Alright alright just to start off saying I had a great idea. Save $55 for grooming and make Maddie "pretty" with Katie.
Well, I wish I could end there and say cutting Maddie's hair was all good and something everyone should do. Fail Fail Fail Fail... Yes, I completely failed at this one.
For one, it kept raining for two weeks and I could not get the right weather and time down to get it done. Two, well it ended up being a travesty. I used people hair clippers from Meijer that kept on sticking in her poodle-like hair. Just to, somewhat, buzz one side of her took 45 minutes. So, I took some scissors and started grabbing chunks of hair and cutting it off. That was going well until I realized on some parts of her body I was going too short. She was a champ through this whole process. She never cried or whimpered and stayed in one spot for mommy and daddy. Hair was going everywhere outside and the sun was giving me a sunburn. We used a shop vac to get the hair off the deck.
I stopped cutting her hair about one hour and a half in when I accidentally was using the scissors and cut Maddie's skin. You would not realize how sad and hurt I was that. I was so sad that I did that. After all that hard work we still did not trim her stomach and her feet. Right now she looks like she has big furry slippers on. I decided that I could spend $55 every 4 months for grooming. It was sooooo hard. I advise no one to ever try it at home. A good groomer is the way to go. Katie and I at least learned that there are things that we should just pay for and not try to be frugal on. As of right now Maddie looks like I took a lawn mower to her and she came out with furry slippers, s short haired face, a very hairy neck, and all kinds of uneveness. We are taking her to the groomers on Wednesday to get fixed up. We waited to take her because her daddy was so clumsy as to cut her and it needs to heal first. I check her 10 times a day to clean it out and make sure she is alright. Gosh it was a bad idea...Here are some pics of her long hair, then her bad hairdo, and then what it should look like from a groomers hands, with a bow.
Heather said...
Oh, but she looked so happy! I'll admit, though, it is a tough job. Parker is not a fan of us cutting his hair, but we've gotten through the 2.5 hour process quite a few times. I'd much rather take him to a groomer, but since we have the doggie clippers, we feel like we should get our use out of them. It's definitely not perfect and DEFINITELY never looks like Maddie's groomer's cut...ah! she looks like a fleece blanket with a head and four paws! so soft!
May 24, 2010 at 8:18 AM
Jane said...
I had a cocker spaniel/poodle mix growing up in Bufaalo, N.Y.. We bought heavy duty clippers to shave him (he had curly poodle type fur) every spring in the backyard. We would leave the fur and it would be gone within 24 hours because the birds would grab it to add to their nests. :) Even if you get Maddie groomed professionally you could occasionally take home the clippings and leave them out for the birds, especially in the spring.
May 24, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Unknown said...
Aww! I accidentally cut the quick of my dog's nail and it bled like crazy. He yelped so loud and I felt like a HORRIBLE person. From now on, I pay the extra to take him in and get his nails done. But remember, as Cesar Milan says, dogs live in the now. I'm sure Maddie's just happy to have owners who love her so much! Keep the posts comin and GO CREW!
May 24, 2010 at 8:08 PM