Last week I told the woeful tale of Honey the Hippie, the ungroomed Golden Retriever. Despite Honey’s reluctance to be featured not looking her best, I knew I needed the accountability to make grooming a priority.
Honey had many fans who commented that they didn’t mind the ungroomed appearance one bit and thought she was still very cute (which Honey was very gratified to know).
What I failed to share in my previous post was that this isn’t just about looks. A Golden coat can actually get mats that will become uncomfortable and could lead to licking or scratching that will cause hot spots in the summer. And the muppet toes? The extra fur between her toes makes it slippery for her to scramble up and down our wooden steps.
So it’s not just about vanity. Honest.
Alright. Are you ready for the big reveal?
I can’t say that any of the local groomers have to worry about me taking their business away. Close up, you’ll see an occasional stray hair I missed on her tail. And I really understand now why groomers recommend using a thinning scissors to make a natural looking cut. But I’m pleased.
But what pleases me most was how well Honey did with the grooming.
Honey’s breeders did a great job socializing her and her litter mates from the very beginning. We kept up with constantly handling her feet and tail and trying to make every grooming experience calm and not too scary.
Last night, Honey was so good I was able to clip her nails using only the brushing as a reward. No treats!
I had heard that you can teach a dog to accept nail clipping calmly but I’ve never seen it live before last night. Yay Honey!
Tried to get a nice tail shot but this was the best I could do.
So I’m pleased. And convinced that with a little practice, I’ll keep her in fine shape.
Honey looks great! I know what you mean about the grooming scissors though. Jasper needs them too. He always needs to be thinned out because of his thick undercoat. I just wish he had come from a great breeder like yours who trained and socialized him to be comfortable with nail clipping and people touching his tail! We’ve got nail clipping to be a less stressful experience by introducing treats, but grooming is a whole other ordeal!
Honey – You are one lucky and gorgeous girl! Love the tail too!
Honey looks great! I know what you mean about the grooming scissors though. Jasper needs them too. He always needs to be thinned out because of his thick undercoat. I just wish he had come from a great breeder like yours who trained and socialized him to be comfortable with nail clipping and people touching his tail! We’ve got nail clipping to be a less stressful experience by introducing treats, but grooming is a whole other ordeal!
Honey – You are one lucky and gorgeous girl! Love the tail too!
Honey does look fantastic! You did a great job. That pile of fur makes me laugh. Our backyard looks much like that after we brush the cat. I am in awe of your grooming skills. Honey looks pretty happy with the results too. 🙂
I read so much about how nail clipping can be difficult so we bought one of those fancy pedi-paws things. The noise freaked her right out. We couldn’t get near her at all. When we switched to regular old nail clippers, she couldn’t care less. Barely even lifts her head. Who’d have thought?
She looks great!
she DOES look mahvelous . . . so mahvelous, in fact, that even MY tail is wagging!
and, i think the groomers should be worried. her cut looks totally professional from the photos!
hmmm, I am not sure…
Just jealous of course 🙂
She looks beautiful, great job. And you are right it is much more functional for them. We have to do some grooming soon …
A lot of dog owners seem to think that grooming is just for Poodles. You’re doing a good job on Honey.
Honey looks great; you cleaned her up well! I’m still too nervous to try it on Jon Farleigh, though – even with thinning shears (which I’ve seen used first hand).
Both my guys love to be brushed, too; nails, not so much. You must have one super secure dog – and the best pair of nail clippers ever. 🙂
Honey looks fabulous! You’re much braver than I am, too. I’m so glad our dogs have low maintenance coats because I’ve had some that didn’t, and I have no idea how I’d fit grooming into the schedule, too!
She looks beautiful! Though I miss the unkept look, look at how her coat shines!! I know what you mean about matting and such, our dog Alex had long collie fur. Used to drive me nuts! He was always running through the fields and the burs and such that tangled in his fur were awful. Escpecially since you couldn’t see them and I wouldn’t notice them for days sometimes. I never did get used to grooming him like I should. I really appreciate the low-maintence dogs I have now.
She looks great. I used to be a groomer and that looks pretty professional to me. Well at least from this angle! 🙂