I'm so grateful that you take the time to brush your dogs out. I see so many farm dogs like Toby that it's blatantly clear they've never seen a brush in their lives. I pet one of them and he was covered head to toe in mats and burs. The poor guy just quietly whined like he was begging me not to stop.
Mom used to have a super-sized golden retriever who would shed enough to make coats for five or six "normal" dogs. "Buddy" desperately wanted to be part of the family and would come in the house at night to play with the smaller dogs, but would overheat very quickly. Rural Indiana winters are just about the definition of unpredictable, and he'd go from panting heavily to rolling around in the snow banks in between heartbeats :) Just after the first lockdowns from the pandemic started, Buddy started showing hip cancer, and that was about the only time he'd actually lie in front of the heater they'd set up in his shed. Most of the several winters he lived there, he preferred the snow bank behind the shed. The cancer finally took him in late 2020 and he's definitely missed.
Their fur and personalities are so very similar to my Great Pyr! The main difference I've noticed is the lack of the double dew claws and that Marenma have happy expressions on their faces and always seem to have a little smile, whereas the base expression of a Pyrenees ranges from slightly sad to beautifully tragic because of the way their eyes and lips are shaped! The livestock guardian dogs have so much in common, especially these two. You can tell they are cousins that developed in neighboring regions and yet have these interesting little differences. I agree that brushing is so important, especially starting as soon as you get the dog, or when they are a puppy. I got my girl used to brushing daily and she absolutely loves it, and it lets me keep her fur nice no matter what kind of crazy hikes and adventures we go on. The dirt really does seem to magically fall out of these breeds coats, but its important to keep it mat and tangle free like with any dog for their skin health, something that is very valuable to talk about, as I've noticed theres quite a few owners that don't realize the extra maintenance that long coated dogs can have.
Making a scarf, hat or mittens from your dog fur is a great idea. Great job collecting and atoring it too. Dog fur, especially certain double coated dogs, makes for excellent spun yarn. As an experienced spinner, I would recommend finding some sheep's wool of the same color as the dog fur to blend together when spinning the yarn. Dog fur, unlike sheep's wool, has no memory or elasticity so anything made from 100% dog fur will be super warm but will sag, stretch and never bounce back into shape like a wool sweater does. The sheeps wool adds strength and elasticity needed for a garment even a scarf. Just my two cents. I have spun dog fur from several wolf/husky dogs as well as my own St. Bernewfie dog. I would love to have a great Pyrenees dog one day simply for the fur but also as a guard dog. ( I have also spun angora cat fur. Never again. Mats terribly.) I raise and spin angora from my angora rabbits as well. Our local squirrels and birds have the most warm and luxurious winter nests just stuffed with the angora cast-off fur and wool from our yard.
Do you know whether or not dog yarn would upset dog allergies? Hives hats don't sound fun lol I'd assume it does, unless somehow the dander is washed or falls off the fur.
Another hand spinner, here, and I agree with blending Toby fur with some sheep wool. Blending with a darker sheep wool will provide a lovely heather effect, too. Toby will likely to provide many yards of yarn over the coming years.
Yes! I've spun some samoyed fur with corriedale wool, that turned out beautifully. Corriedale strikes the balance between still being soft so you don't lose that in the spin, and also having a nice amount of springiness. I'm not sure if that's available in the US (I'm a Europe gal) but it's definitely a great breed for that. Would not recommend merino if you're planning on making a sweater that you actually want to wear, it's not durable in the slightest and also (in my personal experience) a pain in the ass to spin
Hello fellow spinners :) I was just about to write a comment saying that often spinners combine dog hair with some wool! I didn't know that dog hair isn't elastic and that's why it needs blending with some wool (I'm guessing maybe dog hair doesn't have the crimp that wool does?) I'm working on a Beautiful Shetland fleece at the moment, the variety of colours even in each lock is amazing! Surprisingly soft and stunning crimp 😍 does cat hair not spin well even blended with wool then?
the ducks probably didn't see those peas.. while they have a habit of running out of their coop :') and the egg rolling towards camera shot is a masterpiece 👍🏻
Time for me to stop in at my favorite farms, comedy, travel and animal rescue channels. I have to take a break from horrible war news, crime, Johnny Depp lawsuit and other mayhem! You never disappoint, Morgan, I learn so much from your experience. Not that I can do anything with it in my one bedroom apartment, but it's SO enjoyable! 🤩😎🌷🐕🐈⬛🐂🦆🐓🦃🐝
I've become inspired by your chicken leftover routine. I now give all vegetable and fruit cuttings to the wild backyard bunnies that live in the area behind our house. They're regular visitors now and most nights I can sit and watch them without them hopping off.
Morgan, maybe you should get a nice cloth bag with a draw string for keeping Toby's fur in, or you could take an old pillowcase make a small cut and pull some small rope through. Lol, I knew the moment you began laying those peas where they come out, they were going to step on and knock them off, at least they can climb under the ramp and snack on them that way. Thanks for taking us along.
Dog groomer here. Pro tip: They make a shampoo and conditioner called Furminator (as well as the "brush"). It is a deshedding miracle! I use the shampoo (lathered with my nubby groom brush) let sit 5 minutes, rinse, condition (with the nubby brush again), let sit for 10 minutes. Sitting times are important!! It helps the shampoo and conditioner do their jobs. The nubby brush helps pull more hair out when you massage it in. Rinse dog for final time, blow out with force dryer and watch even more hair fly. Brush with slicker brush or deshedding tool to help out even more. I promise you if you follow my instructions not only will your dog's coat shine but it will also be 30 lbs lighter. 😆
If you end up having spare fur from your cloth-making project, another thing you can do is stuff your bird's nesting boxes with it. Fur scraps are a very appreciated material for nest building so by putting some in your nesting box it may encourage your ducks and chickens to use them instead of laying eggs everywhere on the ground as they tend to do.
If you get someone to spin that Toby fur into yarn, have them blend it half & half with wool. The wife of a long-time member of our local Rotary club is a handspinner who once tried spinning a 100% dog fur yarn, and the hat she knitted from it was not breathable at all, so her head would sweat profusely, even in cold winter weather. A 50% dog fur/ 50% wool yarn will work much better for something you'd like to wear. (Assuming neither you nor your wife knit or crochet, you should be able to leads on neighbors who do from whoever you get to spin Toby's fur into yarn. (Or if you're OK with a plain beanie, I crochet them! I live in Illinois, though, so you might prefer someone local to you.)
My dog was a german shepherd/border collie and she shed so much in the spring. There was always fur around all year round actually. I did a lot of her bathing and grooming myself and it was a 3 hour and 3 shopping bags of fur job each time. She went to the groomers for her spa day as well. She would prance like a little happy puppy after being to the groomers. Tobys fur reminds me of a white version of hers. She passed in 2011. I miss her so much still. They really do become your best buddy.
Putting peas in the way of their narrow walkway is one of the things he does where I just can’t help but be triggered at the lack of thought/forward planning
I was reminded of a German story, where a curious housewife throws peas to the ground because she is set on seeing her secret nightly helpers. They stumble and fall and never come back. She has to do all her chores by herself from then on.... (Die Heinzelmännchen von Köln)
thanks for the reminder of the detangler spray. I need to give my dog a good grooming and know just where my bottle of the stuff is. You've inspired me to quit procrastinating and just do it.
WOW, by watching your Videos i realise how much time is gone. It`s been one Year already since you startet the Sweater collection. Great work, i love watching your Videos of the Farm. :)
I'd HIGHLY recommend looking into an EquiGroomer brush, especially when he's blowing his undercoat in the spring! It'll help so much and help prevent any matting/tangles (though it seems like his coat is so soft and you do daily brushing so that probably isnt a huge issue). Then you can also collect the undercoat before it gets mixed in with the mud for your Marema Fashion Project 😉 or, you know, leave it in a suet bird feeder and let local wild birds use it as nesting material (as long as you dont use a topical flea and ick prevention system, which can be poisonous to birds, especially small sparrows, etc.) If you are currently qnd would be interested in alternative options, I'd recommend Proheart 12- it's an annual injection that covers them for the whole year. I'm in an area with tons of fleas in the backyard and my pup loves to chase animals through bushes- prime tick territory, and it works great.
Equigroomers really aren't effective in long coated animals, since they're designed for horses. They're also just 24TPI hacksaw blades in a wooden handle, you can even cut wood with them when they're new (unless I got a knockoff somehow) The equigroomer also uses a blade that can and will cut fur if you're not careful Slicker brushes are really the best way to go for fur collection
@@batfurs3001 oh, okay! Good to know! My old job pretty much always used them in the grooming salon for any dogs blowing coat, generally paired with a indercoat fur removing water nozzle, but it we also didn't have huge selection at our disposal (or much knowledgeable training) it always seemed to work well, but i i was also in a big-ish city in Wisconsin at that time, so not a lot of outdoor living super long hair dogs came through. Thank you for correcting my misinformation! :)
@@adarlingdemondemise no worries! It works pretty well for short coated animals but I'd still be hesitant to use it since it is literally just a hacksaw, and I've seen people overgroom with it and leave bald patches behind. Whenever I brush animals I stay away from anything sharp. The nozzle combined with an undercoat rake does wonders, as does blowdrying (though for impacted undercoats it's really not effective unless raked)
I had a Siberian husky King( Arturus) Arthur.."R Dog" He also had that thick undercoat. He went to the groomer every April/May once a year. I have a outdoor cat Teaser she has hella undercoat too! she goes in May/June for a lion cut. She hates going but loves it when it's done..🐈 😊
I have an Australian shepherd border collie with similar fur and it too repels dirt. When it gets dirt and falls off when dry. Love you Toby, such a cool dog.
I'm watching a few bird box camera streams and some of the nests do have some fluffier stuff in it which could be animal fur. So they seem to like it 👍 And unlike human hair or other long hair (birds can get tangled in it very badly which can lead to strangulation) it's safe to use. So you're doing our bird friends a favour 😊🐦
I love this video and Ginny when she decided to play with the fur/hair in the paper bag from Toby Dog. The ducks coming down the ramp is awesome, too. I always look forward to your videos; they really brighten the day. Thanx, once again, for sharing life on GSF and what it takes to operate a farm. May your knowledge keep increasing, and continuing success to your and Allison's efforts for it always.
I've seen a dog blanket taken from a great pyranees. Blanket is super warm and heavy. Fur was sent to a knitting guild raw and in paper bags taken from the groomers. Took a few years to get enough to do it. So happy that you take care of this dog properly and it doesn't suffer like other farm dogs. I always refer other farms here so they can see how it's supposed to be done. Good job.
Toby's shedding is more known as a Blow. He stays clean due to what is known as Guard hairs. Next year Lady Abington will join him as she accumulates to the upcoming season.
About re-seeding your pond overflow area: Because it is likely to flood every year, and it is near the permanent pond, reseeding with standard pasture mix will likely result in the same dead patch every year. Look into grasses that grow in wetter soil in your area - there are likely some native grasses that thrive at the edges of creeks or marshes near you. They will be much better adapted for your pond overflow, saving you money and labour in the long run, and preventing erosion of topsoil as grass keeps particles anchored and your water catchment system does its job.
What you should do,is get a big tub or bowl and fill it with water,and put the peas in the water tub. they will get lots of water along with the peas,and they'll love it!
Morgan spend a couple hundred dollars on a high.velocity blower. They are not just for drying a dog after bathing, but if you blow him before brushing it is almost a dry bath. Blows out dirt, dust, dead skin, flea dirt, and lots of loose hair. Makes the brushing and combing go so much easier. You will be shocked how much cleaner he will look. If you do this before his professional groom it will make her job much easier too. The hose for tbe blower usually comes with a few tools also.
A quick tip; to get the dog smell out of the fur, use dish soap. Dog smell gone. Pretty much the only thing that works. Looking forward to seeing that sweater.
Abby's growing so fast! I have a guinea pig who absolutely loves pea flakes. Which are peas that are smooshed and dried. They truly are like a hallucinogenic for him. He goes bonkers when he hears that bag. Love your videos. Keep up the awesome work!!
I used to volunteer at a horse shelter and when the horses blew their winter coat, we’d brush it out and release it in the wind. Always imagined the bird’s nests must be so nice and cushy…
Fair warning! Dog fiber is too warm to make a scarf or sweater using just fur! But, it does work well along with another fiber. I have made several scarves from dog fur, Golden Retriever. I made them striped alternating a regular yarn (a blend of wool and some other natural fibers) with the Golden yarn. Still too warm for Oregon. The dog fiber is best used for accent and variety rather than the whole garment. I now knit miniature bears and use the Golden yarn for the paws. Good luck!
In all seriousness, I would heavily suggest, along with have half a dozen or so other commenters - that you check out the RU-vid Channel ''Girl with the Dogs'. She is a professional pet groomer and explains the how and why for the use of specific tools for the needs of the breed. She uses a 'PawsPamper Professional Grooming Rake' which of all the brush type tools in her arsenal is the one that does the Heavy Lifting when it comes to shedding undercoats. On her channel, in the search box type "Undercoat Removal" and the top of the list should be a beautiful Husky (and very well behaved to boot). It's pretty much a professional grade version of the last tool you used with the bright blue handle. I think her trick is that she sprays 'The StuffForDogs Conditioning Treatment', and brush through coat with a comfortable brush Prior to going for the rake. Like a woman's hair with conditioner (cream rinse) being So Much Easier to comb through without pulling (ouch) too much. Can't wait to see if you can find someone with the skill required to spin Toby's hair into yarn. =D
As far as the pea debacle goes....you parked two food trucks at the top of the on ramp of the highway!!! Everybody that didn't want to stop ran into the back of the trucks. The ones who wanted food backed up traffic for hours.....😂🤣😂
My brother's dog is a female boxer. When she is changing the winter coat to the summer one, we have to brush the rooms each two or three days, and we say we get enough fur to make a little boxer puppy...
