Friday, February 18, 2011

Taking pity on poor Roxy


Poor Roxy.

We love our farm pup beyond all belief, but if there is one aspect of her care we fail in, it is in the grooming department. You see, we prefer her hair to be quite long:

We love the shaggy, tough girl look:

You know, the kind needed for tending goats:

Keeping donkeys in line:

And protecting her farm girl during photographic assignments:

Roxy is a Cairn Terrier and Shih Tzu mix. She is blessed with the feisty Terrier disposition and intelligence and cursed with the silky, easily knotted and quickly tangled Shih Tzu hair. This time, we waited far too long to get her hair cut and, by the time I got her in to the groomers, her silky hair was matted and tangled tight in a number of places very close to her skin. Bad Mama!

I actually got a phone call from the groomer chastising me for the condition of her hair. (I was so embarrassed.) The end result was as close to a buzz-cut as this pup has ever seen. Poor lass. Not a good time to year to be sporting this look. Tell me this dog doesn't look cold to you:

Fortunately, I am very lucky to have blogger friends who look out for my pup.

I received the following comment from Denny at Fun in the Desert shortly after I posted that top pic of Roxy (post-shave) a few weeks ago:
"I have a little fleece dog jacket that's not being used these days (Buddy's gone to doggy heaven). I'd love to send it to Roxy! If you're interested, send me a note."

Of course, I responded right away. When Denny wrote back, she sent me a picture of her sweet pup and it's clear why she thought of Roxy. Buddy looked a great deal like Roxy.

Denny wrote in her email:
"Buddy weighed just a bit more than Roxy, but not by much. Just a pound or two, I think. The vest is fastened across the chest and under the tummy with Velcro. I just measured it. It's about 22" around the tummy. I'm happy to send the vest to you, if you want it. If it's too big somewhere, it's pretty easy to adjust parts of it with scissors and meager sewing skills. Buddy thought he was pretty hot stuff when he wore it. Got a bit of a prance in his old doggy step. I'd be honored if Roxy might wear it. "

Here's the photo Denny included of her sweet Buddy wearing his special fleece coat:

Roxy was very excited to get a package in the mail and couldn't wait to try on her new coat:

The funny thing was, she was instantly comfortable in it and went about doing her normal stuff:

without paying any attention to her beautiful, new turquoise attire:

Here's Roxy modeling her new coat outside:

It's a bit large around the waist so I'll have to pull out my "meager sewing skills" (seriously, they are meager!) and see if I can't pull it in a bit:

Thank you Denny and Buddy for helping me keep my farm pup warm!

30 comments:

  1. Poor Roxy, but in your defense it can be very easy in winter to let these things get away from you. I had been trying to work out what heritage combination Roxy had, I would never had guessed the Cairn part. It was lovely of Denny and Buddy to help keep the farm pup warm!
    LiBBiE in Oz

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  2. Cyberspace is just the greatest. Amazing that someone you only know (I'm assuming here) through your blog sends you such a wonderful gift for sweet Roxy. She seems to be strutting her stuff in her new coat just like the previous owner did. I'm sure she'll stay snuggly warm while her "hair" is growing back.

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  3. LOVE the white chicken picture!!
    You always have the most fun photos :-}}

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  4. Yay for Roxy! Yay for Denny!
    You can "meet" the nicest poeple in blogland.

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  5. That's very sweet. What a wonderful gift! Roxy looks like she's really enjoying her new jacket.

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  6. i'll cut my hair if i can get a snazzy coat out of it!!! roxy is even cuter all dressed up!

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  7. From Buddy to Roxy - now you are a fashion plate! How sweet!

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  8. Okay, first it made me a little p.o'd that you got chastised. A little gentle reminder when you picked her up would have been sufficient. enough of that....

    how completely sweet about the jacket. I know it means soooo much to Denny to have someone that needs her sweet pooch's jacket. And Roxy looks happy and warm in it!

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  9. How adorable!!!! Ande how SWEET of her to share something that belonged to her beloved baby with Roxy! Aww, I love it.

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  10. Wow, that is incredibly nice of Denny! :D Roxy and Buddy do look alike, and both look so adorable in the vest.

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  11. My mom has a farm Shih Tzu. This time of year she is a sight to see, but it's still too cold to get her trimmed. When they do the groomer has to cut her so short the other dogs don't even recognize her when she comes home. lol

    Roxy looks like she loves her new coat. Maybe I should get out my own meager sewing skills and make a coat for my Mom's dog.

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  12. How very sweet that Denny was able to share loving memories and a warm, turquoise jacket with you and your farm pup! I bet seeing the pictures of Roxie wearing it bring smile's to Denny's face and heart.

    Wear it in Good Health, Roxy!

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  13. Roxy look s great, that color suits her. Isn't it amazing the number of kind people out there? Who would have imagined anyone sending you a coat for her.

    Pete and Reggie might even get jealous.

    Here I am btw...
    http://operationhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/07/parading-around.html

    and here....
    http://operationhomestead.blogspot.com/2010/03/proud-owner-of-nigerian-goat.html

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  14. What a sweet story to start the day with! I love your little Roxy...Try not to feel too badly about her coat. My Gipetto(soon to turn 18 years young) is part maltese, part poodle, and no matter how much i brush him, his poodle fur mats under his armpits(do dogs have "armpits"? Well, you know what i mean) and in the places he absolutely hates to get brushed! So off to the groomer he goes and Chiloe(my long time most excellent groomer) shaves him down like a sheep!!! After that he always needs a sweater or coat for a little while to acclimate to the cool temps, but his hair grows back good as new! Roxy looks lovely in turquoise! Have a great weekend!

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  15. Roxy certainly looks precious and warm in her Buddy coat. Blessed to be a blessing is how lovely people pay it forward. The Olde Bagg, with tears in my olde eyes.

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  16. Maybe you can use the sticky back Velcro strips instead of sewing? Johnson's No Tangle spray-spray that on the mats etc about once a week and brush through the tangles/mats. That works for our hairy dogs.

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  17. Such a nice gift of a wonderful warm coat. It's great that Roxy is so comfortable in it.

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  18. So adorable in her new coat!

    We've had several long-haired dogs that have sported the shorn look a time or two. We now have a terrier with easy short hair...but boy can she grow out her claws! If it's not one thing it's another!

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  19. You should see our Samson's rear end. I have been grooming him, but he doesn't like me to do that part. Oh, the guilt. I've read about this guilt on many blogs, so you're not alone. And now she's done and ready for spring. And she looks adorable in that coat. What a nice gift.

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  20. Roxy looks quite stylish sporting her new farm-girl attire. This way the goats, donkeys, and the rest of the critters will know who's in charge! :)
    Have a great rest of the weekend.
    Staci

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  21. What an honor for Roxy to wear the coat of a little doggie who is now in doggie heaven. Although my sewing skills are not exactly my biggest talent, I believe I can help to make the little coat fit better. But perhaps you have already done that?
    To me Roxy looks beautiful in anything she does or doesn't wear. Her eyelashes, for example, are gorgeous!

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  22. Aw. Who knew that turquoise was Roxie's color? She's such a pretty little girl. The hair will grow back - and in the meantime she gets to sport such a stylish coat.

    It's amazing how much Buddy and Roxie resemble! Denny is incredibly sweet to think of you and send you such a lovely gift.

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  23. Sweet post Danni! Blogging. What a blast. The good people ya meet :)

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  24. Very Cute! Ya know Danni many people in the past have told me not to talk Shih Tzu! Have no idea what they mean tho!

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  25. This is so funny. Thanks so much for a good laugh! Of course she loves it. Now she doesn't have to be so embarrased (or cold).

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  26. I've recently discovered your blog and I'm enjoying living vicariously through you. I gave you a blog award. Come check it out!
    http://piecesofmolly.blogspot.com/2011/02/thank-you-and-some-faves.html

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  27. Roxy is beautiful long or short Danni! We love her new coat but Daisy Lu won't put up with one. If I put one on her she makes a dash for the wilds and comes home without it! Naughty naughty Jack/Shiht. Don't feel bad Danni, you should see poor Daisy...hopefully she'll get her spring cut tomorrow!

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  28. I love the photo where Roxy has her head turned sideways it is so cute! And yes, tough girl! Very Scary! Like our airedale. Very threatening in that cute lick your face terrier way.

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  29. Roxy & Buddy could be twins. I think Roxy looks adorable with her long tresses. Poor girl. She looks quite forlorn in the
    "cold cutie" photograph. That is one very stylin' coat. What a beautiful gift.

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  30. I'm so glad that Roxy likes her coat.
    The nice comments here warm my heart.
    All I knew was that I had this coat in my dresser drawer that might keep Miss Roxy nice and warm. Buddy liked it and maybe Roxy would.
    I'm so glad that she looks so runway (well, maybe farm yard) ready in it.
    Lots of warm thoughts headin' your way.
    Thank you so much for sharing your critter lifestyle.

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