grooming the dog

Lately people have been asking me whether Penny can see, when her hair falls over her face. In general, I like her to have a fringe in summer, to give her some protection from the harsh effects of the sun on her eyes. Here she is looking pretty hot on our weekly off-lead walk with Cindy at Coldstream last Saturday. (I hope it's cooler tomorrow!)



Cindy suggested to me that I could thin Penny's coat by using thinning shears, so I've been trying it out. I've come across lots of sites showing how to style either human hair or canine hair using these tools.

So far I've just experimented with desensitising her to scissors, as she's never been trimmed at home with scissors before. I've trimmed around her rear end and tried to get rid of some of the bulk on her legs.

It's a 'work in progress', but I'm keen to learn more because Penny doesn't really like going to the groomers and I can't just let her hair grow indefinitely. (She seems to have the maltese every-growing coat, though her heritage is a bit suspect. She simply doesn't look like what she's supposed to be - a maltese X shih tzu.)

I've got Dog Grooming for Dummies on reserve at the local library, so I'm hoping to turn into an expert when I read it. Hmm...not very likely. But one book that I've already got from the library has good information. It's the incredibly heavy Dog Bible. My hands got tired holding it up!

It's a fantastic book, though, with information about all sorts of things - dog genetics and history, dogs in religion and folklore or popular culture, dogs and the law, health, daily care, breeds, diet, training, fun activities, and, of course, grooming - to name just a few of the topics covered.

I think I'll have to buy it, because I want to have it on hand all the time.