# I caved...



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

And took Kodi to a professional this time. Since he's doing the water treadmill for his shoulder, having his hair a little shorter is really helpful, and I really hacked him the last time I did him. so I figured that since I'm saving a TON of money with no classes or lessons right now, I might as well spend a bit on a nice hair cut for him, right?

I think he looks absolutely ADORABLE!!! The first photo is his beautiful professional cut today (the same gal who grooms Pixel) and the second is my last "Mommy Cuts" attempt, which took me about 6 hours. LOL!


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Awwww &#55358;&#56688; he’s adorable!


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

You mentioned the Belton before, but wow, the difference in color is what stands out to me!

You did a great job, but I’m sure it’s a nice, relaxing sort of Treat Yourself to have him all cleaned up. 

Funny, mine has his long awaited grooming appointment today!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> You mentioned the Belton before, but wow, the difference in color is what stands out to me!
> 
> You did a great job, but I'm sure it's a nice, relaxing sort of Treat Yourself to have him all cleaned up.
> 
> Funny, mine has his long awaited grooming appointment today!


Yes, and he really doesn't have a lot, as Beltons go. I'll see later if I can find some photos of a friend's Belton, who was really black and charcoal once she was cut down!

And yes, it was a REAL treat to have it take so much less time AND look so much better!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Kodi looks super handsome! I have been trying to keep Mia in a longer puppy cut but this is challenging in our super damp humid summer! The belly and legs get sopping wet just from morning dew. I try to dry her when she comes in but the more fur, the harder it is to dry her. The past year has been the wettest in history here. I may take her down a bit so she hopefully dries out faster.


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

He looks handsome as ever!


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

He’s so handsome! I thought you groomed your dogs yourself, keeping them in their long coats. You’re haircut looks great too though, nice work!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

JaJa said:


> He's so handsome! I thought you groomed your dogs yourself, keeping them in their long coats. You're haircut looks great too though, nice work!


Panda is in long coat because she was still showing when Covid hit, and the plan is for her to show again... and her coat is very easy. There is no reason not to keep her in full coat.

Kodi was in full coat until he was 10. During that year, I was very ill, and just couldn't keep up with his profuse coat, so I ended up cutting him down. I have trimmed him myself, and ALWAYS cared for his long coat myself until then. I'm better now, but he is older, and in the spring, he injured his shoulder. He now has underwater treadmill therapy for his shoulder, and being wet all the time with a full coat would be miserable. So with one thing and another, his coat is staying short. I decided to have Pixel's groomer do him this time as a "treat" to myself.  I HOPE his shoukder recovers to the point that he can compete again, but in obedience, he can compete in a short coat too. I would have loved him to finish his career in full coat, but right now, I'd be thrilled if he can complete his UD at all! We'll have to see. Shoulder injuries can take a long time to heal.

Pixel has been in a puppy cut since she was about a year old. She is a teeny, fine boned thing, and also has a very profuse, very fine coat. When she was in full coat she kind of looked like a little kid wearing her grandmother's old bearskin coat. She was matting a lot during blowing coat, and I first planned to cuther down just once, and then let her grow out again. But she looked SO cute in her short cut that she has stayed short ever since.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

That’s helpful info, thank you! I was also very ill, in 2015, and the guys have been in puppy cuts since. Jodie is 13 pounds but the past couple months I’ve been thinking that with so many layers that are very thick (profuse) she’s getting a little lost in there. A kid in her grandmother’s bearskin coat is a great description. After missing one day of grooming while attending to Cotton and JoJo, I realized how much time I was spending just on Jodie every day to keep the mats away. I think it’s time to grit my teeth and at least start trimming an inch or two at a time and see how that goes. 
JoJo is only 9 pounds so he has always looked like an actual puppy with shorter hair too. Cotton does not like being groomed (Jodie sleeps) so a puppy cut is fine with him. I may be back in the near future begging for tips😋


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Kodi, you look like a million bucks! How did you like being so pampered?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ShamaMama said:


> Kodi, you look like a million bucks! How did you like being so pampered?


He complained! LOL! I was waiting in my car (Covid) and I could hear him moaning and carrying on inside while she was drying him. LOL! If I didn't KNOW him, (and her) I might have been worried. But that's Kodi! LOL!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

krandall said:


> And took Kodi to a professional this time. Since he's doing the water treadmill for his shoulder, having his hair a little shorter is really helpful, and I really hacked him the last time I did him. so I figured that since I'm saving a TON of money with no classes or lessons right now, I might as well spend a bit on a nice hair cut for him, right?
> 
> I think he looks absolutely ADORABLE!!! The first photo is his beautiful professional cut today (the same gal who grooms Pixel) and the second is my last "Mommy Cuts" attempt, which took me about 6 hours. LOL!


I love his cute hair cut. I'm going to copy the photo and show it to my groomer.

I had Patti trimmed two days ago and the cut is too short but I can't get back in until Oct 13th and it will grow. A very short trim works better for walking trails in the mountains because of all the small brush that gets into the hair. We might go to the mountains in a few weeks .... And we Might Not.

Kodi's haircut is too long for walking in the mountain trails but it's the Perfect Beauty Cut.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Kodi looks so cute! I think your haircut looks great too! When Scout's coat was long I spent so much time daily trying to comb the mats out. I ever thought of a puppy cut until his ACL surgery. It sure helped after my wrist surgery!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> I love his cute hair cut. I'm going to copy the photo and show it to my groomer.
> 
> I had Patti trimmed two days ago and the cut is too short but I can't get back in until Oct 13th and it will grow. A very short trim works better for walking trails in the mountains because of all the small brush that gets into the hair. We might go to the mountains in a few weeks .... And we Might Not.
> 
> Kodi's haircut is too long for walking in the mountain trails but it's the Perfect Beauty Cut.


Actually, at this length, nothing gets caught in his hair at all. But then Kodi hiked in the mountains regularly in full coat too!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*short cut*



krandall said:


> Panda is in long coat because she was still showing when Covid hit, and the plan is for her to show again... and her coat is very easy. There is no reason not to keep her in full coat.
> 
> Kodi was in full coat until he was 10. During that year, I was very ill, and just couldn't keep up with his profuse coat, so I ended up cutting him down. I have trimmed him myself, and ALWAYS cared for his long coat myself until then. I'm better now, but he is older, and in the spring, he injured his shoulder. He now has underwater treadmill therapy for his shoulder, and being wet all the time with a full coat would be miserable. So with one thing and another, his coat is staying short. I decided to have Pixel's groomer do him this time as a "treat" to myself.  I HOPE his shoukder recovers to the point that he can compete again, but in obedience, he can compete in a short coat too. I would have loved him to finish his career in full coat, but right now, I'd be thrilled if he can complete his UD at all! We'll have to see. Shoulder injuries can take a long time to heal.
> 
> Pixel has been in a puppy cut since she was about a year old. She is a teeny, fine boned thing, and also has a very profuse, very fine coat. When she was in full coat she kind of looked like a little kid wearing her grandmother's old bearskin coat. She was matting a lot during blowing coat, and I first planned to cuther down just once, and then let her grow out again. But she looked SO cute in her short cut that she has stayed short ever since.


It would be interesting for Perry and Pixel to meet - I'm thinking they might be a similar type (I can't decide if his hair is fine, but it definitely looks like kid wearing a bearskin coat at times - I actually decide sometimes that it's time to trim him when I start to wonder if he's put on weight - because his hair just makes him bulky). I love keeping him in a really short (shortest guide I have) cut - I keep his ears a bit longer and rarely trim his tail and I do keep his legs a bit longer than the body, but the body being so short is great for us.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

Love the pics Krandall❣


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## cinquecento (Apr 23, 2020)

What a handsome little guy!


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

Late in catching this post. I didn't know Kodi has the belton gene. It really shows with the shorter coat. He's so handsome!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*caught in the hair*



krandall said:


> Actually, at this length, nothing gets caught in his hair at all. But then Kodi hiked in the mountains regularly in full coat too!


I should take a picture of the number of things that gets caught in Perry's beard just from the leaves on our patio  Nothing really gets caught on his legs/ body when we're outside, but his tail and face are fair game for the leaves and twigs


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

krandall said:


> Actually, at this length, nothing gets caught in his hair at all. But then Kodi hiked in the mountains regularly in full coat too!


Love the hiking pics. Although there are some car paths to walk, most of the trails we hike/walk are one foot path trails with tall brush on both sides. In the fall, little sticker kinds of things develop and stick to pant legs. Ugh!! We hike with friends and I'd love to take Patti. Her hair is more mature now, not as fine, doesn't mat as easily and is short. Might have to carry her through some of the areas.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> Love the hiking pics. Although there are some car paths to walk, most of the trails we hike/walk are one foot path trails with tall brush on both sides. In the fall, little sticker kinds of things develop and stick to pant legs. Ugh!! We hike with friends and I'd love to take Patti. Her hair is more mature now, not as fine, doesn't mat as easily and is short. Might have to carry her through some of the areas.


We do hike on lots of narrow paths too, but it's harder to take nice photos of short dogs in those places! LOL! I DO avoid "stickery" places... we DO have them, but rarely in the woods, which are our prefered hiking spots. Those are mostly on the edges of overgrown meadows and the like, mostly in early fall. So we tend to avoid those places at that time of year. The one time I DIDN'T was a REAL disaster. We had been down near a lake and Kodi and a friend had been fetching sticks in a very muddy area. He was CAKED with mud, then we had to hike back to the car through just such a stickery field and drive home... by which time, the whole mess had dried to concrete in his coat. I had to soak him in the sink in warm water FILLED with conditioner to slowly soften up the caked-on mess and carefully coax all that plant material out with a comb. THEN I had to give him a bath to get the residue out!


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

krandall said:


> We do hike on lots of narrow paths too, but it's harder to take nice photos of short dogs in those places! LOL! I DO avoid "stickery" places... we DO have them, but rarely in the woods, which are our prefered hiking spots. Those are mostly on the edges of overgrown meadows and the like, mostly in early fall. So we tend to avoid those places at that time of year. The one time I DIDN'T was a REAL disaster. We had been down near a lake and Kodi and a friend had been fetching sticks in a very muddy area. *He was CAKED with mud, then we had to hike back to the car through just such a stickery field and drive home... by which time, the whole mess had dried to concrete in his coat. I had to soak him in the sink in warm water FILLED with conditioner to slowly soften up the caked-on mess and carefully coax all that plant material out with a comb. THEN I had to give him a bath to get the residue out!*


:crying:Exactly...MY FEAR:surprise:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> :crying:Exactly...MY FEAR:surprise:


LOL! You learn which exact routes NOT to take more than once! ound:


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

We do not hike woods here unless it is in the middle of winter because I do not like ticks. They are out year round but fewer in winter.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> We do not hike woods here unless it is in the middle of winter because I do not like ticks. They are out year round but fewer in winter.


I don't do it at the very bad tick times, but I refuse to become a recluse because of ticks. We just do thought tick checks, of humans and beasts, when we come back.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> I don't do it at the very bad tick times, but I refuse to become a recluse because of ticks. We just do thought tick checks, of humans and beasts, when we come back.


Agreed. Not good to be a recluse. We avoid the peak seasons mainly, but winters here are mild and we and the dogs prefer hiking then when humidity is not 99 percent! One time when getting back from a woods walk my yorkie had at least 300 seed ticks on him. Yikes...that sort of burned me on non winter walks here.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Agreed. Not good to be a recluse. We avoid the peak seasons mainly, but winters here are mild and we and the dogs prefer hiking then when humidity is not 99 percent! One time when getting back from a woods walk my yorkie had at least 300 seed ticks on him. Yikes...that sort of burned me on non winter walks here.


We came back from a trail ride on the horses once and pulled over 600 seed ticks off their legs and tails. It was HORRIFYING!!!

It's a LOT colder here in the winter, and not ALWAYS hiking weather! We do SOMETIMES, other times... it's just ridiculous!!!


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

Love Kodi in the snow picture. All I can see is a black head sticking out!

By the way, I've never heard of a seed tick. I thought a tick was just a tick.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Love Kodi in the snow picture. All I can see is a black head sticking out!
> 
> By the way, I've never heard of a seed tick. I thought a tick was just a tick.


"Seed tick" is just a description of nymphal (baby) ticks, when they are particularly tiny, hard to see, but JUST as capable of biting, sucking blood and otherwise causing mayhem!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> "Seed tick" is just a description of nymphal (baby) ticks, when they are particularly tiny, hard to see, but JUST as capable of biting, sucking blood and otherwise causing mayhem!


I much prefer the larger ones...so much easier to see. Nothing like finding a tick on a black dog too...


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## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Ugh.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> I much prefer the larger ones...so much easier to see. Nothing like finding a tick on a black dog too...


Not sure I "prefer" ANY ticks... but I agree... the teeny ones are even harder to find and remove!!!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> Not sure I "prefer" ANY ticks... but I agree... the teeny ones are even harder to find and remove!!!


Ha...yes "prefer" and tick do not belong in the same sentence together!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Ha...yes "prefer" and tick do not belong in the same sentence together!


That was my thought! ound:


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

Like everything, the decision is up to the individual. I didn't give my other dogs Heartgard and never had one diagnosed with heartworms. Was I lucky? Maybe they didn't need it. It's like most things. If you don't give your dog Heartgard and they get heartworms, you'll wish you had. If you don't get vaccinated and come down with something preventable you wished you had. If you never get it, then that was the right decision. I didn't use to worry about a lot of things, that I now think about more. 

Location. Location. Do you have ticks in the area? That's the major question.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Mikki said:


> Like everything, the decision is up to the individual. I didn't give my other dogs Heartgard and never had one diagnosed with heartworms. Was I lucky? Maybe they didn't need it. It's like most things. If you don't give your dog Heartgard and they get heartworms, you'll wish you had. If you don't get vaccinated and come down with something preventable you wished you had. If you never get it, then that was the right decision. I didn't use to worry about a lot of things, that I now think about more.
> 
> Location. Location. Do you have ticks in the area? That's the major question.


Good point Mikki. We have ticks here but I have not used flea tick preventatives for 10 years. Do my dogs get ticks? Yes. Have they ever gotten sick from one? No. They are 12 and almost 12. Both are healthy. I do daily tick checks and use non toxic topicals. They still get an occasional puffed up tick but I do not lose sleep over it. A healthy dog can tolerate a few parasites. To me a big part of building up the immune system so the dog can tolerate a few parasites is minimizing the use of drugs and vaccines. IMO, a healthy dog can rid itself of parasites, including heartworms. Although heartworm is risky so the preventatives make some sense vs. flea tick meds.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Mikki said:


> Like everything, the decision is up to the individual. I didn't give my other dogs Heartgard and never had one diagnosed with heartworms. Was I lucky? Maybe they didn't need it. It's like most things. If you don't give your dog Heartgard and they get heartworms, you'll wish you had. If you don't get vaccinated and come down with something preventable you wished you had. If you never get it, then that was the right decision. I didn't use to worry about a lot of things, that I now think about more.
> 
> Location. Location. Do you have ticks in the area? That's the major question.


I think it's stupid to rely on luck. (not saying you did, but I think many people do) I think it's also stupid for people to rely on anecdotal stories of a few people on a forum. I think it is smart to rely on a well-informed decision-making process based on scientific data. It's out there. Anyone can find it. Listen to your vet of course and use that as one data point, especially since they do know your geographical area and what is going on locally. But they ALSO have their own personal biases. So do your OWN research too, and make an INFORMED decision for your own animals that you feel comfortable with.

Yes, things can ALWAYS go wrong. I am a FIRM believer that dogs should be fully protected from Rabies. It is a deadly disease, and deadly to humans should an infected dog bite a human, or even LICK a human who has a wound on their hand. It's not something to play with. I also think that Rabies vaccines are GENERALLY safe, though I pray for the day that the government wises up and goes to either titers or AT LEAST a longer period between boosters. But with all that, I have one dog that had a severe, life-threatening reaction to a Rabies vaccine, and is now (legally, in my state) on titers for the rest of his life. That has NOT changed my position on Rabies vaccine for most dogs, and both my girls have been and will continue to be vaccinated for Rabies as required by law in my state.


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

krandall said:


> I think it's stupid to rely on luck. (not saying you did, but I think many people do) I think it's also stupid for people to rely on anecdotal stories of a few people on a forum. I think it is smart to rely on a well-informed decision-making process based on scientific data. It's out there. Anyone can find it. Listen to your vet of course and use that as one data point, especially since they do know your geographical area and what is going on locally. But they ALSO have their own personal biases. So do your OWN research too, and make an INFORMED decision for your own animals that you feel comfortable with.
> 
> Yes, things can ALWAYS go wrong. I am a FIRM believer that dogs should be fully protected from Rabies. It is a deadly disease, and deadly to humans should an infected dog bite a human, or even LICK a human who has a wound on their hand. It's not something to play with. I also think that Rabies vaccines are GENERALLY safe, though I pray for the day that the government wises up and goes to either titers or AT LEAST a longer period between boosters. But with all that, I have one dog that had a severe, life-threatening reaction to a Rabies vaccine, and is now (legally, in my state) on titers for the rest of his life. That has NOT changed my position on Rabies vaccine for most dogs, and both my girls have been and will continue to be vaccinated for Rabies as required by law in my state.


I agree with this. And the thing about vaccines, ESPECIALLY rabies is that this goes beyond personal choice. This affects other people's pets and humans, if enough people choose not to do it. Parvo vax isn't required by law per se but it can live in soil for YEARS. And affect little puppies not old enough to have the full series. Titers are wise, but from what we know about immune response in humans, the core puppy shots need to be at specific intervals and at the one yr mark for optimal protection. Very glad titers are showing that the immunity lasts MUCH longer than previously thought because over vaccination is a risk too. And this actually makes logical sense because I am not getting boosters yearly for every childhood vaccine, though some vaccines are longer lasting than others. We want to follow evidence, and vets are the first point, as Karen is saying, because they've studied veterinary medicine. As for bias, a vet that's seen death from lepto is way more likely to push that shot. Mine doesn't push it, though we have it in our area. BUT it's important not to downplay the diseases we don't protect against. he's not really AS concerned with heartworm for indoor dogs because of our area. So that's tough because he's kinda like, up to you. But if you are in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, the evidence is solid for preventatives. At least dogs can ONLY get heartworm from mosquitoes and NOT other dogs. So if you decide to hope for the best and your dog gets it, it's very expensive to treat and sometimes fatal. But at least it's not creating a public health crisis.


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## Mikki (May 6, 2018)

:tea: Great! idea not to rely on luck. That's why I give Patti Heartgard and Nexgard and have her vaccinated. I believe in science and Vaccines and think it's a really good idea to listen to your Vet or your doctor for that matter. :nerd:


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## Melissa Woods (Feb 21, 2019)

Mikki said:


> Great! idea not to rely on luck. That's why I give Patti Heartgard and Nexgard and have her vaccinated. I believe in science and Vaccines and think it's a really good idea to listen to your Vet or your doctor for that matter.


Haha I am such a science nerd too!!!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I don’t believe in relying on luck either. However, I do not like becoming overly “trusting” of drugs and getting a false sense of security. That is why we do tick checks several times per day vs. waiting for drugs to kill them. Erhlichia is transmitted in as little as four hours. No drug will kill ticks that fast. It is also why my dogs are always out on leash closely supervised to avoid contact with wild animals. And this is why we avoid places where ticks and mosquitoes are and do not go out at dawn or dusk. It is good to use plain old common sense too. The same with the lepto vaccine...avoid standing water and do not get a false sense of security if your dog is vaccinated for lepto.


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