Teddy loves his new hairdo. Or is it more me who’s pleased? Teddy has been sporting a shaggy coat all his life. But lately people have been saying how much Teddy has ‘filled out’, and how ‘solid’ he is. I think they are trying to kindly tell me that my dog is on the chunky side, but really, I know the truth: he’s just got big hair.
It was that, and the fact that the summer heat has arrived leaving Teddy hot and listless, which spurred me into action. Amy The Groomer visited today with her clippers, scissors and comb and spent over two hours brushing out, cutting back and thinning down Teddy’s thick double coat. It was Teddy’s first drastic ‘do. Originally I thought I’d have him hand-stripped. But as Teddy is not destined for the show-ring (those ears), and as hand-stripping is a labour of love that would require me to do some sort of technical work (carding?) between visits, I thought I’d ask Amy to address the matter with some clippers. I’ve seen evidence of her skills: she tends to Holly, our Hampstead hairdresser Gary Ingham‘s very dainty Mini Schnauzer. Preferring Teddy naturally shaggy (I’m still in awe of his coat – so many more than just fifty shades of grey), I asked her to keep him slightly long on the body but give him a bit more of a Mini Schnauzer-style, squared-off head. By the end of it, and having ploughed his way through many, many Lily’s Kitchen Little Liver Rewards, Teddy was tired but, I think, undeniably proud of his new chiseled jaw and fluffy, leggy stride.
