Ask Benson, Part 6 . . . Grooming Day!

Mommy gets lots of questions about grooming.  She takes care of my coat all by herself, and she says it’s a lot of work!  I don’t think so!  I mean, she and Daddy just put a movie in, and I take a nap between them on the day bed while she brushes me!  So what if it takes 8 or 10 hours a week to get me completely brushed out?  I don’t mind!

Colors to suit my mood – or show support for a cause!

The big question she gets is about the ribbons in my hair!  She does this circle-thingy on the top of my head, and it keeps the hair out of my eyes so I can see.  So many people have asked how to do it, I asked Mommy to take pictures so I could show you.  Here it is, step by step!

First, gather your supplies: a comb, scissors, small elastic bands (available at most drug stores), ribbon, and a plastic darning needle

 

After you comb out all the hair, you make your first ponytail. Mommy takes the little bit from my nose to halfway across each eyelid to start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you divide that ponytail into 2 pieces. Mommy says it’s super easy on me, since my gray and white hair split right down the middle of my head!

 

Take another little part at the corner of the eyelid, and make another ponytail using that hair plus the ponytail hair you just divided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s what it should look like. Each little ponytail section is only an inch or so long!

 

From here on out, it’s just more ponytails! Take a little section of hair on each side, and pony it up with the ends of the last ponytail you made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep going until you think it’s just right! Mommy goes along the base of my ears, and stops right when she gets to the back side of them.

 

Now you’re ready to make it a circle! Take the last 2 ponytails, plus a little bit of hair at the back of the head, and gather them up into one last ponytail. Wasn’t that easy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You don’t HAVE to put a ribbon in now, but Mommy says its easy to do, and it helps keep my circlet neater when I play. Just take a piece of ribbon 36″ long, and thread one end through a darning needle.

 

Put the darning needle through on one side of that very first ponytail. Make sure it is a nice, blunt darning needle – you don’t want to accidentally poke your furbaby! (If you’re doggie friend is squirmy, you can do this with just your fingers, too.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thread the ribbon halfway, and then pull it back over the top of the circlet. Put the blunt darning needle through again from the outside to the inside, wrapping the ribbon around the ponytails you made. (Just leave the other half of the ribbon loose for now.)

 

Keep threading the ribbon through the circlet until you get to the single ponytail at the back. Then, leave the rest of the ribbon loose and start again with the other side, threading the ribbon from the outside to the inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Threading the ribbon from the outside to the inside leaves a little bit right in the front to cover the first ponytail holder. Neat, right?

 

After you’ve finished threading the ribbon on both sides, just take the loose ends and make a bow around the ponytail at the back! (Mommy says you might want to use another ponytail holder to keep the bow neat – mine comes untied a lot!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to wear rainbow ribbons, and Christmas ribbons, and orange (Samba Laranja) ribbons, and whatever other color strikes my fancy! And Mommy can do up my hair in less than 20 minutes!