I'll usually give most books a try, but this one is going on the list with the Twilight series as one I'll never touch.

I'm glad to be away from paint fumes. My workplace decided that the week before Thanksgiving was an awesome time to paint the kennels. All boarding dogs got moved inside to small cages. They've just got the primer on, painting hasn't been started yet. This weekend will be when holiday boarders will start coming in, and I can't imagine we'll have enough room. (as we have surgery and ill pets in cages during the day as well). Even if they manage to paint all of the kennels in one

I'm listening to the new Cribs album..which is not as good as the last, but which is not horrible ETA that I hadn't heard of them until several years ago when they opened for another band. They were amusing enough live that we did a search for their music

Glad Brutus is holding steady and that he has a sleepover companion for the night We're moving next week and are horribly unprepared. (someone called us about a house..we went to see it, liked it and got the ok to rent it) We're boxless and everything..ack. I figure we'll take small, easily transported items throughout the week, and the bigger items on the weekend and next week, when we have transporty people. Thank heavens our current house is tiny, so we don't have a ton of stuff

I have the first one. It does a great job on Aesop, and is comparable to the time it takes when he went to the dog wash and we used the dryer there. The little dogs are done in about 5 minutes. We have a rake, but not sure of the brand...just a wooden one I grabbed at petco.

I love Paco Collars. Ginger's the only one with one at the moment though. Aesop is too furry, Jules already has a comfy collar, and Grimm is on a probationary period of seeing if he is past his 'eating collars' phase. They're just well made and spiffy Even liking collars as I do, though, I'd not spend $150.

As far as inexpensive, but still sturdy, leather leashes go, I like http://www.jjdog.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=jj&Category_Code=2CATLeatherDogLeashes Their smallest leash is 1/4", so not sure if thin enough. They do hold up well though, I had a 1/4" leather lead that lasted my late Basset's entire training and trial career and beyond, until Jules chewed it up as a youngster. Softened up pretty quickly, so it was a very comfy leash to have in hand. ETA

Yay for Brutus!

yep, line brushing helps a ton. Aesop is the only double coated dog here, so the only one we have to do it with. We use a comb and a shedding rake.

yep, as said above, they are only needed if the dog has tartar buildup or other dental problems. Ginger's former owner fed her horrible food..she had a dental right after we adopted her two years ago and will need another next year. Because of her jaw, she cannot chew bones (though we do give her raw meat), so stuff seems to buildup. Jules, at 8, has not needed a dental yet. (pretty great for a Yorkie) We give him lots of chews and bones and that helps a ton. Working around anesthetics daily