I've gotten a lot of questions about Chardonnay's well-being since they heard about her surgery last month (see the post on May 10). She is doing great, her tumor was benign, and she's back to cat-snuggling and greeting people with Golden enthusiasm.
Chardonnay and Daisy hang together before the haircut
Even though I can't say we're consistently into the summer weather here in Connecticut (it's been raining so much, the mosquitos are laying eggs in the air), Chardonnay had an appointment with Grimm's Furry Tai
ls down the road in Ledyard for her now annual Labrador Retriever Transformation. We did it for the first time last year and we all loved it! Not only does Chardonnay enjoy the coolness (she was bred for cold climates), we like the idea of feeling like we have a different dog for a few months. This year, we went for the "lion tail" look to blend in with her previous surgery shave. She looks so much younger after her haircut that last year I sent a picture of our "new puppy" to my family and my dad actually believed I'd gotten a new dog to keep Chardonnay company. Personnally, I thought the gray muzzle gave her away, but Dad isn't that up on dogs.
When you see a Golden Retriever with its fur shaved, it reinforces the history of the breed coming from the Labrador Retriever. In the 1800's, the breed's creator, Sir Dudley Majoribanks of Scotland, bred a Lab with the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel to give it the long wavy coat. The goal was to get a superior hunting dog for retrieving water fowl. Now, of course, we know the Golden to be a great family dog and well-suited for life as Service Dogs too. See Golden Retriever Logan's blog on life as a Service Dog.
ls down the road in Ledyard for her now annual Labrador Retriever Transformation. We did it for the first time last year and we all loved it! Not only does Chardonnay enjoy the coolness (she was bred for cold climates), we like the idea of feeling like we have a different dog for a few months. This year, we went for the "lion tail" look to blend in with her previous surgery shave. She looks so much younger after her haircut that last year I sent a picture of our "new puppy" to my family and my dad actually believed I'd gotten a new dog to keep Chardonnay company. Personnally, I thought the gray muzzle gave her away, but Dad isn't that up on dogs.When you see a Golden Retriever with its fur shaved, it reinforces the history of the breed coming from the Labrador Retriever. In the 1800's, the breed's creator, Sir Dudley Majoribanks of Scotland, bred a Lab with the now extinct Tweed Water Spaniel to give it the long wavy coat. The goal was to get a superior hunting dog for retrieving water fowl. Now, of course, we know the Golden to be a great family dog and well-suited for life as Service Dogs too. See Golden Retriever Logan's blog on life as a Service Dog.
Chardonnay enjoys a roll with her new short doo
Surprisingly, I found out that cats do not always identify other animals the way we would think. When Chardonnay bound into the house after visiting the groomer, some of the cats freaked; 
hissing, Halloween cat, the whole "who is this strange dog in our house?" routine. Now granted, Chardonnay did have a much-needed bath and smelled of coconut, but I was amazed at the cats' reactions. Not all were defensive though, Ray apparently missed Chardonnay and loved her new look and perfume. Yes, this is an 18-pound Maine Coon neuter with an 83-pound dog. Their colors match nicely, don't you think?
hissing, Halloween cat, the whole "who is this strange dog in our house?" routine. Now granted, Chardonnay did have a much-needed bath and smelled of coconut, but I was amazed at the cats' reactions. Not all were defensive though, Ray apparently missed Chardonnay and loved her new look and perfume. Yes, this is an 18-pound Maine Coon neuter with an 83-pound dog. Their colors match nicely, don't you think?
Chardonnay and Ray
Chardonnay, I love your lion doo! Mom once dressed me as a lion and I won a costume contest. But she had to wrap an ace bandage (loosely) around 3/4 of my tail to get the same effect that you have now! I'll send your mom a photo so you can compare. And thanks for the shoutout and link to my blog. I need to go update it, blogs are hard work!
ReplyDeleteWags,
Logan