For those of us stuck at home with non-shedding dogs the most urgent questions are not about Loo rolls but much more urgently … When will the dog groomers re-open? Any of you who know Lucy will know that her hair grows much faster than mine. So I decided to bite the bullet and learn how to cut it for her.
Not just the usual “between grooms tidy-up” but a full-scale onslaught. I knew when I got a Bichon Frise that they were high-maintenance dogs. Because they don’t shed their fluff, they really do need daily brushing at home and very regular full-scale buffing, fluffing clipping etc … with a proper groomer. If they don’t get this … they get mats in their coats which can turn to skin ulcers.
She is not the ladylike little bundle of cloud-like joy that she appears to be at a quick glance, but a complete hooligan who loves nothing better than tearing around the countryside rolling in mud, cow shit and anything else she can find. So she has been groomed every 6-10 weeks since she was a very small puppy.
So a few panicky messages later, I got some advice from our awesome groomer and bought a kit with clippers and scissors and heavens knows what else in from Amazon. Which was excellent value and a darn good buy in case you’re wondering!
I watched a few online videos – I mean … obviously, I’m virtually a professional after watching two YouTube videos!
And I girded my loins.
The Loin Girding recipe mostly involved deep breathing exercises and half a glass of red wine for mum (who was on the clippers for the first time) and a ready supply of little treats for dad to bribe Lucy with).
We made a 2nd Bichon out of the fluff we took off her
We all survived it. No nicks or cuts, no problems, no brain cells left for any of us and it took most of the day!
Net gain almost a kilo of dog fluff and a much cooler and happier little Bichon Frise.
She doesn’t look that elegant – but she is cool. I am counting blessings at this stage – but I don’t see a future career as a dog groomer. They deserve medals. Lots of medals and/or bottles of wine.
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