Burdocks!!!!! ARGH! No beauty contest for Carter!

[longshadowfarms]

Carter was COVERED in burdocks!  DD helped me today to distract him (pet, snuggle and hug him to death) while I cut and trimmed as best I could (as fast as possible because Carter has NO PATIENCE for beauty treatments!)  It isn't pretty but we cut out a TON of burdocks!  The boys owed me work so they had orders to weed wack and rake the entire LGD pen.  Hopefully we'll get the issue under control but there won't be any beauty contests in Carter's near future.  He has almost no tail hair left!  Argh!  There are still a few spots left on his belly that we didn't get to this afternoon.  Maybe tonight after a walk to tire him out I'll be able to reach those.  I think with Thor we kept better control of the weeds in the LGD pen.  I haven't had the energy to do much cutting out there this year but fortunately that is finally turning around.  I don't think Thor was nearly as energetic as Carter either so he didn't get into as much stuff.  Thor also loved to be brushed so it was no problem to get out any burdocks as soon as he got them.  I have to wait for opportune moments with Carter.  We're going to have to make some major adjustments next year!  Either better control of the weeds in that area, shave the dog or a combination of the two.  Sigh.  I do think Carter is getting a little better about the brushing though.  That helps!

[Kiahpyr]

And where are the pictures?!?!!

[longshadowfarms]

Poor Carter!  In his moment of indignity, you guys want pics?  Ok, ok, here they are (sigh)...

First one is untouched, but if you can't quite make out the cut sections, the second has them outlined for you (you'll see why I don't do photochop type pics).  He only has pants left on this side though, the other side is half-pantsed.  There are a lot of areas missing hair that are just hard to see.  I cut straight down the back of his back feet, spots on his belly, spots under his arm pits, behind his ears... 

[Kiahpyr]

AWWW!! Poor Carter!!! Luckily he's farm dog, huh?!

[longshadowfarms]

AWWW!! Poor Carter!!! Luckily he's farm dog, huh?!

Well, we do walk every night, sometimes through town, and a lot of people walk down our road for excercise so he's going to be seen a lot unfortunately.  Good thing he doesn't care!  He still wags his hairless tail for all it is worth.

[Gypsy Jazmine]

Those nasty things can be a real headache!...Pippin gets them...I do not know why it's only Pippin because Sam never does & Sheba hasn't yet...& then I don't always se the darn things right away because Pippin has so darn much hair...2 nights ago I had to cut them out of the hair around his feet...I bet Carter feels better now!

[newflvr]

Not to sound too dumb, but what are burdocks? 

I understand about nasty weeds, our hills are absolutely full of them and we can't walk the dogs there until about late October to early November when they are knocked down (and the rattlers go in to hibernation )

Poor Carter;  whatever they are they sound NASTY!

[longshadowfarms]

Burdocks are weeds that have round seed balls with velcro-like hooks that get into the hair.  I believe the velcro idea actually came from burdocks.  I was thinking I might like to move someplace where they'd never heard of burdocks until you mentioned rattlers.  I think I'll take burdocks any day over rattlers