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He is Grooming His Poodle
Nov. 27th, 2009 05:11 pmMy survival of this week more or less unscathed...it included an 8 1/2 hour drive and my family...is cause for thanks, and has been accomplished.
I celebrated by starting to assemble Coba's grooming kit. "The Illustrated Guide to Sheltie Grooming" has begun to assimilate and, armed with the arcane knowledge of how to tease and layer the beast's frill such that it remains erect for the duration of any judicial attention, I am going to attempt my first show trim. It will be sucky and amateurish, but I am nothing if not a quick study, and if I can learn to sculpt shelt to at least a tolerable approximation by February, I may actually find my chickenshit carcass in a show ring. Attached by the most delicate ribbon, of course, to a confection grave of eye, plush of coat and coiffed immaculately.
Yeah, so my dog now owns more cosmetic tools than I do, by a fairly significant margin. What the box contains at present:
Dog-specific straight scissors (I already had these; they're the nice kind)
blunt-end mini scissors (to trim whiskers and shape lip hair)
tiny scissors (ear tips, pad fluff)
pin brush
boar-bristle brush (round; intended for humans)
slicker
grooming spray
toothbrush for day-of-show touchup/ extra paste (the dogs' regular toothbrushes are, er, in the bathroom with mine)
What I need:
Thinning shears. RAWR how can _both_ big pet stores in Santa Rosa be out of thinning shears? Do people really buy that many of them? Did that question really just come out of my brain? Actually, these look like the most vital tool, and eventually I may want to get a real pair, but for now the ones from Petsmart will do.
Coat texturizer (this will help him keep his frill up. I don't think Petsmart is going to have this.
groomer's chalk (keep those wee paws shiny white, but make sure it's all completely brushed out or the judge will eat your head)
Yes, guys, you are welcome to laugh at me. I am in pursuit of the absurd in the company of a little dog who has also followed me over two mountain ranges this summer, bootied to keep the granite from lacerating his tender pink paws.
I celebrated by starting to assemble Coba's grooming kit. "The Illustrated Guide to Sheltie Grooming" has begun to assimilate and, armed with the arcane knowledge of how to tease and layer the beast's frill such that it remains erect for the duration of any judicial attention, I am going to attempt my first show trim. It will be sucky and amateurish, but I am nothing if not a quick study, and if I can learn to sculpt shelt to at least a tolerable approximation by February, I may actually find my chickenshit carcass in a show ring. Attached by the most delicate ribbon, of course, to a confection grave of eye, plush of coat and coiffed immaculately.
Yeah, so my dog now owns more cosmetic tools than I do, by a fairly significant margin. What the box contains at present:
Dog-specific straight scissors (I already had these; they're the nice kind)
blunt-end mini scissors (to trim whiskers and shape lip hair)
tiny scissors (ear tips, pad fluff)
pin brush
boar-bristle brush (round; intended for humans)
slicker
grooming spray
toothbrush for day-of-show touchup/ extra paste (the dogs' regular toothbrushes are, er, in the bathroom with mine)
What I need:
Thinning shears. RAWR how can _both_ big pet stores in Santa Rosa be out of thinning shears? Do people really buy that many of them? Did that question really just come out of my brain? Actually, these look like the most vital tool, and eventually I may want to get a real pair, but for now the ones from Petsmart will do.
Coat texturizer (this will help him keep his frill up. I don't think Petsmart is going to have this.
groomer's chalk (keep those wee paws shiny white, but make sure it's all completely brushed out or the judge will eat your head)
Yes, guys, you are welcome to laugh at me. I am in pursuit of the absurd in the company of a little dog who has also followed me over two mountain ranges this summer, bootied to keep the granite from lacerating his tender pink paws.
