# Chia Pet?



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ducky was getting a bit "mucky" underneath... hazard of "boy dogs"  So I gave him an "undercarriage wash" this morning. When I started to dry him off on the grooming table, I realized that he had a couple of mats on his belly. Unusual, but OK… I haven’t groomed him since Sat., before my granddaughter's birthday party here. I then started to feel him over and realized he had a BUNCH of mats!!! I thought maybe he was making a liar out of me, and going into a VERY late coat-blowing.

So I started to slowly work out the mats. And inside EVERY.SINGLE.ONE was one ore more of these sticky green ball-like seeds. As I pulled them out, they stuck all over MY clothes!!!










So I guess, until I can find them in the garden and pull them out, I’m going to have to go over him with a fine tooth comb every day and make sure I get them off of him!!! I can usually get him totally combed out in 5-10 minutes. It took me an hour to deal with this mess. He was a VERY good, patient boy!!!

Now he is napping with his Mom after his "ordeal"! LOL! (Note that they CHOOSE the pen as a place to snuggle... they are not shut in there...)


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

krandall said:


> Ducky was getting a bit "mucky" underneath... hazard of "boy dogs"  So I gave him an "undercarriage wash" this morning. When I started to dry him off on the grooming table, I realized that he had a couple of mats on his belly. Unusual, but OK… I haven’t groomed him since Sat., before my granddaughter's birthday party here. I then started to feel him over and realized he had a BUNCH of mats!!! I thought maybe he was making a liar out of me, and going into a VERY late coat-blowing.
> 
> So I started to slowly work out the mats. And inside EVERY.SINGLE.ONE was one ore more of these sticky green ball-like seeds. As I pulled them out, they stuck all over MY clothes!!!
> 
> ...


Wow, Ducky's hair has gotten so long. I'm used to the pictures I have of him in the frames. We have those too and I just hate them, as soon as we think we've gotten rid of all of them cotton and Jodie find some more. Jodie blowing coat was a nightmare! I'm convinced that when one of them finds the plant they say "Hey, do you want to reeeeeally drive Mom and Dad crazy?..." 😆


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JaJa said:


> Wow, Ducky's hair has gotten so long. I'm used to the pictures I have of him in the frames. We have those too and I just hate them, as soon as we think we've gotten rid of all of them cotton and Jodie find some more. Jodie blowing coat was a nightmare! I'm convinced that when one of them finds the plant they say "Hey, do you want to reeeeeally drive Mom and Dad crazy?..." 😆


I just went out and went around the gardens, and while there are some weeds, I couldn't identify what these seeds are coming from!!! 😭


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

krandall said:


> I just went out and went around the gardens, and while there are some weeds, I couldn't identify what these seeds are coming from!!! 😭


These are the source of so much frustration for us as well! JoJo seems to have a magnetic attraction to these things (I think they may actually come from a tree in our area, as they’re often all over the ground in wooded areas) and foxtails. At least these aren’t dangerous like foxtails are but boy are they a pain to get out!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

There are a bunch of different varieties of "Beggars Lice", although not really a lice. We have only one kind here, different from that, and common name is from the old slave slang, but everyone knows it as Beggalice. I never learned what the plant looks like either, but I'm sure Google can find it for you.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

LWalks said:


> These are the source of so much frustration for us as well! JoJo seems to have a magnetic attraction to these things (I think they may actually come from a tree in our area, as they’re often all over the ground in wooded areas) and foxtails. At least these aren’t dangerous like foxtails are but boy are they a pain to get out!


Our JoJo used to roll around in it so he would have them 360 degrees. I think he must have taught Cotton do it. Thank goodness Jodie's not interested! I would have to shave her down too.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LWalks said:


> These are the source of so much frustration for us as well! JoJo seems to have a magnetic attraction to these things (I think they may actually come from a tree in our area, as they’re often all over the ground in wooded areas) and foxtails. At least these aren’t dangerous like foxtails are but boy are they a pain to get out!



I don't think ours are from a tree... We only have maple and walnut trees in our yard...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tom King said:


> There are a bunch of different varieties of "Beggars Lice", although not really a lice. We have only one kind here, different from that, and common name is from the old slave slang, but everyone knows it as Beggalice. I never learned what the plant looks like either, but I'm sure Google can find it for you.



Good idea! Every time Dave finds one on Pixel, he shoves her at me yelling TICK!!! LOL!


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## Steward Robbins (Sep 21, 2018)

We have something similar at one of the parks we frequent for walks. It is probably a variety of the green things, but ours are sticky and brown, and a bit smaller. You can't see the balls on the plant until it starts to open up later in the summer, but they are lurking..I think the plant is a foot high, maybe a bit taller. So keep looking, Karen, and in a bit you will start to see the balls emerging (seeds?).

Kathy Robbins


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## Flashgordon (Dec 9, 2020)

Google virginia stickseed.I think that is what is getting my dog. Last week I swear I took over 1000 of them out in one grooming session. My dog likes to roll in those bushes ugh. She was very patient with the combing, but then rolled in them again two days later.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Flashgordon said:


> Google virginia stickseed.I think that is what is getting my dog. Last week I swear I took over 1000 of them out in one grooming session. My dog likes to roll in those bushes ugh. She was very patient with the combing, but then rolled in them again two days later.
> 
> View attachment 178182
> 
> ...



Yes! Looks like that's what it is, and when I looked it up, it IS native here! GRRR! LOL!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

We have those awful seeds too! We are a long way from Georgia though!


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## Flashgordon (Dec 9, 2020)

Yes, they are an invasive species where I live. I took another twenty out last night, that was a light dose for my dog!


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

We’ve had an almost total dry spell for more than 2 weeks now here in Essex, East of England. The lush grasses have dried out and there is grass seed galore everywhere we go for our walks. The photo below shows the latest bunch of little so and so’s that I brushed out from Toff’s muzzle hair this evening. They have a hook and once they’re in, only a fine comb will get them out 😫


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Toffee170221 said:


> We’ve had an almost total dry spell for more than 2 weeks now here in Essex, East of England. The lush grasses have dried out and there is grass seed galore everywhere we go for our walks. The photo below shows the latest bunch of little so and so’s that I brushed out from Toff’s muzzle hair this evening. They have a hook and once they’re in, only a fine comb will get them out 😫
> View attachment 178213


Those are different, but looks equally nasty! LOL!


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

Over here those nasties that were caught up in Ducky and Flashgordon’s dog are from Goosegrass/ Sticky Sweetheart plant/ Sticky Willy. I had a ‘wild’ corner at the bottom of our garden where they flourished but just before Toffee came to us, I had it cleared and properly planted. Before and after below…no more sticky bobbles 👍


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We don't have a corner that looks like your before... but we do have 5 acres, so turning the whole thing into a tidy garden isn't a possibility. So things DO sometime creep back into the the dog yard inspire of of our hard work!


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## Flashgordon (Dec 9, 2020)

Yes, those are a little different. The ones I get are rounder. Mine are at a local park, so I have no control over how the city manages it. It is in a wetland, so I don’t think they can use any chemicals and it would be impractical and frankly impossible to pull them all out .


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

krandall said:


> We don't have a corner that looks like your before... but we do have 5 acres, so turning the whole thing into a tidy garden isn't a possibility. So things DO sometime creep back into the the dog yard inspire of of our hard work!


Wow! 5 acres makes my garden into a postage stamp 🤣 That must take some real hard work to keep it looking as good as it does in some of your outside snaps I’ve seen on here 😁


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Toffee170221 said:


> Wow! 5 acres makes my garden into a postage stamp 🤣 That must take some real hard work to keep it looking as good as it does in some of your outside snaps I’ve seen on here 😁



Well, not all of it is maintained... Only about 3 acres is maintained, and only about 1/2 acres is "garden". The rest is woods.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Toffee170221 said:


> Over here those nasties that were caught up in Ducky and Flashgordon’s dog are from Goosegrass/ Sticky Sweetheart plant/ Sticky Willy. I had a ‘wild’ corner at the bottom of our garden where they flourished but just before Toffee came to us, I had it cleared and properly planted. Before and after below…no more sticky bobbles 👍
> View attachment 178214
> 
> View attachment 178215


Is that clematis still there? It’s so pretty! After many attempts at becoming a better gardener over the years and hitting plateaus, DD has developed a green thumb and we make a great team! The picture of your garden makes the houses look like little cottages and it feeds right into my tendency to see the “grass is always greener on the other side.” And your garden probably IS greener 

I’ve havent seen those green things on Sundance. Usually the things I find stuck in his coat are weirder than outdoor bits. He seems to attract stickers and labels, especially from fruit.


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Is that clematis still there? It’s so pretty! After many attempts at becoming a better gardener over the years and hitting plateaus, DD has developed a green thumb and we make a great team! The picture of your garden makes the houses look like little cottages and it feeds right into my tendency to see the “grass is always greener on the other side.” And your garden probably IS greener
> 
> I’ve havent seen those green things on Sundance. Usually the things I find stuck in his coat are weirder than outdoor bits. He seems to attract stickers and labels, especially from fruit.


It is Clematis, but I have to confess 😳 it’s my neighbours that grows over the fence and cascades into our garden. To make amends I’ve now got a Winter jasmine that should do the reverse and grow from my side over into theirs 😂 Grass is parched at the moment , so don’t be envious. We haven‘t had any rain for 3 weeks now and none forecasted. With a water meter putting a sprinkler on it would be costly!!


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## ApexMyles (Jun 1, 2021)

Oh geez, I hate those velcro balls (which is what I call them). Myles got them too when we visited Bear Mountain State Park in NY. He had them under his belly, around the mouth and on his hind legs. They are such a pain to take off too. I'm sure they also hurt as some of them have spikes that cling on to the hairs. What's worse is that Myles is a curly haired Havanese and it was exhausting just to remove them.

I'm glad you realized early on and was able to remove them off Ducky.


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