Home from the Groomer

white shih tzu
Yesterday was Annika’s day at the groomer. She always looks so pretty when she comes home. She didn’t like wearing the scarf, but I left it on long enough to take her photo. Annika is 3/4 shih tzu and 1/4 wire fox terrier. She doesn’t shed as many dogs do, but because her breed doesn’t lose hair, she must go to a groomer every five to six weeks. We adopted Annika from Bichon Fur Kids. She is not Bichon, but if you look at their web site you’ll notice that this wonderful group rescues small dogs of various breeds. When Annika was rescued by Bichon Fur Kids, she had to be shaved down, because her previous owner hadn’t had her groomed. Her coat was badly matted and she had an ear infection. I can’t even imagine what her beautiful tail, which must be combed daily, must have looked like. Budgeting for a groomer is something dog owners must consider when thinking of owning this type of dog. It’s an additional expense, but well worth it. When Annika comes home from the groomer she has been bathed, had her ears cleaned and checked, and her nails have been clipped. Our groomer also looks at Annika’s teeth during the appointment. She comes home looking adorable.  Below is another photo of her from a past visit to the groomer. Note the different scarf. She has one for every holiday and season.Annika-2
You have to agree, she really is cute, isn’t she? I found an interesting and helpful website called, four paws, that talks about the need for grooming you pet. I have no personal connection to the site, but I found it had some good information on pet care. I do wish Annika would wear her scarves for a longer time, but once she is home she is ready to have the scarf off.

Post Vacation Projects

prettiest roses

Today was a day spent catching up on projects left undone while we were on vacation. I found these beautiful roses blooming in the back yard, picked them and brought them inside to enjoy.

African violet

Next I repotted and separated several african violet plants. I love african violets and was wanting to do this project for quite some time. By the end of the day my plants were already looking much perkier.Annika bath

My last big challenge was to give Annika a bath. She always knows what I am planning and makes herself scarce when she sees me with the dog shampoo and towels. Once in the tub she is fairly co-operative. Here is a photo of her taken after she was  dried off and brushed. Not quite as perfect as the groomer would do, but she looks much cleaner than at the end of our camping trip. She is sleeping at my feet as I write this, so I think she has finally forgiven me.