Our dog, Charlie, needs to be walked every day so he can relieve himself. But, by the time we get home, and this is with as little grass contact as is needed, his feet and underbelly are full of round green weedy stickers which I have to pull off him for the next hour. What is the secret to keeping him from these? It's a full time job keeping him clean. I read that oil can aid in the removal. I've made him flinch more than once. Please help.
Dave
Depending on the length of your dog, you could use a large pillow case.
Measure where the four holes would need to go on one side of it so as to fit his legs, cut a hole in the front to put his head through. Gather up that material on the top that falls on his back and lets the bottom drag the floor and twist the material into a knot of sorts. Take a string and tie the knot tight so it holds the bottom of the pillow case tight against Charile's under belly.
Make sure the holes you cut aren't too large so as to let huge space around Charlies legs so stickers can get in there. This way the thick pillow case, preferably flannel because it is very thick, catches the stickers.
Once the holes are all measured and cut you simply put the pillow case over his head first like you would a sweater. Stand him on his hind legs doing this. After his head is through, pull the clump of pillow case down toward his back legs. The front leg holes will fall in front of his dangling front legs. Fit them through each hole first. Set him down. Then the back part of the pillow case will be dangling there so you can gently guide his back legs, now that he's standing on all fours, into each of those two back holes.
This does pose an issue when he's a little boy dog and needs to go pee on those walks because he is not fully exposed so as to do that.
But if exercise is the most important thing here, and the open end of the pillow case does allow him to go potty #2, you can buy baby diapers and wrap that around his penis area so he can pee in that.
I did this for an older dog that was incontinent. Buy the diaper that fits a child that would be about Charlies size. Picturing how you'd fit that on a human child, instead you turn it sideways to fit around the back section of your dog. So that looking at Charlie from the side, the diaper would appear to be wrapped around his penis area in the manner it would a child's front. If that gives you a good picture for how to secure it.
The tabs you simply pull, as each tab is on each front side, up and over his back while holding the back side of the diaper at the top on his back. This way you can wrap the tabs and front top of the diaper over his back and secure them on the back side. I used a small strip of duc tape to put across the two tabs that I tried to bring close together when securing them, so as to insure the diaper remained snug.
This also insures Charlies private area isn't penetrated through by the stickers should they make their way in attaching to the pillow case into his sensitive skin area there.
Dog sweaters and coats don't permit for application that fully protects the underside of a dog. This homemade method will.
I hope this helps you. We rescue and temporarily foster wild and domestic animals. After awhile you learn to adapt all sorts of solutions when needed.
God Bless you and Charlie. Give him a pet on the head for me.
Let me know how this suggestion works for you if you decide to go with it.
