“Koi’s Summer Crew Cut”



Koi in March with full coat

 




Koi at the cabin in March

            High temperatures and humidity hang over San Antonio beginning in the spring. By early summer, we get a rapid heat-up where our mornings start in the 80s and the day boils away by noon. Last summer, Koi’s thick coat meant he limited his outside time for early in the morning and after the sun went down. I’d let him outside after midnight, drift back to sleep, and hear him yelp to come inside an hour or so later.



          Although only in the first week of June, I can already tell that Koi’s miserable. He longs to go outside and piddle in the yard while I water plants. Yesterday, he would venture out for a few minutes, and then sit by the door, whimpering to return inside to the cooler air.

 

            Koi’s coat, always lusciously thick, grew to fullness over this winter that surpassed previous years. I think he’s leaving puppyhood completely behind. This maturity means he’ll suffer even more this summer unless we do something proactive.

 

Koi after the second round with the shears

 

 

 

            And so I purchased a set of shears the other day. David and I worked on Koi until the battery ran down, making it about half-way through. The next day, we worked again. Every evening Koi sat patiently until he ended up with his final hair cut. With luck, this new “do” will keep our Pommonster cool enough and let him enjoy morning walks in the park and afternoons under the live oak,  reading with me.

                                                                  

Copyright 2013 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman