Trying to Save a Coat

Three weeks from today is the Megan competition at the CWCCA Specialty Show. The Megan is a "fun" match for breed champions. The initial competition is by color and sex, with the winners of each competing for the top award. Two days later, she will compete for the Best Herding-Titled Dog. The winner of that competes two more days later in Best of Breed.

Since there are relatively few red dogs showing as specials (as evidenced by the fact that Scout ended the year as the #35 cardigan on the AKC's Dogs Defeated list - she was the first red dog on the list and she didn't even start accumulating points until late in the year), we are hoping that she has pretty good chance of being a contender for the Best Red Bitch in the Megan. She probably has as good a chance as any at winning the Herding Titled competion.

Scout is a beautiful dog when she is in full coat - she is a rich red with full pants and lovely fox-like tail. However, when she is out of coat, well - she is one scruffy, straggly looking girl. Scout generally loses her coat about a month before she goes into season, which is due around mid-May - which means she should look like crap mid-April. And the Megan is on April 15 - can't get much more mid-month than that.

So - to give her every chance to look her best, I am doing everything I can think of. I make my dogs' food - high quality protein, lots of red foods (sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, tomotoes). She gets supplements - Solid Gold Sea Meal, Fish Oil, Royal Jelly, Evening Primrose Oil. She gets cold water baths at the groomer.

And - with the added benefit of lowering my heating bills - we are freezing our butts off keeping the house cool. Wouldn't you call 52F cool? That was the temperature in my house this morning when I woke up. I couldn't move. I had a cardi plastered to each side and my ancient cat curled around my neck. My new tempurpedic mattress felt solid as a rock. (The salesman told me it would freeze solid if subjected to cold enough temps - I believe him now.) In the shower, I could not even squeeze the shampoo out of the bottle - apparently shampoo solidifies at or around 52 degrees!

I am a nut.