Piper doesn't much cotton to grooming ... she pouts.Our friends and hosts, Jim and Sharon Dok have been breeding and showing Basset Hounds since 1978, and have bred more than 50 champions. They are also licensed AKC (American Kennel Club) judges, and are the official “hosts” of this year’s Basset Hound Club of America Nationals in Shelton, Washington.
They graciously invited us to stay at their property on Puget Sound, in spite of all the work and business associated with putting on a national dog show. They have full RV hookups overlooking the water and next to the kennel, and have also made their house our home during our stay.
We’ve had some lovely times…conversation, cocktails, dinners and all-dogged-in couch time. We’ve also met the former owners of two of our dogs who were returned to the breeder because they did not show well, but are still remembered and loved by those folks. Karen told us that she showed Sippie dozens of times in southern California, but she was competing against much bigger dogs and just couldn’t win. Well, Sippie is quite the BIG GIRL now! Sharon says all of our dogs are overweight…D’OH!
The show starts tomorrow and this afternoon Sharon was grooming the dogs that will be shown on the first day. When I got to the kennel she was finishing up the grooming of Saint Patrick, (sire of our Lana Turner...out of the dam Carmen Miranda, who was out of Ava Gardner...Lana comes from a long line of glamour girls). Patrick, now 12 years old but still a very well-known and highly regarded stud, will compete in a “veterans” class tomorrow. I was hoping I could help Sharon get her dogs ready, but she, who seems to have endless energy, said that our girls REALLY needed to have their nails done.
She proceeded to show me how to clip, file and care for their nails…which she explained were way too long, and likened their discomfort to overgrown toenails in tight shoes…OUCH! She did Lana’s nails and then I did Sippie’s and Piper’s. I am now quite confident that I can give them proper manis and pedis at home.
She also showed me how to clean their long, droopy ears, which are prone to infection due to a lack of air circulation, and require routine preventative care. In fact, the day before we left home, Lana turned up with a nasty ear infection and she’s still on meds as of this writing. I think that by following Sharon’s protocol we can also give our girls better ear health and avoid the antibiotic regimens.
The biggest lesson was on how to “express” the anal glands. I won’t go into that because its downright disgusting, but proper care on a regular basis can prevent health problems that may require veterinary care.
So…I’m going home with a list of tools, medications, shampoos, ear wash and powder, Eddie has a grooming station project in the works, and when I take the girls to the doggie spa this month I will DEFINITELY have a discussion with the groomer about anal gland care.
They graciously invited us to stay at their property on Puget Sound, in spite of all the work and business associated with putting on a national dog show. They have full RV hookups overlooking the water and next to the kennel, and have also made their house our home during our stay.
We’ve had some lovely times…conversation, cocktails, dinners and all-dogged-in couch time. We’ve also met the former owners of two of our dogs who were returned to the breeder because they did not show well, but are still remembered and loved by those folks. Karen told us that she showed Sippie dozens of times in southern California, but she was competing against much bigger dogs and just couldn’t win. Well, Sippie is quite the BIG GIRL now! Sharon says all of our dogs are overweight…D’OH!
The show starts tomorrow and this afternoon Sharon was grooming the dogs that will be shown on the first day. When I got to the kennel she was finishing up the grooming of Saint Patrick, (sire of our Lana Turner...out of the dam Carmen Miranda, who was out of Ava Gardner...Lana comes from a long line of glamour girls). Patrick, now 12 years old but still a very well-known and highly regarded stud, will compete in a “veterans” class tomorrow. I was hoping I could help Sharon get her dogs ready, but she, who seems to have endless energy, said that our girls REALLY needed to have their nails done.
She proceeded to show me how to clip, file and care for their nails…which she explained were way too long, and likened their discomfort to overgrown toenails in tight shoes…OUCH! She did Lana’s nails and then I did Sippie’s and Piper’s. I am now quite confident that I can give them proper manis and pedis at home.
She also showed me how to clean their long, droopy ears, which are prone to infection due to a lack of air circulation, and require routine preventative care. In fact, the day before we left home, Lana turned up with a nasty ear infection and she’s still on meds as of this writing. I think that by following Sharon’s protocol we can also give our girls better ear health and avoid the antibiotic regimens.
The biggest lesson was on how to “express” the anal glands. I won’t go into that because its downright disgusting, but proper care on a regular basis can prevent health problems that may require veterinary care.
So…I’m going home with a list of tools, medications, shampoos, ear wash and powder, Eddie has a grooming station project in the works, and when I take the girls to the doggie spa this month I will DEFINITELY have a discussion with the groomer about anal gland care.
And, to not end on that note...here's a little clip of the dynamo Sharon feeding her brood....
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2 comments:
Is there a new career in dog grooming on the horizon? :-)
not likely...though manis and pedis are definitely going to be done at home!
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