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Wordless Wednesday

Grooming

For some people grooming a Standard Poodle can be very scary. But I groomed Miniature Horses for 9 years, so the Poodle is EASY =)

I'm going to share with you the grooming "stuff" that I use. Just to give you an idea of what you may need for your Poodle Grooming needs...

First I use an old desk for my grooming table. My Aunt gave it to me and it works perfectly and I didn't have to pay for it!!
I bought a rubber welcome mat and put it upside down on the top of the desk. It gives Gentry something to hold onto. I put all my grooming stuff in the drawers (my blades, blade cleaner, scissors, ect.)

I have an old pin brush that I'm using now...
And a Greyhound comb. I LOVE my Greyhound comb =)

I'm saving my mula to buy one of these brushes...
I love my Andis two speed clippers. They make my job sooo much easier.

I love this spray. It's a nice skin conditioner and it smells soooo good...

I spray this on Gentry whether he is wet or dry. It keeps his skin nice and his hair silky!

And last but NOT least, my nail grinder!! This thing is awesome! Soooo much better than nail clippers. Neither of my dogs mind when I do their nails now.
I got mine from Pet Edge. It's a great deal.

To make brushing easier I taught Gentry to lay down flat on the floor. I brush him like this and do his nails this way.

And Gentry all done!

Book Reviews

Okay, so I've been doing some heavy reading. Usually I LOVE historical fiction, but lately that is just so boring to me (except Dianna Gabaldon, SHE could NEVER bore me.)

Books about dogs, real stories about people and their dogs, dog training books, dog behavior books, these are what is holding my attention lately.

"The Daily Coyote" by Shreve Stockton is a wonderful read. I really enjoyed losing myself in her wonderful descriptions. The simplicity of her life with Charlie really captured my attention and held me spell bound through the whole book. (Ask Hubby, he could barely get a word in edgewise this weekend! He practically had to pry the book from my grubby little fingers...)

"Be The Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan is also a really great book. I enjoyed the stories that he shared of the dogs (and people) that he has helped. I gobbled up what he says about us, as owners and how our actions and feelings are mirrored by our dogs. I highly recommend this book to anyone that desires to understand their dog better.

"The Other End Of The Leash" by Patricia B. McConnell Ph. D. has been a fun read so far. Usually sciency books make my eyes water and my brain turn to mush. But this is a great blend of science and humor. She writes in a wonderful, everyday language that is easy to read and absorb. I also LOVE her blog and read it daily.

All of the above books get 5 stars from me... Let me know if you read them and what YOU think!

And for a fun send off... dogs playing in the snow!

Pawket?

I ordered this cute little dog tag "pawket" from Dang ol' Dog on etsy. It protects the tags from wear and tear and also keeps the quiet. That's my favorite part! The jingle jangle of tags drives me crazy. I wonder how it effects them since they have such sensitive ears?

Come

I have an aversion to the word "Come". So I don't really use it.

When I want Gentry to be beside me I say "With Me." This means come be beside me, on the left hand side of me. This command is issued when we are walking or when he is off sniffing and I want him back to me. When he does it he gets a treat. Every time. SO, he loves to be "With Me."

As we walk along, if he is "With Me" he gets a treat, sometimes three or four. I like him to sit when I stop walking. If he offers this to me without me asking for it, he gets a treat. He offers the sit A LOT. In fact he will just walk up to me and sit neatly in front of me ALL THE TIME. If I have something that he desperately wants to see, he will sit quietly, in hopes that I will show it to him.

Today it was this that he NEEDED to see, smell, lick and nudge...

He was so VERY gentle and sweet with the puppies. He sat quietly, with just his tail wagging and wagging with joy. What an absolutely wonderful dog I am blessed with!!

Obsessed

I am OBSESSED with collars and leashes. I can't stop looking at them, bookmarking them, wanting them.

I want leather...

This one can be found at Bold Lead Desings. Gorgeous isn't it!?

Then I love martingale style collars...

I bought mine at Trendy Hound.

I am always shopping, looking to see the latest colors, styles, ect. I tell myself that I need a Traffic Lead (super short for walking tall dogs in the heel position) then I need a 4 foot lead, then I'll need a 6 foot leash. Really it all gets ridiculous!

What I have:
A beautiful Martingale Collar and a soft 6 foot hemp leash from Earth Dog. And they both suit us just fine. Amazingly I find that I don't actually NEED any of the other things... I just WANT them =)