On the Proclivities and Fashion of Dogs

I was one to mock dogs wearing coats, hearing the words of my grandfather about city people pampering their animals.  But it gets cold enought here that our dog needs one sometimes.  It is blue with trim.  We thought he looked like a failed high school jock in it.  Or failed at obedience school anyway.

We were surprized to get comments about how this colour of his jacket suggested that he was supporting one hockey team over another.  After several types of these comments and given that he appeared to be supporting the team from another city we knew we needed to do something.


 Around the same time I was reading about different aboriginal groups, including the Metis, who would make elaborate coats for their dogs and horses.  I thought this solution would allow me to 1. Connect to my culture 2. Ensure my dog was not supporting a sports team and getting us into conversations about it 3. Let out my gaudy side!

So I made him a coat which includes beaded fringe at the front, an applique with a moose on it sewn in with crystal beads in pink and yellow and a felt applique of flowers and leaves, with more beads.
 
Most of the comments the dog would get were when Joel and the dog walked me to work so the first day Snowey wore his "new" coat he gots lots of comments.  Mostly people were laughing or enjoying the gaudyness and happy little beagle.  We also walked by an couple of Innuit folks.  They were behind us for some time and the woman could not stop laughing, cause while the Innuit also make coats for dogs, they are usually for huskies.  The sight of such a small dog in that kind of coat was hillarious to her.  Without ever speaking I felt like we made a connection.  So all you urban Metis, let's bring back fabulous dog coats and make winter mornings a little more amusing.