The Welsh Spring Spaniel's self-cleaning coat

It's true.  It says so on the Internet.

"Welshies are blessed with a relatively short self-cleaning coat that is always an exuberant red and white."

Central States Welsh Springer Spaniel Club

Betsy C's Sarah shows her exuberance after digging to China.

Nosing out trouble

On occasion, you'll hear or read the question "how often do I clean a modern shotgun?"  While the technical answer is "not as often as you'd think," the answer should be "Why not after you use it?"  Put that gun away clean & oiled, waxed, and smelling good, and ready to go next time.

The same goes for the mutt.  Giving your dog a bath is an inconvenience of sorts, but it is really a nice way to unwind from a long weekend of hiking through muddy fields; humping up and down hills; pulling sticks, dummies, and maybe a bird from the lake; and just getting into and out of trouble.

Done right, both of you can relax after dinner, fat, happy, tired, and smelling good after the day's escapades.

But what if some doggy-like odor remains?  Don't ignore it.  A funny smell can indicate something that needs some attention - - maybe some oral hygiene or even a staph infection.

Here's a short and interesting article on checking your little dog out from stem to stern.

You gave him the his first going over after the day's activities with the tailgate check.  You checked his ears, paws, mouth, and up and down the line for burrs, ticks, and seeds.  Now that he's cleaned up, use your nose as well as your eyes and fingers to check him for the little infections that can cause trouble down the line.

This is what a happy puppy looks like

Larsen collapses in a heap Sunday afternoon after a run and a bath.




Everyone got up at the crack of dawn, piled into the car, along with MaryAnne and Chance, and headed to the lake.  Larsen and Chance chased every critter on wing and foot, swam in circles, and found the bottom of a mud hole.  We saw (possibly) a fox or coyote den dug into the mud side of one of the steep grades around the Allatoona lake, and saw the scraggly creatures slinking from hole to hole.  We were too far away to see exactly what they were, but the animals seemed somewhat catlike and sinister, which strikes me as being fox or coyote.  They were not possum or raccoons.

We continued on our way and met up with a tour-bus full of people observing the Civil War battleground and eyeing our filthy dogs.  We found our way home, scrubbed Larsen, dried him, and brushed his coat as though he were going into the ring.  He smells great, and he is a tired, happy dog.

A nice Sunday morning run.

A return to civilization

Aki takes an initial whack, to Larsen's consternation.

After four months as a kennel dog, Larsen looked more like a small bear than a spaniel.  Aki took an initial hack at his coat, and then, graciously, Penny W. offered to come help.

More gadgets

The bypass pruners have proven to be handy. The kit folds up upon itself and slips into a velcro case. The pruners are useful to hack through the thorny brush that tangles itself in Larsen's feathering when we are out for a serious run. The blunt-nosed medical scissors serve somewhat the same purpose. You can poke and prod into the tangles and mats without doing any damage to the mutt.

Animal Kingdom

Larsen is now a card-carrying member of the animal kingdom. He looks like he has been out in the north woods for a year. It's going to take some serious furminating and clipping to get him cleaned up.