# I give up - Off to the Groomers today



## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

Hi Everyone, hope you’re all doing well? 😁 So, I really wanted to keep Toffee’s coat as it was, right the way through, but despite my daily brushing and combing and regular ‘tidy ups’ with the groomer, we’ve got some tough little mats where his harness sits. Winter’s coming and he loves his walks and he doesn't mind the rain but drying wet Toff 3x a day can test us both!! So, were off to get a short cut today, being careful to avoid hair round eyes and his amazing long black eye lashes 🥰 I’m going to try and post a ‘before’ and later on an ‘after’.


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

Oh look at him😍. Can’t wait for the after picture!

I feel your British weather damp dog pain…so far the only thing I’ve found that helps is potentially moving to the desert☀ I’ve tried long hair, short hair, even got her some dog trousers (don’t do it), waterproof suits (which turned out not to be waterproof) and fleece suits😭😭😭😭. Fleece suits probably are the most effective, but even they are not completely successful and also no good if it isn’t cold😤 plus they mat her up a bit😡

Probably the things I have found most effective are the chamois style towels which really absorb the water well! You kind of squeeze the water from the dog into the towel, wring out the towel and keep going until most of the water has wicked away. You’ll still end up with a damp dog but it won’t be a wet dog at least😘


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

GoWithTheFlo said:


> Oh look at him😍. Can’t wait for the after picture!
> 
> I feel your British weather damp dog pain…so far the only thing I’ve found that helps is potentially moving to the desert☀ I’ve tried long hair, short hair, even got her some dog trousers (don’t do it), waterproof suits (which turned out not to be waterproof) and fleece suits😭😭😭😭. Fleece suits probably are the most effective, but even they are not completely successful and also no good if it isn’t cold😤 plus they mat her up a bit😡
> 
> Probably the things I have found most effective are the chamois style towels which really absorb the water well! You kind of squeeze the water from the dog into the towel, wring out the towel and keep going until most of the water has wicked away. You’ll still end up with a damp dog but it won’t be a wet dog at least😘


Just back and this is who came home with me; Where’s Toffee gone?😳; Who stole my dog 🤣🤣


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

He looks great! Sometimes it’s not worth the work and pain it takes to get them that way, though. I wouldn’t want to keep up on the laundry, so many towels! 

We don’t have much rain, but we have snow all winter. It’s so dry here, even when Sundance walks in the snow, I don’t ever have to dry him off! He comes in, shakes himself a bit, and I usually put his water on the rug so he walks around on it for a second, the snow falls off, and he’s barely damp. I feel very lucky now. I grew up in a completely different climate, similar to yours, and I miss the gardens and greenery. Sundance is most snuggly when he’s damp, I think I’d feel conflicted about that if it was every day.

How old is he?


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Haha he’s a different color now! I love his coloring. Sundance seems to change color when he gets a haircut but not that dramatically!


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Haha he’s a different color now! I love his coloring. Sundance seems to change color when he gets a haircut but not that dramatically!


Hi, Toffee says Thank you 🥰 for all the compliments…he’s 7 months 2 weeks and very much a ‘teenager’. His Mum had an apricot coat, which must be where his now lighter coloured undercoat comes from. It contrasts with his dark tips ( mostly gone for now 😢).
We’ve had so much rain, even through the so called Summer months. Towels in the wash every other day. I don’t imagine the Autumn or Winter will be much better. Your right though, the greenery is lush and he adores running round on the grass and all the scents( especially if the rabbits have been out in the park at night 😂)


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

GoWithTheFlo said:


> Oh look at him😍. Can’t wait for the after picture!
> 
> I feel your British weather damp dog pain…so far the only thing I’ve found that helps is potentially moving to the desert☀ I’ve tried long hair, short hair, even got her some dog trousers (don’t do it), waterproof suits (which turned out not to be waterproof) and fleece suits😭😭😭😭. Fleece suits probably are the most effective, but even they are not completely successful and also no good if it isn’t cold😤 plus they mat her up a bit😡
> 
> Probably the things I have found most effective are the chamois style towels which really absorb the water well! You kind of squeeze the water from the dog into the towel, wring out the towel and keep going until most of the water has wicked away. You’ll still end up with a damp dog but it won’t be a wet dog at least😘


Love the idea of the chamois style towels, I‘ll have a search for those, towelling ones take forever to dry if they cant go out on the line 😏


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

He's so cute! Looks great in all the photos!


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

Jackie from Concrete WA said:


> He's so cute! Looks great in all the photos!


Hi Jackie, glad you like the photos. Willow is pretty as a picture, love her top knot and bow 🥰


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## LWalks (Feb 7, 2021)

Toffee170221 said:


> Just back and this is who came home with me; Where’s Toffee gone?😳; Who stole my dog 🤣🤣


He looks great!! His shorter cost is similar to my Charlie, who is gold sable and had very dark hair as a puppy!


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

LWalks said:


> He looks great!! His shorter cost is similar to my Charlie, who is gold sable and had very dark hair as a puppy!
> 
> View attachment 175786


Charlie and Toff really do have similar colouring 💕 and Toff was much darker as a tiny pup and he had a white streak on the top of his head ( now completely gone). Havanese amaze me with the variety of their coat colours and how they change with time 👌


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

Wow you can really see the Charlie and Toffee similarities! 

Completely agree with EvaE1izabeth, it’s a lot kinder to him than combing out lots of mats. Plus you can pop him in an Equafleece (or similar fleece suit) and it will keep him warm and dry🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳without having as much fur to mat up underneath😘


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

So, grooming is definitely much more pleasurable for us both with the shorter coat and we’re gradually working on the ‘leave my ears alone’. Yes, that is the ironing board he’s stood on ( set very low level but enough so my back can take it and he’s safe). In the photo what looks like a Cuban cigar 😂😂in his mouth, is actually the infamous bullystick 😳 ( awfully smelly but keeps the peace 👍😊) sending you all warm wishes on this wet, windy and sunny day 🌦


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

Ah Toffee looks fabulous😍. Great pic too with the bulky stick😁. Plus I much prefer your use for the ironing board than the traditional one👍🏻


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## Toffee170221 (Sep 10, 2021)

GoWithTheFlo said:


> Ah Toffee looks fabulous😍. Great pic too with the bulky stick😁. Plus I much prefer your use for the ironing board than the traditional one👍🏻


😉 My aim in life is to do as little ironing on it as possible. Much prefer it as a grooming table 😂


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

One of my projects at home during covid was our laundry room. I built cabinets that will eventually have doors (maybe, the cabinets were before the price of wood skyrocketed). I threw out our 17 year old ironing board before ordering a new one and then I was stressed out because the new one was going to take 12-15 weeks to arrive. It’s a perfect example of my isolation insanity because aside from sewing, I haven’t ironed in years, and even when I sew I use an ironing pad on a table. DH did irons shirts for work occasionally… but he’s working from home! I wonder how many things I’ll look back on and realize my logic went completely out the window. 

I wouldn’t have thought of using an ironing board for grooming but it’s really a smart way to take advantage of the adjustable height!


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## GoWithTheFlo (Oct 11, 2018)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> One of my projects at home during covid was our laundry room. I built cabinets that will eventually have doors (maybe, the cabinets were before the price of wood skyrocketed). I threw out our 17 year old ironing board before ordering a new one and then I was stressed out because the new one was going to take 12-15 weeks to arrive. It’s a perfect example of my isolation insanity because aside from sewing, I haven’t ironed in years, and even when I sew I use an ironing pad on a table. DH did irons shirts for work occasionally… but he’s working from home! I wonder how many things I’ll look back on and realize my logic went completely out the window.
> 
> I wouldn’t have thought of using an ironing board for grooming but it’s really a smart way to take advantage of the adjustable height!


EvaE1izabeth you crack me up😂 

Re your “isolation insanity“ we currently have a fuel shortage over here -which I suspect has been hyped/caused by the media as much as anything as everyone has gone mad and is panic buying petrol🤯🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄. So I have gone one step further and ordered myself a shiny new bicycle😁. Husband has been making various disparaging comments along the lines of, ”So will this be getting used as much as the scooter?” which is pretty much still in pristine condition in the shed after 5 years or so😳 In my defence I didn’t realise how bl👀dy fast they feel and have a new found respect for any 3 year old who whizzes past me on the pavement🛴🛴🛴🛴🛴😘


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I


GoWithTheFlo said:


> EvaE1izabeth you crack me up😂
> 
> Re your “isolation insanity“ we currently have a fuel shortage over here -which I suspect has been hyped/caused by the media as much as anything as everyone has gone mad and is panic buying petrol🤯🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄. So I have gone one step further and ordered myself a shiny new bicycle😁. Husband has been making various disparaging comments along the lines of, ”So will this be getting used as much as the scooter?” which is pretty much still in pristine condition in the shed after 5 years or so😳 In my defence I didn’t realise how bl👀dy fast they feel and have a new found respect for any 3 year old who whizzes past me on the pavement🛴🛴🛴🛴🛴😘


 have to agree with you… ehen my kids were scooter age and I tried theirs… they feel REALLY uncontrollable! LOL! (And considering how many knees I patched, they WEREN’T very controllable! LOL!)


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