Josie O had her third experience with the hair dryer today, and I think she finally appreciates the value of warm air blowing on her little shivery self. I did a much better job of cleaning her ear fringe and bib than I have in the past. Best she’s ever looked, I think.
We’ve had extended cold weather that’s kept the snow from melting all the way. We play with Josie O and take her to Home Depot, but she misses her long walks.
Josie O wasn’t always keen on brushing. When she had her puppy coat (thin and cottony), she preferred the Li’l Pals slicker brush with widely spaced, rubber-tipped wires that didn’t feel prickly on her skin. When she got her adult coat, those rubber tips started to pull on all that hair, so with more fur to protect her skin, I switched to a fine wire slicker brush with no tips – the JW Pet GripSoft slicker brush. Musette la Plume, my cat, has the same brush and loves it.
I feel pretty.
Time to play now.
The first brush she would tolerate.
Josie’s adult brush. Both my pets have the cat version, but I’ve linked this photo to the dog one.
I’ve been wanting a dog sling for a while. They’re handy in crowded situations where a Chihuahua might get stepped on, but I didn’t know how much use we would get out of it, so I didn’t want to spend a lot. Then I found this sling from Outward Hound, only $26.52 with shipping.
In addition to this sporty yellow-orange, it also comes in pink or blue. At first it seemed kind of big for a 3.5 pound Chihuahua (it says it can hold dogs up to 15 pounds), but essentially it conforms to the shape of your dog.
Also, you can put a snuggle sack in the bottom, for extra warmth, and it’s still plenty big enough. The exterior is made of rip-stop nylon, and the interior is like the woven exterior of tough nylon suitcases. That was a definite plus, as many of these slings are lined with slippery acetate-type fabric.
For a few days after I got it, I would put Josie O in it and walk around the house a little, giving her treats. Then today, it was snowing so hard, I decided to give it a whirl. So I stuck her in a sweater and off we went.
Since it was snowing and daylight, I could barely see my phone screen. I also had to take one glove off, which kept getting in front of the lens.
The sling has two harness tethers, one at each end, with plastic clips that you squeeze to open. Interestingly, there’s also a strap across the bottom, which you could use to tie down a particularly obstreperous dog. The sling folds into a nice flat package, and I use that middle strap to hold it together. You can see those details on the product’s page. There’s an itty bitty zipper pocket on the outside that’s big enough for some money and a key, so if you want to carry more than will fit in your regular pockets, you’ll need to make modifications or carry your purse in addition. The shoulder strap is both long and adjustable, making it good for short and tall people.
I’m happy with the Outward Hound Sling. It’s gender neutral, works for a variety of dog shapes, looks very sturdy, and was inexpensive compared to everything else I saw.
This is Josie O’s “kissed senseless” face.
The movement is jerky, the sniffing is over-dramatic, and the materials are shoddy. It’s the worst sock puppet ever.
Sometimes I sit in the corner and think about what it would be like to be a bad dog. My one ear is down, but the other is up. Hmm.
Josie O went to the hardware store, the grocery store, and the Boulder Small Dog Meetup.
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