Beach Bum Chows!

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Mochi_Yoshi
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Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Mochi_Yoshi »

It was really hot this past weekend so we decided to take the twins to Stinson Beach on Sunday! It was a really interesting experience as my twins were just totally confused by all this water (aka Pacific Ocean!) and why it kept coming towards them! This is their first time at the beach, they tried to avoid the water but once they were in, they did fine. Even got smacked a little by a few rough waves. One of the funny things they did was to stick their mouth and nose into a hole in the sand, which got sand all over their mouth and nose...but to top it off, they tried to 'clean' the sand off their face with their paw, which was ofcourse covered with sand...so it really looked like they just took a big handful of sand and dumped it on themselves! It was quite funny cause they had this totally confused look of "what happened?!" Silly Mochi and Yoshi. All in all we all had a wonderful time and got away from the 100 degree heat back at home!

Question for others with experience...I had a really hard time getting the sand out of their fur back at home, it must have took me about 45mins each to wash them and I knew there was still some in there that is hiding...any tricks or tips?

Edit: Forgot to say that they are now 21 wks and already 30-31lbs! My the times goes by fast...how big do you guys think they'll get?


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Dogdad
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Dogdad »

It looks like they had a great day at the beach. What beautiful chows you have
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IdahoMike
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by IdahoMike »

Mochi_Yoshi wrote:Question for others with experience...I had a really hard time getting the sand out of their fur back at home, it must have took me about 45mins each to wash them and I knew there was still some in there that is hiding...any tricks or tips?


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Great looking pair! The ideal thing for you to have would be a blower/dryer. It will get EVERYTHING out. they are initially a bit pricey but it will be something that you will use again and again over your dog's lifetime. Whenever a chow is bathed or gets wet, it is best to completely dry them down to the skin since they are prone to skin conditions. with their thick fur, any moisture that gets trapped underneath their coat can lead to skin problems, flaking, itching, etc. these blowers will really get the dirt, sand, whatever out. it is almost as good as giving them a bath. when i bathe my boy i usually have to dry him for around 40 minutes to completely finish, but he has a very thick coat. i also periodically just blow him out, maybe once or twice a week in between baths (which i do about once a month). i bought mine from Ryan's Pet Supply. i would not go with anything less than a 4 horsepower, an 8 is ideal.

the 4 horsepower is in this link.....
http://www.ryanspet.com/ryanspet/produc ... tItemCnt=1

the 8 HP is here........
http://www.ryanspet.com/ryanspet/produc ... tItemCnt=1

if money is not too much of an issue i would highly recommend one of these for any chow owner. Good luck!!
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Mailie's Mom
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Mailie's Mom »

I totally agree! I have the same one pictured, worth every penny!
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Auddymay
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Auddymay »

So cute. Beaches are great on a hot day. I take mine quite a bit, but I go to Lake Michigan. I don't know if salt water has any special challenges, besides the pups not drinking it. I let mine air dry. If I must, I do blow dry Lily a bit. Pip's fur dries better, owing to her Labrador genes. The fur is a little different with her only being half Chow. I never brush until they are dry, and by then, a good portion of the sand is already gone.
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Mochi_Yoshi
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Mochi_Yoshi »

Thanks all for the thoughts! We all really enjoyed it. If we figure out an easier way to clean them (short of saran wrapping them haha) , I'm sure we will go more often. We try to do something every weekend that involves the twins so they get to go out too. Other than that, they go to the dog park every other day, so 3-4 times a week.

@jonathanfsu1 - The breeder is not sure, since this is the first time they breed the male, and he was only 1ish. But the mom is alittle over 50 I recall.

@Dogdad - Thanks! It was a great day, the temp was about 70 at the beach, so perfect! And just to see other dogs running around off leash and having a blast was so nice. =D= I didn't have the nerves to off leash my twins...I'll work up to it one day I'm hope. (my last chow died from getting hit by a car after she escaped from the yard, so I'm paranoid :( )

@IdahoMike - Thanks for that suggestion! So basically it's a compressor...is it loud? They do not take well to loud noise at all, they hate the hair dryer already. :roll: Being raised in a super suburb, it's so quiet here that they are used to super quiet. They semi freaked yesterday when I turned on the blender to make some smoothies! haha

@Auddymay - I'm not sure if salt will hurt their fur, but when I bathed them, they sure smelled 'fishy'! I did let them air dry before we left the beach and tried to shake as much as I could from them before getting in the car. But when I bathed them, I can see the sand still inside their fur, especially on Mochi since she's so light in color. They are from the same litter, but Mochi has a thinner coat than Yoshi does, and normally when I bath them once a month, I will let them air dry after I towel dry them. If we're just going to the dog park, I wipe them down after with baby wipes before getting into the car. It helps me keep them and the car cleaner, and it's a great way for me to check them over to make sure no prickly plant things or other misc things are stuck to them from roaming...that chow fur that we all love catches everything! #-o hehe
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IdahoMike
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by IdahoMike »

it doesn't really sound like a compressor, it is more like a loud blower. you don't really hear much motor noise, just the sound of alot of air blowing through a hose. but, yes, it is loud though. i put large cotton balls in Wiley's ears when i use it on him. He was about your pup's age when i first started using it on him, and he acted the same way. Scared to death of it, and would run to the farthest corner of the fenced in yard when i started getting it out. i would have to drag him to the grooming table :mrgreen: over time though he has adapted to it and willingly comes to the grooming table when he knows it's time. you just have to take control and be the master, and make them go through the learning curve of getting used to it.
Last edited by IdahoMike on Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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chewfozz
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by chewfozz »

Your chowdren are GEORGEOUS! They look like they really enjoyed themselves. I took mine to Myrtle Beach back in 2004 and they liked everything but the waves :lol:
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Juniper »

Gorgeous chows!
When I went to the Pacific Ocean...yep...it was funny...Sheena VERY upset...OH NOOOOO! water w/waves! and now this sticky stuff clinging to my fur TOO! (she HATES stepping on anything wet or stickies on her fur...She screams during a bath like I'm killing her with water!). Now Troy...water, waves, sand...NEED TO EAT ALL...waves, birds, frisbies, balls, people...NEED TO CHASE ALL...airplanes, boats, kites, flying birds NEED TO WATCH ALL...oHHHHHH...SOOOOO excited can't focus! Then gets on Sheena's nerves and an argument ensues! :roll:

I combed, brushed towel dried and when I got home went to the Do-It-Yourself Doggie Wash to thoroughly wash and air blow dry both. Here it's only $15.00 per chow. It does take me about 30-45 minutes to dry each thoroughly. I'll give extra if the owner air blows one chow for me to save time. If you have one near where you live it sure beats doing it at home. :wink:
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Coco Chow »

It looks like they had such a great time 8) ! It's nice to see new pictures of these two.
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Tsunami22 »

Your chows are beautiful! I can't wait until my penelope is that big!!

We took tsunami to the beach once and I remember instead of her normal bath in the tub we washed her outside. Thumb over hose added slight water pressure that helped get all the sand out of her skin. I don't remember having a lot of problems with it and although tsunami's hair is white/cream we couldn't see much left in. Her hair is also a bit thinner than the super puffy kinds of chows, so maybe that's why...
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Mochi_Yoshi »

Thanks everyone!

I ended up getting a small Vacmaster wet/dry vacuum/blower at target for $19.99. (It's like a mini shop vac.) It is super portable and not only was the cost reasonable, the function of it for me is perfect cause now after the shower I can blow dry them and then vacuum up the fur right after with the same machine! We always had a problem with my hair and the dogs' fur tangling/clogging up the dyson's roller, so now it should be better. Plus I can use it in the car, blow the leaves in the yard...so excited! haha :lol: \:D/

I tried the blowing function on the dogs, it def was able to life and get thru their fur...ofcourse they are scared. But like the other person said, they'll get used to it as I persist with using it.

Thanks again everyone for helping and sharing! =D=
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by chewfozz »

The Vacmaster is such a good idea....Is it any louder than a pet blow dryer? We are headed back to Myrtle Beach (camping on the beach) and I will definately need some type of contraption to dry and vacuum the fur.
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Re: Beach Bum Chows!

Post by Mochi_Yoshi »

Hi, I'm not sure if it's louder...but we got an 'opportunity' to try it out last night. Mochi decided to dig in the wet dirt #-o, and instead of washing her, we just plugged it in and air blasted her legs! And it worked!!! \:D/

Thanks to those whom gave me this idea!!! =D=
You have to ask yourself "How can you say no to this face....?" Answer: when they chew on your favorite purse...
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