Help the Birds, Brush Your Dogs

9,4 km - 57.53 min - cold and windy

I was brushing dogs and cutting out clumps of matted hair the other day. Amazing how much of it goes off.  After a while there was heap of blond and auburn hair in the yard. I left it on the grass overnight.

In the morning, with a mug of tea in hand, I looked out of the window to see a big Carrion Crow investigating the clumps of dog hair. He took one an flew off. How clever! Warm soft fur to pad out his nest. All prepared by myself and produced by my running buddies.

So, when you brush your dogs don't throw away the fur, leave it somewhere outside or stick it on a tree. Birds will come looking for building and insulating material for their new nests.


Read earlier post 'How to recycle dogs'

How to recycle dogs

6 miles - 50.03 min.

I found a small bird's nest in the garden. It must have been blown off the tree by the wind, or my cats had found it and disposed of the eggs.

The texture of the nest looked strangely familiar. I looked at it more closely - and what do you think it was made of? Beautiful blond hair with bits of moss. I never had a dog when I was a child, but I know that in families with dogs they often brushed hair out to make their own home-spun yarn out of which beautiful warm jumpers were made.

Now I see birds can recycle dogs too. My dogs. They love rolling over on the grass under the apple trees - and the birds must have picked up the hair left there.