Hair! HAIR!

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I'm not talking about my own hair here!

I'm talking about animal hair that doesn't stay put on the animal!!

Believe me, I've always had animals; all my life. I'm not a stranger to hair on my clothes that I have to sticky roll off, or hair on the furniture or in the car, or in my food.

I have horses too, that shed twice a year and that hair is all over my barn clothes, that gets in the car, then transfers to my house.

Rocky's hair is a little different than I had been used to in the past because it is short little spiky hairs that stick into what ever they get on and they do not brush off. The sticky roller does a little better but you still have to really work at it. On top of that, Rocky loves to rub his face and neck all over you. I think he's using me as a scratching post.

Now this is Miss Ellie. She has not one but two coats. Yes, an under coat which is fine, flies thru the air, gets up your nose and she, at will, rubs it on you. It's not easy to get off of anything. It's really nice when you step out of the shower and she rubs against your wet leg! And then of course there's the ever lovin' HAIR-BALL! Since cats groom themselves and swallow the hair, they hack it up at the most annoying times. Usually when you are having dinner and she stations herself right under the table. Maybe she thinks she may choke and tries to always get within ear shot so you could save her; maybe do the Heimlich maneuver! Or better yet, she will hack it up in the middle of the night, waking you to that disgusting sound. Of course by morning, you've forgotten about it and you always manage to step in it on your way to the bathroom (in your bare feet)!

See, isn't she sweet? She's very soft!

However, with all the animals I've lived with, I must say that nothing prepared me for the enormous amount of hair that is on a St. Bernard.

Or shall I say, "that comes off a St. Bernard"!

You see, he has a dense undercoat. Protects him in the Swiss Alps you know!

Well you can't even find his skin, it is so dense.

I read quite a bit about the breed before I adopted Monk. They did mention that they shed a lot, usually twice a year. I think that they shed in the spring and it takes them till fall for it all to come out and then the next day they start shedding the summer coat! So my thinking is that it's pretty much an all year thing. I brush him everyday and could make a small dog out of the hair I get.

He is the sweetest dog I think I've ever had. No matter how much care he is and how much he eats! all he has to do is look at me with his soulful eyes!

I've decided that I have to invest in a small shop vac. One I can just keep in the corner, that is lite-weight. I'm going to go to Sears tomorrow! Certainly, Craftsman has something to help me! Maybe Monk will let me use it on him!!!

Shirley