I refuse to do his anal glands

Who knew the Lhasa Apso mane would be such a high maintenance coat to keep.

Giz is 3 1/2 years old and he is a dog of dogs. Although I owe much of the credit to
the National Geographic channel via Cesar Milan AKA The Dog Whisperer".

Who informed me (via the tv set) that I needed to find my calm submissive side and become
the "Pack Leader" of our home. I did what he said day after day and honest to God as quickly as you see results on the tube
I was bearing witness in my home.

I was now the "PACK LEADER" well...at least with my dog.

It was a fight though....everyone in the house wanted to be the "Pack Leader" especially my teenage son. I would try something new out on Giz like....getting him to stay in the kitchen when someone came to the door, but there was that teen boy speaking over my commands- NO HERE GIZ! then he would follow with "see I'M the "pack leader"

Well the novelty wore off quickly with him and now it's back to me!

Boy...it's lonely at the top!"

We have ALWAYS had him groomed. At a cost of 40 dollars every 6 weeks along with a 10 dollar tip. We loved our groomer, mainly because she LOVED our dog. She always said that he sat perfectly and did everything she asked. This was kudos to me of course (being the pack leader and all) It's a great feeling to have, similar to when your pre-schoolers teacher may say how well behaved and helpful your child was today or how he was the only one who could count to 100. (Now that my pre-schooler is a sophomore, I'm waiting to hear these type of words from his Algebra ii teacher)

Then as history continues to repeat itself....we move. In search of a new groomer (when I haven't even found a hairdresser) I decide to save some money and bathe him myself. Here's the thing about Lhasa's. There coat is quite fine. They have a ton of hair but very very fine. Knots and mats and tangles and tears...not the dog but me....I know I am hurting him but I continue the job. (When it comes to my 11 year old daughters mane, I am ripping those tangles out without a blink of an eye)


I make an executive decision to just stick with the face.We can't see his eyes , can he see us? (Which is soo hypocritical because I get after my daughter for only brushing the hair around her face versus the tangles in the back) I should probably clarify to all of you that I am a retired hairdreser and this should be a piece of cake.....but it's becoming more of a pie in the face and driving me to want to drink at 12 noon.

I completely lost my calm submissive behaviour and he could totally sense it. I cut all of the hair around his eyes and nose and along with the yucky hard eye guck that had drained out and was black tar stuck to matted hair. The really gross part was when I got to the last of it and scraped it with my finger only to discover that what was stuck to the end of my nail had not yet hardened. It was black gummy eye guck that wouldn't come off. :( YUCK YUCK YUCK :(

I stuck him in the sink bathed him ( all of his hair went curly) then had to blow it out straight so I could work out the tangles.
His face was beautiful. We could finally see his eyes.He smelled spectacular.

So why take him to the groomer?

I cannot even consider doing his nails (claws)
He is still covered in little mats that were beyond my ability
and lastly,
He's boot scootin all around the house, which usually means he needs his anal glands released.

I refuse to do his anal glands,

So if any of you are looking at blessing your home this Merry Holiday season with a puppy
THINK AGAIN!