What you can keep from your dog, and how to make it last
Some keepsakes take up almost no space and are still priceless. The most valuable ones are usually the smallest. A few hairs or a little sand can be enough to take you straight back to one particular moment with your dog.
Many people only think about keeping something once their dog is old, or when the goodbye is close. But there are plenty of small keepsakes you can gather across a whole shared life. More and more people are looking for lovely ways to hold on to those moments, and there is no need to wait until your four-legged companion is no longer beside you. Some of the best keepsakes come from the days you are still living together.
A lock of hair
A small lock of hair makes a particularly lovely keepsake. A few strands are all you need. They hold the colour and the texture of the coat, and years later they still bring your dog to mind.
If you want to keep some of your dog's hair, the less visible spots are the ones to choose. Behind the ears, on the chest or under the neck you can carefully trim a few hairs without it showing.
The hair has to be clean and completely dry before you put it away. Moisture can bring on mould or shift the colour, so let it air-dry for a few hours before it goes into the vial.
Puppy teeth, a small treasure
Puppy teeth are among the most special keepsakes too, and many dog owners hold on to them for decades. They also keep well: like human teeth, they last for many years as long as they are stored somewhere dry.
Keepsakes after a goodbye
After a dog dies, some people choose to keep something more personal. A single whisker, or a few of the longer hairs from the tail, can become a keepsake that means a great deal.
Some also keep a small piece of a claw. One thing to be clear about: never remove a claw or a whisker from a living dog for this purpose. The animal's wellbeing always comes before any keepsake.
Shared places hold memories too
Alongside the keepsakes that come from the dog, the places you have been together can find their way into a memory vial.
A little sand from a favourite beach, a crushed shell from the last holiday, or a dried flower picked on a walk are wonderful keepsakes, and they usually come with a story.
How to store keepsakes properly
If a keepsake is going to survive for years, storage does most of the work. Anything that goes into a vial has to be completely dry.
Hair should air-dry for a few hours after it is cut. Sand should be clean and dry. Shells need a rinse in fresh water first to get the salt off, then several days to dry out fully.
Fresh plants, leaves, food remains and other damp organic material are not suitable. Given time they will grow mould or break down.
Can you keep a dog's scent?
Many people hope to hold on to their dog's particular smell. Hair does keep its natural scent for a while. A well-sealed vial and a completely dry lock will preserve it for as long as possible, though over the years the scent does slowly fade.
A small vial, a lot of memory
Our small cork-stoppered vials were chosen for exactly these keepsakes. At Hola Mila we think memories do not need much room. Sometimes the moments worth the most fit inside a little glass vial, and stay with us for the rest of our lives.
