Nature vs. Nurture

When I was a kid, we had a family dog. My mother decided one day to just 'trim' her hair a little. Well, a little trimming led to a little more and before we knew it the dog was, well, not quite what she was before. My sister and I laughed at her when we saw the result, and for a while the dog wouldn't even be seen outside...she'd just go out and hide in the bushes!

What does this have to do with me? Our very own Chloe got a haircut on Friday. When we brought her home, I decided that they didn't cut her tail or ears short enough. I'm no dog groomer, but I was pretty sure that I could just 'trim' a little. I finished with her tail and just laughed and laughed. I had cut it too short, and now it just sticks up like a poof-ball when it's curled up over her back (the natural position). Patrice - please don't hold this against us....I promise not to use the scissors on George!

So though I'm adopted, I've inherited my mother's ability to trim doggies' hair. Chalk it up as one case for "Nurture."

Before: The Scruffy dog naps on the floor...note the length of her tail all fanned out.

After the groomer: Note that her tail is laying down, making a nice arc to the floor.

After I tried to fix it: See how her tail just sticks up...and her ears aren't so even anymore. And no, she isn't trying to hide from me in the corner... :)