Stuart_and_belvie_2_2

Stuart the deaf Beagle is really into grooming … not himself, but other dogs.  His specialty is ears, and he offers a free ear wash to any dog willing to sit still for him.  If given a chance, he loves to do a complete head bath, too.  I was working in my office the other evening responding to emails when Alayne walked in, trailing minions behind her.  Stuart is a quasi-minion, so he followed along behind the Dachshunds.  As Alayne and I were talking, he began grooming Belvie, and since the camera was on the desk, I turned around and started taking photos of the session.  (The big black case in the background contains our BlindHorses.org exhibit display that we take to the equine vet convention each year.)

Here he’s really working that right ear, and Belvie loves it.  Daisy isn’t so sure:

Stuart_and_belvie_1_2

Now Stuart’s doing a little light chewing, which is the sign that this side is nearly done:

Stuart_and_belvie_3

Next comes the left side of Belvie’s face.  Stuart will work his way up to that ear, which Belvie has already helpfully flipped back for easier access:

Stuart_and_belvie_4

Then comes the top-of-head bath:

Stuart_and_belvie_5

And finally, as a bonus, Stuart offers a free neck wash, too:

Stuart_and_belvie_6

At the end, there’s one very clean Dachshund and one very satisfied Beagle. 

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16 responses to “Lend Me Your Ear”

  1. ginger & Tobias (the greythound) Avatar
    ginger & Tobias (the greythound)

    Looks like Stuart is really earning his keep! What great pics you got of the whole process. It reminds me of the cleaning stations that fish have in the ocean. Thanks for sharing this great episode of the “happenings” at the wonderful RDR!
    Big hugs all around,
    ginger, Tobias & Tlingit

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  2. Kristen D. Avatar
    Kristen D.

    LOL that’s too funny! The look on Belvie’s face is pure ecstasy!
    Hey Steve, which black dog is that in the background?? 🙂

    Like

  3. maggie Avatar
    maggie

    i think you have mentioned stuart’s grooming talents before, but i had no idea how thorough he was until i saw these photos. how funny!
    also, i am glad to see daisy up and around. i believe the last time she made an appearance on the blog was last month when she was confined to her crate for a problem with her spine/legs? i hope she is doing better!

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  4. Shirley & James, Portland, OR Avatar
    Shirley & James, Portland, OR

    Our black lab does the same exact grooming to our cat who LOVES IT!!!

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  5. bregda,south africa Avatar
    bregda,south africa

    My mom has two dogs. The younger one loves to do this to the older lady, who .. um .. tolerates it to a point. With a barely audible whispered growl she will then announce that bath time is now over. Very sweet how dogs communicate.
    I’m also glad to see Daisy set free from house arrest!
    Hugs to all. Stay warm. We had our first frost here in SA – in April!! We skipped autumn completely.

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  6. Jessica, NL Avatar
    Jessica, NL

    Whaha, he must have hairballs the size of dachshunds ;-)… Very funny pictures, time for a little movie maybe??

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  7. Andrew, NZ Avatar
    Andrew, NZ

    If the Dachshunds are minions and Stuart is a quasi-minion and Alayne is Steves better half, does that make Steve a quasi quasi minion?

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  8. gayle Avatar
    gayle

    Stuart is such a love bug. That made my day.
    Thanks for the smiles!!!

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  9. SuzyQ Avatar

    That is too sweet! Our chihuahua doesn’t like to groom our other dog but she does like to groom our cat’s ears and ours as well!

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  10. Boundforglory Avatar
    Boundforglory

    Remake of an old song…..Working at the dog wash…. work and work oh, those pups never seem to stop coming…. pups and pups; keep those tongues and ears comin’!
    Great shots, Steve.
    Looks like Daisy was out of there when the left side of the wash began. HA!

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  11. Vicki T. Avatar
    Vicki T.

    Funny pictures 🙂

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  12. Helen Rietz Avatar

    I get it: It’s “Rolling Dog Ranch and Canine Spa.”

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  13. Lahna Zandi Avatar
    Lahna Zandi

    Stuart is so adorable! Its so cute how the others love it and sit and wait their turn. So sweet!

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  14. Kate and Luke Avatar
    Kate and Luke

    How sweet is that! i love the expression on Belvie’s face, he really is enjoying himself… haha! wonderful!

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  15. Lalla and Sasha Avatar
    Lalla and Sasha

    Best comic strip I’ve seen in ages

    Like

  16. Shelli Smith Avatar
    Shelli Smith

    How wonderful is that?!? I love seeing your crew chum up with each other. It proves that dogs with “disabilities” can be wonderful companions, to human as well as to each other. The pictures made me laugh out loud and made my day!

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