Another name for Shichons is Zuchon . . . and yet another is Teddy Bear. One of the reasons Shichons are called Teddy Bear dogs is because most of them are brown, and they do, indeed, look like cuddly little teddy bears. See?
Though Izzy is black and white, he still has that teddy bear look when he needs a haircut.
I love when Izzy’s hair is this long and his eyes are rimmed with inch-long eyelashes, but let’s face it: North Carolina is hot in the summer and when Izzy’s hair gets longer, he needs some relief from the summer heat. Unfortunately, he doesn’t look like the same dog when he comes out of the salon. Here’s the before:
Yes, my boy needs a bath in this shot, but he’s also particularly cute with his little Elvis curl in the middle of his forehead. I took the picture because I knew that once his “locks were shorn,” he’d look like an underfed Terrier rather than the cute Shichon he is.
And I was right. Sarah at Spaw, a dog groomer in Roxboro, always does a great job. Everything is even. She cleans up his face and makes sure his ears are trimmed. But no matter what she does, Izzy looks skinny and scared after his haircut — and he can’t wait to get home!
You can tell he’s nervous because he’s panting. The only other time I’ve seen him pant is when he’s been playing too hard with another dog (and that doesn’t happen often enough).
This will be his last haircut for the summer, and I’m certain that he’ll be in the bathtub at least once a week because this little boy has discovered the places in the yard where he can dig — and he’s so happy when he does!
Living with Izzy 