The Sheep Shed Collection: British Wool Dog Accessories Made in Oxford

I started the Sheep Shed Collection because I wanted to make something that reflected the full process, from the farm where the wool is raised, through the mill in Yorkshire where it is prepared, to the Oxford studio where it is woven by hand into a finished piece. Most dog accessories that claim British provenance have a very loose relationship with Britain. The Sheep Shed does not.

This guide explains what the collection is, how the two ranges differ, and what goes into each piece.

What the Collection Is Built Around

The foundation of every Sheep Shed piece is British heritage wool. Heritage breeds, as opposed to commercial wool breeds, produce a wool with more character, more weight, and more durability than the commodity wool that most of the industry uses. The farmers who raise them are paid above what the commodity market offers, because the wool is worth more and because the farming practices that support heritage breeds deserve better returns than commodity pricing provides.

The wool is milled in Yorkshire, cleaned, combed and prepared, before arriving at the Oxford studio, where I weave it by hand around the collar or lead strap. The weave pattern is three-row or four-row depending on the design, and it is tight enough to hold its structure through the life of the piece rather than loosening with wear.

The Classic Range: Wool and Veg-Tanned Leather

The Classic Range pairs the wool weave with an Italian veg-tanned leather strap. Veg-tanned leather is tanned using plant-based tannins rather than the chemical processes used in most commercial leather production. It takes longer and costs more, but it produces a leather that develops a genuine patina with use, it moulds to the shape of the dog's neck, picks up the particular character of the specific dog wearing it, and looks better at five years than it did at five weeks.

The Classic Range is for dogs that walk in varied conditions but do not spend every walk in the rain. The leather is conditioned before dispatch and will last for years with basic care. If your dog swims regularly or lives in persistently wet conditions, the Hybrid Range is the more practical choice.

The Hybrid Range: Wool and BioThane

The Hybrid Range uses the same wool weave, the same farms, the same mill, the same Oxford weaving, but replaces the leather strap with BioThane. BioThane is a coated polyester webbing that is fully waterproof, wipe-clean, and unaffected by repeated immersion. The result is a collar with the character and provenance of the Sheep Shed wool and the practical durability of a synthetic strap.

The Hybrid Range was added because I kept hearing from customers who loved the Sheep Shed aesthetic but needed something that worked better in the conditions their dogs actually lived in. A spaniel in the Lake District does not need a leather collar; a whippet in London probably does not need BioThane. The two ranges exist to give both dogs what they actually need.

The Hardware Throughout

Every piece in the Sheep Shed Collection, Classic and Hybrid, uses solid brass hardware. Buckles, D-rings, keepers, adjustment hardware: all solid brass, load-tested before dispatch. This is covered by the lifetime hardware promise: if anything fails in normal use, I replace it. Full stop, no time limit.

The brass develops a patina that matches the wool and leather, everything in the Sheep Shed Collection ages together. That is not accidental. It is the point.

Where to Find the Collection

The full Sheep Shed Collection, Classic and Hybrid, collars and leads, is available at the Sheep Shed collection page. Every piece is made to order. Delivery is 2-6 working days. If you are unsure about sizing, the measuring guide covers everything you need, and you can always message me directly before ordering.

Frequently asked questions