Jack’s Walk


©voyager, all rights reserved

It’s shedding season and poor Jack is looking a bit shabby. His coat is covered in tufts and clumps of lightly coloured, curly hair that pokes out at odd angles. I try to brush him every day, but I simply can’t brush him long enough . To begin with, my arms gets sore. Sure, I’m out of shape, but Jack won’t stand still and the whole process feels a lot like trying to herd cats while wrestling with a bear.It’s lab-orious. The clumps mostly come out whole and as soon as they’re free of the dog they astonishingly explode in size like a magician’s flowers. The brush fills up after only one or two passes. While I stop to declog Jack decides to wander over there (look mommy it’s bird poop!) so I have to go get him and try to make a good pass while he’s turning in a circle trying to get behind me. Jack isn’t a timid dog, but he doesn’t like being the front guy. He prefers to be one or two paces behind me which isn’t exactly workable in this situation. And then we repeat. And repeat. And…

I did buy one of those Furminator type brushes which doesn’t clog up , but Jack didn’t like it at all and he writhed and he wriggled like a slippery eel until I finally gave up and went back to using a slicker. I figure it’s his body so he should have the choice. This won’t be over any time soon. My little hair machine of a boy has still got heaps and bunches of undercoat to shed, but it’s just one of the rites of spring, like rain and mud, and there’s nothing to be done about it except to accept it.

Comments

  1. Jazzlet says

    Neither of mine particularly like being brushed, but will put up with it for treats. But yes the way a small tuft on the dog becomes a hadful one off the dog is dark magic.

  2. says

    I love his expression!

    There is a tool I used to make for my dogs at shedding time. It’s a hair extractor (works on horses, too!) dang I won’t be at the shop until monday but I’ll whip one up and get it in the mail as soon as I can!

    My horse loved being hit with the hair extractor so much he’d wobble on his hooves and drool. It was hysterical. He’d also sometimes get a truly amazing hard-on so I guess that means he liked it.

  3. Ice Swimmer says

    Marcus’s hair extractor sounds almost too good to be true.

    My sympathies as well for both of you, Jack and voyager.

  4. voyager says

    Marcus,
    Thanks! A hair extractor sounds like a wonderful thing, especially for Jack, lol. Please take it easy on your bad foot, though.

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