Rose scented poodle

Brie was due for a trim, so she had a wash and little trim here and there, so she is now a rose scented poodle. The conditioner we use has a rose scent so on post-wash days she smells really nice. And also I find that regular trimming gets rid of damaged ends which reduces hair tangling and makes it a lot easier for us to brush her. But Brie doesn't care about any of that, she is just happy that she gets her post-grooming treats.

Oh what's that smell!!

This morning while I was enjoying a nice hot cup of tea Brie curled up on my lap. And to my horror this awful smell lingered around Brie. She was a grass covered, icky stained and very smelly poodle. She must have rubbed something smelly on her back. Since I couldn't wash her right there and then, I put a jumper on her to contain the smell (which worked a little) and so that she couldn't spread that awful smell around the house.

Anyway, by the afternoon I finally had time to wash her, and give her an over due trim. She has more volume on her ears then ever, and the best part is that she is smelling nice and rosy.

Grassy poodle

The day after the mowing gets done is Brie's favourite. She investigates every inch of her lawn, and this is a huge task for a little poodle, so she gets really into it. She loves digging up new scents, and then rolling around in them. For us this means more bits of grass left around the house than usual, and naturally Brie just gets grassy. So I guess someone has to wash Brie, I hope the post-it will help.

Poffy ears!

Brie's fur is lot denser then when she first came to our house. So when I give her a trim we can do a lot more to it. I like giving Brie poffy ears, placed higher then her actual ear position with a lot more volume, kind of like a koala outline. But some people have said that she looks more like Micky mouse. Never the less, they are both cute anyway so I'm not complaining.

Little trimming

Brie was starting to get a bit difficult to brush so I gave her a wash and trim. When she gets dried with the hair dryer she gets a bit sleepy and she starts to sway from side to side. Today's cut was much like the last one with high and puffy ears and a teddy bear like muzzle, with rounded paws. Oh, and a slight waist to make her less like a log and more like a smart poodle. She's smelling flowery and less like the lawn now.

Wash day

Well usually Brie is the sniffer and my husband is the sniffee, but the roles are reversed when it's coming up to wash day. We notice that we are unconsciously sniffing Brie every time she walks past. She usually she is so unaromatic that it is very noticeable when she starts getting a little smelly. Washing Brie is my little task and I thoroughly enjoy it, but Brie is a little uncooperative sometimes. But this time my husband was in the mood of washing Brie and I was a bit preoccupied. It was the first time he has washed Brie but she seemed to enjoy it very much.

Day after trimming

Yesterday I trimmed Brie and thought that I did a fine job if I do say so my self. But when I woke up this morning I saw something that I clearly missed yesterday. Brie's left leg was an inch fatter then the right!!! Even though she wakes up with completely flattened hair from the humidity and heat I think she looks rather fat on one side. Luckily, Brie is a very easy customer to satisfy, as long as she gets her treat at the end.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Brie gets fully groomed at home, including getting her coat trimmed by me. I really enjoy this because it gives me more control than if I take her to a groomers.

When Brie was a little puppy and I was getting her used to washing, I started using a two in one shampoo. This made the whole process much faster and it worked great as Brie didn't have much hair when she was very small. However as her coat got denser I soon realised I needed to get a separate conditioner. So we found "Earthly Extracts Wild Strawberries puppy and kitten shampoo" and "Silk Conditioning Creme Rinse Concentrate", they both work great, especially the conditioner but it is bit pricey. Brie's coats goes extra soft and it's also easier to brush her for at least a week. I also think it gives her a shiny sheen, and so far we've have had no skin problems from them.

Poodle in disguise

Brie is mostly fluff, so inside her coat she is really small, not that there is much of her inside. I use a shower head attachment in laundry sink, which is pretty handy for washing Brie as it's the right height for me and the right size for Brie. When we wash Brie and give her a bath she turns into a totally different dog. I always find this quite amusing.

Quality time

My husband has taken up the role of pre-bed brushing in order to have quality time with Brie. I find this works because this way she doesn't bring in leaves and seeds which has clung on to her fur onto the bed. She does that enough during the day, today she even decided to bring an entire branch and chewed it into small bits on the bed.

Anyway, she gets bit sleepy when she gets brushed and I think she enjoys her back getting brushed the most. So she sometimes rocks from side to side while she is dosing off, then she looses her footing and falls onto her bum and wakes up. Today she just lay down and started sleeping. I guess it's not her priority to get her tummy or her legs brushed.