First Grooming, Food and Photo Bomb!

I haven't been updating very much - bad me!  We are having fun, but there isn't enough time between playing with Dhali and trying to get something done while Dhali barks in his x-pen, because he wants to DO SOMETHING!!  He is very go, go, go.  For example, today I had him outside with me for 2+ hours while I washed the siding and deck.  He 'helped' by chasing the hose, biting the broom, digging holes in mud and running around like a crazy head.  It was HOT, but he just ran and ran.  I also worked on recalls - calling him away from all the fun he was having whereever he was.  A few times I lost him!  So it's good he recalls.  He was exploring underneath the deck, in the bushes, the far side of the house.  He's on leash, but I have my doubts that I could catch him if he didn't want to be caught!

Then I was done, it was still really hot and getting hotter and Dhali had been running and running, soooo time for a nap, right?  Ah, no.  Time for Dhali to scream in the x-pen.  For almost 30 mins.....now he has stopped and it chewing on a bully stick.  But if I move he will start screaming again.  This is why I don't get anything done around the house!   

It is now after 7pm and I started writing this at 1pm......yeah.

The only good photo of Tibby post grooming with a photo bombing Dhali.

So anyway.....Tibby and Dhali went for a grooming on Monday.  It was Dhali's first ever time at the groomer's!  I'm not sure how she did it, but he was groomed.  Magic skills apparently.  Nothing was snipped off that shouldn't have been.  I was a little worried about that when I saw that she had trimmed his wizzel fuzz.  All wizzel was still intact though - whew! 

Rockin' the 'puppy' cut, 'cause he's a puppy!!

5 seconds after this photo he was dirty and full of weed stickers again.  Had to rub off that stinky 'pretty boy' smell.

So it took the pups over 4 hours at the groomer's.  I didn't think it would take that long and I had an appt. out of town, so my Mom picked the pups up for me.  Earlier in the day I had brought home a bag of large breed puppy food and set it in the kitchen.  My Mom didn't know about that and Dhali helped himself.  Hmm, he must be a real dog or something.  Tibby would never, ever have done something like that.  Not lady-like ya know.

Nutrisource Food

The reason I bought the large breed puppy food.  Dhali's food is SO tiny!  I end up dropping more than I put in his mouth.  The lg. breed doesn't look that much bigger, but it isn't flat like the sm/med breed food.  I'm just using the bigger food for recalls.  It's also cut down on the amount of finger biting which is nice.  The only difference between the 2 puppy foods is the amount of protein.  The sm/med has a higher protein % per serving.

Tibby and Ellie Playing

My favorite part is when Tibby sits on Ellie's head.  Classic Tibby move.

They are playing all the time now!  I think Tibby must have been sore, because now she is constantly asking Ellie to play.  Tonight Ellie was rolling around playing with her ball, Tibby kept going up to her and putting a paw on Ellie's back or neck and then running away.  She finally got Ellie to chase her.  After a few minutes she decided that she wanted a break, so Tibby jumped in my lap!  I was like, "Hey I saw you bugging Ellie, you asked to be chased!"

They are very cute - they make me laugh all the time with their silliness.

I bought a few different toys to try with Ellie today.  The wubba was fun, but the squeaky Frisbee and the other squeaky toys are just okay.  There is something about the kong tennis balls that she finds really, really fun.  Glad I had a few laying around!

Ellie likes to tug!  We played with the wubba and she is an excellent tugger.  We had been tugging with the kong ball, but that is a little difficult!  My fingers like to stay away from her teeth ;)

She had a little noisy complaining about being in the crate after we came in this evening from playing.  She settled down after 15 mins.  Sorry Ellie freedom to counter surf is not an option.

She is doing SO much better with door manners.  I wish I had a video of her the first night to compare to now.  She waits to be released out the door and back in - without rushing the door.  BIG improvement.  Door entering and exiting is -Tibby, me, Ellie in/out last. 

She also has learned to go into her crate without a fight.  At first she would put the brakes on BIG TIME when I told her to go in her crate.  Now I say 'crate' and she runs inside - and waits for her snack. 

I bought her an Ellie strength bone to chew.  It made her very happy.  

In Tibby news - she needs to get groomed and I think she might have to go short.  Just for a while.  Between rolling in the dirt and running through the dew/rain with Ellie plus it's growing REALLY fast right now.  She just has too much coat.  I think she would be more comfortable short.  It's such a thick coat to carry around in the summer.

Wat?

Tibby was doing this cute thing last night.  She kept sticking her nose through the bar of the gate.  I made her stay off the carpet, because her feet were wet.  She had fun running around outside and then she was mad that her wet feet prevented her from rolling on the carpet.  Silly girl!

June Groom

Tibby went to the groomer's on Friday.

Pretty!  Right?

Plushy Puppy and Relaxed Rabbit

Tibby got groomed again on Friday.

Her legs were driving me crazy, so I told the groomer to take them shorter and then even up her coat.  You know, so she wouldn't look like a marshmallow on toothpicks.

I think she looks cute! 

And for all those people searching for "Tibetan Terrier puppy cut" - this would be a 'puppy cut'.  Although the groomer didn't call it that.

I was planning on going to the Tibetan Terrier National thingy in St. Louis this year, but some changes at work nixed that idea.  Silly people have to get married on the same week-end! *rolling eyes*

So that was one reason I was growing out her coat.

It's much easier to do agility with her in a short coat.  Like running contacts are way easier.  I had stopped training them...for many reasons....uh, they're hard and kind of boring for me (not for Tibby, she loves them) to train, but maybe now that I can see her feet, we can get back to training.

She's a lot more cuddly now too.  And I find myself petting her a lot more too.  'Cause she is sooo soft and plushy!

And also now we can do some swimming....

Kiwi says life is rough for a bunny.  Reeeelax.

Brushing

I finally have a picture of me grooming Tibby.  My Mom took it for me while we were on vacation.

Tibby is a very good girl.  She holds still, 'relaxes' and lets me brush her.  I wouldn't say she likes it, but she tolerates it. 

Sunday Smash Up

This is like Monday Mash Up, but on Sunday and more smashy-mashy.  If you don't know (I didn't know this until last week) Monday Mash Up is where you post pictures and things that don't go together, but you want to post.....or something like that.

I wanted to post all these pictures, because they are old news - our snow is meeeeltttting!  Yay! 

Now the back yard is mud - Nooo!

I'm really, really proud of how Tibby's coat is growing out.  Now if someone were to say, "She looks very well groomed."  I would be happy to agree.  Before I was always a little hesitant, because I knew how many secret matts were hiding underneath her top coat.  Now she is 100% matt free!!!  It's a lot of work, but also a nice bonding time for us too.  Someday I'm going to do a post on the 'secret' grooming tip I found.  I can't be the only first time Tibetan Terrier owner who struggles with keeping up their dog's coat.  Ok, ok, ok here's the secret.  I read it on a TT facebook page, "You have to brush every day."  At least at first.  Write down on a calender when you groom.  It had better be at least every other day - maybe every third (but then it will take twice as long).  I brush Tibby every other day now and I'm always checking her coat.  Is is snarly?  Did she roll around a lot on the carpet?  Has she been rolling in the snow?  I probably think about it 20 times a day.  Just watch I'll be on the My Weird Addiction show someday LOL!! :)

To be honest I think people think they are prepared for the coat maintenance, but they aren't (or at least I wasn't).  When I got Tibby I was told that, "Tibetan Terriers only require their coat to be brushed thoroughly twice a week."  Ohhh, you must use that really short 4 day week?  Right.

I'm not saying her coat is perfect.  It looks like I haven't touched it in weeks right after I get done brushing her.  Tibby always has to get rid of the prissy look by rolling around on her back after she gets brushed.  BUT any time, anyone, any where - you can run a greyhound comb through her coat and there won't be a single snag. 

I'm proud of that.

And it only took me a year to figure it out!

I learned about all sorts of grooming things - pin brushes, greyhound combs, slicker brushes, foaming protein, final rinse solution, drop coats, ear plucking, whitening shampoo, color tinting and enhancing shampoo, leave in conditioner and recirculating bathers.

Now the things I would like to learn about this next year would be (Tibby coat related):

• What kind of collar is best - rolled leather? Doesn't matter?
• How can I get a cute little top knot to keep the hair out of Tibby's eyes, so she can see in agility???  This question is most pressing.  Right now I do two sad pigtails that look like a 3 year old put them in. 

Ok I guess this post is all about Tibby's coat and my weird obsession with it.  Whatever.  I have a soft and fluffy puppy!

It's worth it!

January Grooming

Tibby went to the groomer's today.  Just a little trim. 

I had her shave under Tibby's arm pits (all 4), because they matt so quickly and the skin is so sensitive there.

Grooms of the Year

A picture story of Tibby's grooms this year. 

 I think there were a couple more, but I didn't mark them when I uploaded them and now they are lost in the 50 million Tibby pictures on my computer! :P

I actually had to pull out my last check register and I was able to figure out a couple of the last ones, going by the date on the checks.  Next year I vow to do a better job of documentation!!!

These pictures are all post groom.

2010

2011

   

Pretty (pig)Tails

A couple nights ago I put some pigtails and a clip into Tibby's hair.  She's growing out her bangs and as anyone knows that can be a difficult time!!

They lasted through the night, but the next morning one pigtail and the clip were missing.  I found them on the floor, so don't worry she didn't eat them!

The one on Tibby's left side survived and is still going strong. 

I put a gob of conditioner on her hair before I put the tails in.

Anyone know the steps for putting in topknots?  Or how often they need to be taken out? 

I wish I could ask her breeder or knew some other Tibetan Terrier owners.

Even with just one she looks so cute!  Next time I'll try some pink ones.

Groomed July

I forgot to post Tibby's picture from Friday when she got home from the groomer.

I love taking Tibby to the groomer and talking to her groomer.  We only get to talk for a few minutes, because she is busy and usually has a dog waiting (patiently) on the table.  I learned something new about Tibby on Friday.  Tibby is not a fan of being crated, that's why I take her to Woof Dah - they are crate-free/free range puppies.  I have always wondered how she did at the groomers when she had to go in a crate.  Tibby's groomer explained that the first thing she teaches a dog is to be quiet in the crate.  She said some are more stubborn than others, but they eventually figure it out.  I like to think of Tibby learning something new - even at the groomer's!!

It took all day, but Tibby is finally 98% brushed out.  She is back to her shiny, bouncy puppy fluff.

Spring Pretty

Tibby went to the groomer again yesterday.  My Mom took her running for 4 miles in the morning.  She picks Tibby up every Mon., Wed. and Friday.  I think it is great!  Tibby was very tired when she got home from the groomer.  She always gets tired out after half a day of beautifying.

I found out that Tibby's groomer got her hand caught in a table saw a couple months ago.  It messed up her hand quite a lot.  She has been grooming dogs with pretty much only one hand!  How?  I have no idea!  I think it is amazing.

So tired.  So pretty.

Spring? Where?

"Spring?  Where?  Over there?"

"Over here?"

"Nope.  Haven't seen it."

So Tibby has decided that she will not go potty in the backyard.  The melting snow is revealing various thing, scattered around the yard, that I forgot about.  It looks like a pottery serial killer decided to use my backyard as a burial site.  These half buried things scare Tibby.  Fine.  We are back to 4-6 walks a day (or more, it's nice outside!).  Great.  Except.......I have to wash Tibby's feet, legs and belly after EVERY single walk.  All the sand, salt and muck from 6 months of snow has melted into the road.  It is nasty.  Also, I am apparently the only person in the WHOLE city that picks up after my dog.  There are literally piles of dog poop all over the streets and sidewalks.  I should take pictures of it - you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it.  Some people must throw the poop from their yards into the street.  There is an excess of poop in front of certain houses.  I've lived in a few places.  This city has hardly any rules and rarely enforces any of them.  There aren't any poop laws - apparently!

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In other news.....anyone else love to pluck ear hair?  I finished plucking Tibby's ear hair a couple days ago.  I spread it over 2 days, so she wouldn't get sick of it.  She slept through it both times.  I had my headband flashlight thingy and my tweezers - looked like I was doing surgery on poor Tibby!  I just love to get way down in the ear, find a little wax/hair and yank it out.  One thing that no one mentioned when I was thinking about a Tibetan Terrier - they don't shed, so their ear hair keeps growing.......so you are going to have to pluck that out. 

~

Tibby is so tired tonight.  We took 5 walks today and one was for almost 2 hours.  Yay Spring!

Brought Home A New Dog Today

Some of you might be mad at me, but things just weren't working out for me with Tibby.

Sometimes that happens with teenagers.  They are cute as puppies and then they change.

You know what they say, if you love someone let them go and if it's meant to be they will come back to you.

So, I brought this new dog home.

This dog is awesome!

It's lighter, softer and lets me pet it!

The only thing it needs is a coat.

Just kidding!

Tibby's matts were inoperable, so, sadly (cried a few tears) Tibby had to be aggressively groomed.

I'm still getting used to it, but I think I like it.

It's nice to just pet Tibby, instead of constantly trying to comb through Tibby's hair (which she hated) with my fingers whenever I touched her.

I dunno I think I would love her if she were green and hairless!

She's still my baby, just with less hair.