Our family dog Elsie is an odd shape. I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked what type of dog she is. She is a Standard Wire Haired Dachshund. Smooth haired miniature dachshunds have become very popular of late but there are considerably fewer Standard Wire Haireds to be found and thus the quizzical looks whenever I tell people that she is a Dachshund.
She is getting on a bit now and will turn nine at the end of the month. She's a little bit arthritic and is slowing down so with the recent cold snap I decided it was time to invest in a warm dog coat. We visited various pet shops and even a fabulous designer dog shop in Eton but could not find anything to fit. It's problematic when your body is the same size as a medium dog but you have six inch legs (poor Elsie!)
I decided it was time to take action so last weekend I bought a metre of red fleece fabric and set to work with my sewing machine. Here is the result:
A made to measure quilted fleece dog coat. I am not sure how fond she is of wearing it but I think she looks beautiful. She had her fur trimmed by the dog groomer this morning so hopefully she'll begin to appreciate it's toasty warmth at least until temperatures begin to rise again!
