I have often thought that having a long-haired dog that requires grooming means you have two different dogs. Well, this is certainly the case with ours. Every year we have to find dog groomers to turn our fluffy winter dog into a trim summer version.

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We have a rough-coated Jack Russell Yorkshire Terrier cross, which is generally considered one of the new designer cross-breeds of dog, but ours wasn’t purchased from a breeder or puppy farm. We previously had a Jack Russell for 18 years and, to us at least, he was he perfect breed of dog: fun, playful, intelligent and (when he wanted to be) cuddly and loving. We had got the inventively named Jack from Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home and knew that’s where we would start looking for our new four-legged friend.

The Perfect Pairing

Being a fan of the Terrier spirit, we knew we wanted a dog with a similar lineage. The good thing about Battersea is that you can view the dogs that need rehoming on their website, and there is sure to be those that tug on the heartstrings. We decided to go straight to the Battersea’s Old Windsor location, and once there I was instantly drawn to three dogs: two Jack Russells and one little scruffy-haired thing. Both the Jacks reminded me of our old Jack, which we decided was not necessarily the best thing. So we spoke to the staff and they entered our requirements into the computer. We can out the perfect match for the little scruffy-haired dog that had stolen my heart.

Experienced Groomers Are Best

We had never had a long-haired or rough-coated dog before, as our previous Jack was smooth-coated, so the process of visiting dog grooming parlours was a new experience.

Whilst we have our dog groomed we treat our dog to a reward of Healthy Dog Treats for good behaviour.  We find this encourages our pet to return to the groomers with little fuss. We like healthy dog treats because it keeps our dogs weight at a healthy level and no one wants to worry about the health issues that come with an overweight dog.

By November, when our dog starts to get fluffy again, I look forward to six months of our scruffy, fluffy winter dog, because in March he once again become the neat, sleek summer dog that benefits from feeling, and looking, cool.