What to do with your dog's fur.

Fur is one of the few things you can hold in your hand that is truly theirs. It carries their colour, their softness, and a bit of the smell of home. Long after a haircut or a shedding season, a small lock of fur still feels like them.

Most people who keep fur do it for one of two reasons. Either they want a quiet, everyday reminder of a companion who is still curled up on the sofa, or they are gently preparing for the day they will want something to hold onto. Both reasons are good ones.

A keepsake keychain with a small clear window is the most popular option. A Pawch holds a pinch of fur behind a sealed window, so you can carry them with your keys or clip them to a bag. It is small, quiet, and hard to lose.

Fur jewellery is another route. Some artists set fur into resin pendants or lockets. It looks lovely, though resin pieces are heavier and often more fragile than a stitched leather charm.

Needle felting turns a lock of fur into a tiny sculpted figure. It takes some skill, but the results are astonishing. There are makers who will felt a small figure of your dog from their own fur.

A memory box works if you would rather not wear anything. A paper envelope, a photo, the collar tag, maybe a tuft of fur folded inside tissue. Kept in a drawer, opened when you want to. We wrote a whole guide on that, see memorial keepsake ideas.

If your dog is a heavy shedder with long fur, some spinners will actually turn it into yarn. It is called chiengora. You need quite a lot of fur for this, and it works best with double coats like huskies or samoyeds.

If a keychain is the route you like, there are three colours. Espresso is a deep, warm brown, the quiet one. Marigold is a sun-soaked amber tan, warm and classic. Ivory is soft and light, the gentlest of the three.

People often pick the colour that reminds them most of their dog's coat, but any of them looks good against fur of any colour. Pick the one that feels like them.

No. Fur is mostly keratin, the same protein as your fingernails. Kept dry and out of direct sun, a lock of fur will look exactly the same in twenty years as it does today. It does not decay, it does not smell, and it does not need any special treatment.

The only thing that damages fur is moisture. A paper envelope in a drawer is perfect. Behind the sealed window of a Pawch, it is protected from moisture and daylight and will stay soft and bright.

Far less than most people think. For a keepsake window like the Pawch, about a pinch, roughly the size of a coin, is enough. For felting a small figure, you need a bit more, maybe a small handful. For yarn, you need a lot, often several bags over months of brushing.

We wrote out the exact amount, with photos, in how much fur do you need for a keepsake. And if you are collecting for the first time, our fur guide walks you through the whole thing in about two minutes. Short answer, brush during a cuddle, lift the loose fur, done. No scissors.

There is no wrong answer here. Some people want something they can hold every day. Others want a box they open once a year. Whatever you choose, the fact that you kept a little piece of them is the point. Everything else is just the shape of the keepsake.