Winter has arrived.. only days ago. Apparently. Not for this short haired dog though. He curls up in a ball so tight, he looks the size of a chiwawa. He’s taller than my knee..

So a few weeks ago, I made him a new winter coat. The last one I bought, was lined with an old woollen blanket. Such a genius idea. Sad he decided to lose it, on what can only be presumed was a blackberry bush, when going for a run after some rabbits, last winter. 5 hours later he was found, tired and minus coat. That was an interesting day.

I wouldve loved to written a tutorial on how I made the dog coat, but really, it was a heap of fiddling that could have been avoided, and it depends on the size of your dog.

My tips are:

•  Pick a time when the dog is chilled out. Nothing like trying to fit a dog who is excited!
• Get an old pure woollen jacket (preferably a large one) and felt it in hot water.
• Use a heavy duty outer fabric (I picked a good quality calico).
• Bind it together with a large width bias binding.
• Use elastic around the belly of the dog.

So Im just going to show you some photos of my surprisingly photogenic dog! (Yes, I realise he isnt the most attractive dog!!)

And my favourite photo for last..

So did you spot the attempted photobombing of another lovely dog? Thank goodness she has been blessed with a thick natural coat!

Now bring on winter!! (Well, maybe not too bad.. I havent made a coat for myself yet…!)