman got very very ill one winter, turned out his paws had cracked and we hadn't noticed, thing is he started licking his paws after a walk to clean them, but the stuff that was put down to de-ice the road was some pretty nasty stuff that made him very ill.

So it might be worth trying the boots if for nothing else but to stop him licking that crap they put on the roads off his feet.



Cheers
Mark

 

[mrcairney]

I also recently somehow became a dog owner too. Been looking at a coat for mine, also a lurcher (or a whiffy, as I like to call them):

 

[Robbi]

hairy lurcher ! she gets clipped in the late spring.

lovely grey hound Big Swede and great coat

the big grey hounds are just about the only dog that can catch mine, very funny to see her face when they run right behind her !!

 

[cbr6fs]

Fair few dog owners here, any of you use your dogs when bushcrafting for rabbiting ratting etc?

Bella seems to have a keen natural instinct for rabbiting, but she doesn't seem to know what to do with them once she's caught up with them.

 

[big_swede]

I'm pretty sure I know what spot would do with a rabbit if he caught one, which he easily would. I've seen him with some stuffed toy animals, hehe, a lot of shaking and biting. Problem is I would probably get arrested for hunting regulation crimes and animal cruelty.

 

[cbr6fs]

I'm pretty sure I know what spot would do with a rabbit if he caught one, which he easily would. I've seen him with some stuffed toy animals, hehe, a lot of shaking and biting. Problem is I would probably get arrested for hunting regulation crimes and animal cruelty.

Is hare coursing illegal over there now as well?

She's killed a few mice we've come across and chased a rat, but with bigger stuff like rabbits she enjoys the chase but just keeps looking back at me as if to ask what to do next when they've both stopped.

 

[Gill]

That looks great buddy , i think he is very bushcrafty he could probably feed u .Running dogs make the best pets.

Heres My big girl Lady .

 

[Bowlander]

I'll second that, they're complete lazy beggars in the house, happy to curl up and sleep all day and night, but as soon as she see's the lamp or ferret box she's switched on and pumped up. If you wanted to live on rabbit 24/7/365 she'd keep us fed.

 

[Chiseller]

Should be a separate thread ? But mine goes bushcrsftin..foraging with us....

Here's his lafuma down coat

He wasn't amused

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Another greyhound owner here. It's surprising how quickly they get cold in seemingly mild conditions - ours sometimes comes in shivering after a very quick visit to the back garden. She sleeps in her kennel coat (or pyjamas, as Mrs DHD calls them) every night, and she's always in her coat for walks at this time of year. Mind you, the woman a few doors away who has three (!) rarely uses their coats and they don't seem to mind; maybe they keep each other warm? Anyway, great work on that coat!