Day 30: Grooming

Page 16 of the "You and Your New Hearing Dog" pamphlet states: "Be sure and trim your dog's nails once a month....Long nails can be very uncomfortable for the dog."  When Gracie arrived, she was very tidy and well-groomed.  Because I have had her about a month, I decided it was time to cut her nails.  Having had dogs before, I knew that cutting a dog's nails is not as easy as it sounds.  Most dogs do not like having their nails cut and, if they figure out what you are up to, will pull their paws away.  Dog nail trimmers are more like nut crackers than scissors, and dog nails are thick and not easy to cut through without using both hands.  Since most people only have two hands, needing two hands to handle the nail trimmers means having no hands left over to hold the resisting dog.  Besides, dogs have a vein in their nails that the nail cutter needs to avoid tapping into. I decided to follow the advice in the pamphlet and have a "vet do it for" me at least the first time.  Visiting the vet would also allow me to drop off Gracie's health record that the IHDI folks sent with her.  I called and made an appointment for Monday--yesterday--afternoon.

When the time arrived to go to the vet, Gracie hopped eagerly into the car.  She loves riding in the car almost as much as she loves walking next to a shopping cart at Target or Trader Joe's and practicing her sounds.  The veterinary assistant was ready for us when we got there.  Gracie didn't like having her nails trimmed, but she didn't struggle (much), growl, or nip as other dogs I've lived with have done in the same situation.  Still, I'm not sure I want to tackle trimming her nails myself, mostly from fear of hurting her by cutting them too short.  We'll see.

Long-hair, small dog FURminator

As we were waiting to pay for the service, I spotted a display of grooming tools called FURminators.  My friend Jan had mentioned them having noticed that Gracie is a very furry dog.  This is partly what makes her so irresistible to people, so pettable.  It probably also accounts for her desire to be petted and scratched.  On the minus side, she sheds a lot, leaving hairs all over the parts of the house she frequents.  She also shakes and spews hairs in the process both in the house and in the stores, restaurants, and other places we visit.  I noticed that the FURminators were labeled "dog" and "cat" and that there were various sizes for both depending on the size of the animal.  "Reduces shedding up to 90%" was the promise on the package for small dogs with "hair longer than 2 inches."  I was sold.



"Ahhh," says Gracie. "I've been fURminated."

 Back home with our FURminator, the unpleasant sensation of having nails trimmed a hazy memory, Gracie and I settled down to some serious deshedding.  She loved it, and as the pile of fur grew, I had lightning bolt idea...strategically placed, Gracie's unwanted fur might be just what I needed to scare those striped gophers out of our yard.  I'm not sure about grackles and dog fur.  I think we'll have to go with netting and something that spins in the wind to frighten them away.  Meanwhile, Gracie looks a few pounds thinner without quite so much hair and yet still as cute and pettable as ever.  If only a tool existed that would accomplish the same thing for me!