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Chewie had been bathed and line brushed
2 days before the photo demonstration.
This is
what you're trying to accomplish when trimming the legs
and feet of ...
]
Some favorite grooming tools.
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Before beginning, use a pin
brush on the legs and feet to remove any tangles. It
will make combing easier.
Front legs 1st: Comb through the leg coat
with the wide toothed comb to get all snarls/knots
the brush missed - there are always some. Use firm
pressure so you feel contact all the way to the
skin, unsnarling any tangled areas as you go. Do
this all the way around each leg from above the
elbow to the toes.
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Fluff
the leg coat out, and trim down each leg, going all
the way around the leg. The idea is for each front
leg to look like a tube.
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Trim around the foot/toes
in a circle, with the
lower scissors blade in contact with the table.
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The foot on the right is
done. |
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Checking
the front legs for any stray chunks - refluff and
trim again. Repeat until you've achieved the
desired results.
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Rear legs/feet: Trim the same as the front
on the foot part. For the leg, fluff with your brush
or comb and trim off the desired amount of hair,
working your way around and up the legs.
View of rear feet from under the belly - the foot on
the right is done.
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Side view of a done rear
foot. |
The view
from the back at ground level. Note how the pads
show. This isn't really noticeable from above, but
helps with footing and tracks in less snow or mud.
For show
trimming you wouldn't trim them up quite that short,
but I am needing the cleaner foot for dog sledding
(no ice balls), weight pulls (need good pad contact
w/ the floor for traction), and safe footing in
agility. The same sort of trim is done by most for
show, just a bit longer.
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Finished!
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Chewie (AKC
and UKC CH Masquerade Alice Acres Madness RAE) is a
4 year old OES. He is a wonderful dog and we have
lots of fun together. We did the traditional showing
in the breed ring - he is an AKC and UKC show
champion. He also has his RAE Rally title -
currently the highest level rally obedience title
attainable and was the #1 ranked OES in the US in
rally combined (RAE) for 2009. He has his HCT-s
herding title with sheep, and has weight pull titles
from UKC and NADSR. He has started agility this year
and currently has 2 titles with CPE and will be
starting AKC this summer. We also participate in
backpacking, dryland carting and dog sledding. He
passed his CGC as a puppy, and has been a certified
therapy dog with TDI since he was 1 year old. Chewie
enjoys visits with all ages of people and being a
good OES ambassador.
- Dawn
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