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Thursday, October 23, 2008

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!

7 comments:

  1. What a cute little pup. I'm missing my beagle/lab mix (Peepers!) back home. I wish I could bring the hefty thing back with me after the holidays, but she's 7 now and my parents are semi-attached to her, and I live in an apartment building. She sheds like SUPER crazy. It's stinks too. What kind of dog is yours? I dn't think I read, apologies if I skipped over that part.

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  2. i remember the first/last time i groomed my poor lil' lhasa... you know when they shave cats but leave afros on their head, tails, & legs? yah, that's what happened. not on purpose. poor thing was actually embarassed, he didn't even want to go outside until it all started growing back.

    at least your DIY grooming was more successful

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  3. Awww, I love the picture where it looks like she's smiling!! How precious :)

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  4. Wait what kind of dog is kona? I think my friends have the same kind, and they cut her hair all the time. I'll see if they have any tips :) Way to be frugal. Ha.

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  5. Great job on the grooming! I also trim my Border Collie's fur every once in awhile, otherwise she gets Dr. Seuss style feet.

    What kind of a dog is Kona? She looks so sweet and lovey. Plus, no shedding? Major bonus, there.

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  6. Wow! What a huge difference in price for a doggie haircut. Crazy-expensive DC!! I'd say you guys did a great job, though, even though it took a bit longer. :)

    http://zandria.us

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