Nadi (my dog): Before and after haircut day

One of the things that my dog enjoys the least in life is the days where I have to take her to the doggy beauty salon. Normally she loves going on walks with me to just about anywhere but she is so familiar with this place that as soon as we walk in the door she opens her eyes really wide and while she is well-behaved enough that she doesn't fight me on the leash or anything, she definitely is not happy about being there: She knows that she is there for something that she really hates.

When I give her a bath myself or even back when I was cutting her hair (poorly) she wouldn't put up much resistance but when I take her to the doggy salon, she hates it. I've been told by the salon ladies that she is very well-behaved and this makes me happy, but it is evident that she absolutely hates going to it.

It's something that we have to do every 6 weeks or so because of where I live. It is really hot here and she gets overheated by very small and simple activities because she is wearing a fur coat that she can't take off. Also, the fur on her paws attracts nettles or "sand spurs" that get all matted up and are difficult to remove.

Here is a picture of her before the day before going to the salon.

A lot of people tell me that they prefer her hair long and as far as how she looks I'll admit that I do as well. She is a dog of unknown origin, but I believe her to be a Shih Tzu mix of sorts. This means that she does not shed... which is a blessing ... but because her hair doesn't fall out on its own haircuts are necessary after a while. I was unaware until I had Nadi that there are certain dogs that dont shed. Every dog I've had before her was a shedder and I can really say that it is a huge difference and I much prefer non shedders. The only time her hair comes out is if I am brushing it too hard. For the most part in my condo, if there is hair on the floor, it is from my head, not hers.

Baths at home a piece of cake. I feel as though she kind of looks forward to them because she knows that there are treats coming afterwards and there is also the fact that I've been the center of Nadi's world for nearly a decade and she trusts me. With a stranger, even a professional one, she is a bit less trusting and compliant.

One thing I know for sure about my dog is that she really doesn't like other dogs. So the groomer kind of screwed up and made her day more difficult by putting my dog on the same grooming stand as another dog. They joked about it because the other, smaller male dog took a real interest in Nadi but Nadi kept growling and even nipping at him to warn him to keep his distance. By the time we left they were calling him "her boyfriend." I can assure you that Nadi did NOT feel the same way.

I got her a bunch of treats and showered her with attention after the grooming session and you tell me: Does she look better?

I kind of think she looks silly like this but it is a very easy style for the groomer to do since it is mostly just shaving her other than her ears and the little "poof" at the end of her tail. It also makes her life considerably cooler with the intense heat that we have here.

By the time we got home she was all tuckered out and was very ready for a nap which like a lot of dogs, is one of her favorite things to do. My 40 square meter apartment has 6 dog beds in it, and of course she chooses to sleep on the sofa.

So I am sure that Nadi is really happy that the whole experience is over and I'm not sure if I like her look better with long or short hair but it doesn't matter since I don't do it for a beauty competition, it is for her own comfort and not overheating. I'm sure that she is completely unaware about the passage of time but now we don't have to go back for a while and even though she is unaware of this, I am sure that makes her very happy.