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When people shop for vintage fur coats online, they often trust the description written by the seller. If a coat is listed as fox, raccoon, coyote, or wolf, most buyers naturally believe that identification is correct.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Over the years, I have seen many vintage coats incorrectly identified on resale platforms simply because the seller does not have professional experience with fur.
One of the lesser-known examples is the history of dog fur in the European fur trade.
During the 1970s and 1980s, some domestic dog fur, mainly imported from Korea and parts of Asia, entered the European market under commercial trade names such as “Gae-Wolf,” “Asian Wolf,” and other misleading descriptions that did not clearly identify the animal.
These garments were often sold in Germany and other European countries during the oversized fur fashion era of the 1980s and early 1990s. They were widely advertised in fashion magazines
Today, many of these coats still exist in vintage circulation and continue to appear on online marketplaces.
The reality is simple: fur identification requires experience.
Many online sellers are not fur specialists. They may inherit coats, purchase vintage collections, or resell items without understanding the differences between fur types.
As a result, vintage dog fur coats are sometimes listed as:
Fox fur
Raccoon fur
Coyote fur
Wolf fur
In many cases, the seller genuinely does not know. This is just a random selection from one of the biggest resale marketplaces. On just one page, I identified more than 10 dog fur coats listed as other fur types.
How to identify dog fur? Usually such coats are mislabled or even intrentoonally labeled as other fur (very often you may see just generous label Echt Pelz for example) Experienced furriers often look for a combination of details.
Possible signs include:
Flat or coarse guard hairs
Large pelts
Typical V construction on the back in the shoulder area
Heavy garments with stiff leather
However, proper identification should always consider multiple characteristics together.
Today production of dogs (and cats!) fur clothers is strictly prohibited. The vintage coats already exist, and many are decades old. Customers deserve transparency and accurate information when purchasing vintage fashion.
Understanding fur history, fur trade terminology, and fur identification helps buyers make informed decisions about what they choose to wear and collect.
At PreLoved Fur, education and expertise are an important part of preserving vintage fur history responsibly.
Follow PreLoved Fur for more vintage fur identification tips, educational articles, and carefully selected vintage fur pieces sourced across Europe.
