I’m done having a dog. I really am. Had 24-year-old me seen what 40-year-old me would have to do with my Chihuahua now; the adorableness of carrying a little dog in a pink purse would have lost its allure real fast. There have been times when Chichi’s baths have left me heaving while my eyes watered up but this took it to a whole new level.
Over the past week, I noticed Chichi has been unable to go #2 as usual. Because she’s 1,000 years old, she would just let the turd dangle from her hair, walk on and leave me to pull it out. Thank you sire.
‘Fair enough, I deserve this,’ I would think since I have not given her a hair cut or bath in like 6 months.
Thursday left me crying though, by the bathtub in fetal position and I’m not exaggerating. When I came home from work and walked inside my house, my nose was met with a pungent smell. As I walked through the hallway into the kitchen/great room, poop smears had been left all over the floors. It was like a mad man had come to my house and smeared messages in fecal matter. I knew a shave and a bath were eminent.
Chichi knew what was going on. She suddenly began to walk away like I do when the nurse tells me it’s time to get blood drawn. Your mind tricks you into thinking your invisible and if you walk away quietly enough, you’ll get away with murder. I was having my blood drawn and Chichi was getting a shave.
Now I don’t blame her for not wanting a shave. I’m not a master stylist. In fact, my shave jobs are on par with a blind woman….without hands, just using her feet to shave her beloved pet.
Once I gathered all necessary tools, I headed out to the front porch because I felt all my neighbors should watch this train wreck unfold. There were families walking by with toddlers and senior citizen couples, meandered down the street. Meanwhile, I’m lifting up Chichi’s tail to reveal a spider web of fur and shit, roughly 2″ in thickness.
“Fuck Chichi!” I belt out, looking over to realize my neighbor who is a pastor, was getting out of his mini van. I raised my scissors and nodded in his direction as if this was an acceptable way to acknowledge one’s neighbor.
“Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God,” I began to say in a high pitch nasally voice, as I cut out a mixture of fur and shit. This was in between the dry heaving that was coming fast and furious now.
“Well, that’s not gonna make it,” I said as I wiped shit from the scissors onto a rug I had brought outside, Chichi had shit on. In fact, the scissors weren’t going to make it either.
After cutting out an unexplainable amount of hair, and shaving her to the best of my ability, I threw the scissors, fur, shit, and rug all in the dumpster. By now, Chichi was doing her invisible man walk again, down the sidewalk but being 578 years old, she was no match for me. I scooped her up and headed to the bathtub.
After 30 minutes in the tub, I put Chichi on a beach towel, sat against the cool wall and cried. Yes, I’m a wimp, sue me. While I cried, Chichi added the cherry on top by shaking her fur and drenching me in dog water. This made me cry harder and left me wondering what God I had pissed off to deserve this.
Needless to say, when Chichi meets her maker, we will not be getting another dog.
Oh Angela…I shared this post with my husband as he asked me “what the hell are you laughing at” while reading your blog. As owners of a dog as well, we can totally relate to cleaning the whole shit thing!!! I hear your sobbing from here my friend….lol…. 🙂
yes and I feel terrible because I had no idea how bad her butt was until I gave her a bath. when you have two children preparing for school, soccer, games, sometimes other things slip.
Totally understand. ?
Thank you!!
This is a very sad story… 🙁
Awe….the last thing I want to do is make you sad!
Poor Chichi! Poor you! That was indeed a very sad story (but it did have me laughing as well).
Yes, we are nearing the end for Chichi. But that is what I do, or at least attempt: take sadness, anger and the usual; and laugh at it. May be sick, but that is how I cope. 😉
Its how a lot of people cope no worries!
Thank you friend!
I totally sympathize and am here to offer a bit of advice – hydrogen peroxide works wonders at loosening and removing the poo and go buy yourself a box of disposable latex gloves – get YOUR size and splurge for the nice ones. Trust me on this – you want quality gloves when you’re doing this job.
Fresher is better where the poo is concerned, but HP will get the job done – just turn her belly-up on your towel-covered lap, dump some HP onto the poo and watch the Magic Bubbles go to work. Blot with paper towels or a rag and repeat as required. Afterwords, clip the offending hair and bathe as usual. No need to rinse the HP out – after it bubbles all that’s left is water so no irritation should occur.
I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU! Now I almost want her to get turds stuck again to try this trick. THANK YOU!!!!
As a fellow pet owner, I too am tired of shit. Sorry you have to buy a new rug and scissors.
Thank you! And I still haven’t bought new ones yet! And Chichi is just prancing all over town bc she is clean again!
Or, you know, a shorter coat next time? I’ve had greyhounds forever (and my family was in great danes before me, so I know the struggle) and you know what I’ve never had to do? Shave my dog’s ass. Oh, I’ve done a few towel walks when someone’s hips, knees, or spine aren’t in great shape and they need my help getting around, I’ve even talked to the nice man who makes the carts for “handicapable hounds” but I’ve never once had to cut clumps of poo out of butt plumes, because coat maintenance is not my jam.
Perhaps I’ll get a Chinese crested dog?? They really don’t have hair right? ugliest dogs on earth!
Chinese cresteds either have a ton of hair (double puff gene) or a very little long, silky hair. High maintenance either way.
Yeah…and probably expensive as shit!
I know a breeder… (see “Nerd is a Verb” post)
And in the meantime, maybe an all-over shorter cut for Chi Chi? You know, a Sassy Old Lady cut that’s easier for her to maintain.
I could give her a bowl cut. OMG….how f’ing funny would that be?
Pics or you’re a dirty tease
Is this a dare? Are you sure you want to do this? I’m thinking of the possibilities already….
I’ve never been more sure of anything.
That’s not true, I’m sure of a lot of things, every day. But this time is different… THIS TIME IS MAGICAL. I can feel it.
Awwwww poor Chichi. I read all the comments above, and I have nothing new to add, so I say, go with the Hydrogen Peroxide– it sounds like magic– and, I’m sure Chichi could rock an old lady ‘do like nobody’s business!
Thank you Becca! She seems to be so much better! Completely spunky!!Almost like she’s a spry 90-year-old! LOL!