Frugal Family

One of the perks of having a hypoallergenic puppy is no shedding. Because Kona doesn't shed, we are supposed to get her hair cut every couple of months. We used to be very vigilant about her haircuts because she will pull out chunks of hair that are matted. It was easy to be vigilant in North Carolina when her haircuts were only $30 - $40. Here in DC they are much more expensive, and we just can't rationalize spending $100+ to have it done.

So what is a frugal family to do? DIY dog grooming! Alson went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a $30 clipper set with a leftover wedding gift card. We set to work (2 hours of work to be exact) and the results were not too shabby!

We started in the (windowless) bathroom with the door closed, but the day we decided to cut her hair was also the date DC Tenant Law requires that heat be available. Thus, no air conditioning on an 80 degree day (Hellooo, global warming! Push the date into November!) required that we leave doors and windows open for optimal air circulation. Slowly Kona moved farther and farther from the bathroom...

Don't worry, we weren't hurting her!

I think she actually liked it!
Hair from the first go 'round (we had to go back a second time to get it the right length)

My turn to cut (now I am in the bathroom...haha). Sorry about Alson's photography skills!
All finished! (Poor quality cell phone pic...)


We still plan to get her professionally groomed every once in a while, just because they do things we can't; perhaps when we are back in NY for Thanksgiving or Christmas and then when we are in NC for my graduation in May. After that, I will have a real salary and we may be able to budget in DC grooming every once in a while. For now, the clippers work wonders!