I have a Briard and they are a lovely, if busy dog. They also have this wonderful long fur and I have a thing for big fuzzy animals. Unfortunately, it is possibly the all time worse choice for where I live. Her fur is a velcro mat for every foxtail, cockaburr, corkscrew or miner's lice burr the grasses around here can produce. Since she and I spend a great deal of time outside this is a problem. One morning at the ranch equals 45 minutes of going through her feet and legs on top of the usual grooming requirements. In addition, she really isn't a hot weather dog. Consequently I took the desperate, radical step and had her sheared.
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Before shearing
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If you look closely you can see how she also collects twigs that have to be untangled from her furry feet.
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After Shearing
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She looks ridiculous - but she doesn't pant as much and after a morning at the barn she only required a quick foot check for foxtails and we both breathed easier. One of the side benefits of this shearing was a large zip lock bag of Nana hair and a book lent to me by the groomer.
The guild heads to the 3rd annual Spindle Camp this June and I think it will be a perfect time to try spinning dog hair. I wonder if I can get a nice scarf out of this and it is definitely time to get a pair of hand carders.
As much as I love my furry dog and think she looks dumb naked, shearing may become an annual event unless I move to a much more friendly Briard environment.
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