Stop Fighting the Dog to Trim Nails

          Hate trimming your dog's nails; I know I do. I am always worried I will clip their quick. Also, dogs don't like the feel of the nail clipper slicing through their toenail, makes them jerk their paw around. To eliminate this problem I no longer use a nail clipper, instead I use a nail grinder. My dogs don't put up a fight like they used to and don't seem to mind it to much. That is not to say they will not ever try to pull their feet away, but the dog "wrestling" to get their nails done is a thing of the past.

          With the nail grinder you no longer have to be afraid of your dog jerking his foot and cutting into the quick causing it to bleed everywhere. Just remember even with the grinder there still is the possibility of filing down the nail to the quick. However if you pay attention and follow the grinder's instructions you wont have any problems. So far the most serious thing that has happened to me is that I have ended up grinding down my own finger nails.

Happy Grooming!

Half Price on all One-Of-A-Kind Dog Ornaments

American Cocker Spaniel sale ornament

          I am running a sale on all my one-of-a-kind dog breed ornaments, they are now half off their original price. The sale runs until the end of November or until they sell out. Hurry limited supplies available, once they sell out they wont be back again.

          They can be used as a Christmas or an everyday ornament. You can easily hang them anywhere, and with them being stitched with the same image on both sides they can enjoyed from different angles.

          If you do not find your favorite breed I also carry a regular line of Everyday Ornaments.

A Rant About ...... Socks?

This is an open letter to socks. That is right, everyday ordinary socks.

Dear socks,

When you go into the laundry where do some of you really go? Is is something like 'Toy Story', when I am not looking you move about with some of you getting lost or just plain runaway. Or, is it something more philosophical, like once you leave my line of sight you just cease to exist.

When you come out of the dryer what is up with the little balled up bits of sock lint in the toe? I know it is there after every time I dry them but yet, I still fall into the trap of putting those nice clean socks on only to have to pull them off again to empty out that lint.

With all this technology in the world with things like computers, iPhones, and cars that park them selves yet people are still making socks with the seam in the toe. Why?!

When I wear you inside my winter boots, why do you start sliding off my foot? Are you trying to escape because it is to hot in there for you or what?

Sock monkeys? Why never sock birds, sock shrimp, or a sock T-Rex?

What kind of bazaar hold do you have over old men who wear you with sandals and shorts? And why is it always a dark colored sock, do they stay up better then the light colored?

Don't even get me started on socks with toes!

Enter to Win One of 4 Pet Collar Charms

          Recently FamilyStitchery contacted me about hosting a giveaway for me. I hadn't planned on another giveaway not until sometime next year. But I thought why not, besides you are all worth it!

          To enter go to FamilyStitchery's blog, there you will find multiple ways to enter. Don't worry entering is simple. The giveaway runs from now until December 12th. Tell everyone you know to enter, the more the merrier.

          The winner will get to choose from one of four dog/pet collar charms. Why four choices? Because it is more fun that way! Besides that way whether you have a male or female pet the prize with fit either. Hey, after all who here doesn't love having options. Even if you don't own a pet these can be used as a decorative zipper pull on a jacket, purse, or anywhere. Or better yet the holidays are coming and this would be great to give as a gift.

          Don't forget that when you are done entering my giveaway Family Stitchery is host many other giveaways for you to enter. Someone is going to win, shouldn't it be you? So get in there and good luck!

Seasonal Pet Collar Charms Now Available!

          Get these cute Seasonal Doggie Charms before someone else does! Only 2 available, the snowflake and candy striped charm, so once they are gone they are gone for good. These are perfect for dressing up your pet for all those holiday parties and get-togethers. They are not tied to any one specific holiday (such as Christmas) which makes them very versatile. Even if you don't observe any of the up coming holidays who can resist celebrating and enjoying the crisp winter season.

          I actually didn't set out to make Holiday Collar Charms, but sometimes with the mixed supplies I buy little fun surprises like these crop up. Because I buy my supplies in either mixed lots or limited quantities I am often unable to produce more than one piece. Any time you see a piece of jewelry you like of mine I suggest that you purchase it right away before you miss out.

          I do have a few more of the red striped bead if anyone needs more then one charm for their furry companions. However I don't have anymore of the smaller red beads but I should be able to find some other beads that should look similar.

          Have any questions about these pieces or anything else I make please feel free to leave a post on my blog or contact me directly. Want to see more jewelry for dogs/pets then please visit my store on ArtFire.

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Dog Grooming Tips That You May Not Know

Here are a few dog grooming tips you should find helpful and make job go easier.

 

õ When brushing your dog bush out the tips of the fur first and continue brushing your way up to the dog's skin. You will find it much easier to get your dog completely bushed out this way than staring from the top down.

 

õ Instead of buying a pin brush made for dogs get a human hairbrush. I like using my Suave cushioned paddle style pin brush. I am finding that is has lasted much longer than my dog pin brushes. I find that when a dog pin brush ages the rubber that holds the pins in place start to crack and break apart.

 

õ When dealing with a large mat sometimes it is just best to take a pair of scissors and cut the mat in half. It is much easier to rake out two smaller mats and one large one. Then with my mat raker I work it so that I keep dividing the mat into smaller and smaller pieces. I like to I like to call it my "Divide and Conquer" method.

 

õ Say you have a dirty dog with a few tiny mats here and there what is the first thing you want to do. Give him a bath right? Wrong! You should always thoroughly brush out your dog first. What this does is removes dead hairs and mats. Washing a mat helps to lock it in and you don't want that. Also if you were also going to give him a haircut after his bath do a little pre-trim before hand. It will give you less hair to wash and dry.

 

õ Remember if you are grooming a very matted dog it is going to take a long time to groom out so please let the dog have some break times. You don't need to have a stressed out dog any more stressed, besides you could probably use a break to.

 

Happy grooming!