Has anyone asked you lately why your couch is wearing a fur coat? If you’re like me and your couch is like mine – i.e., not actually wearing a custom fur, but a generous and pervasive coating of dog hair – then carding may be a good option for you and your pooch. After adopting Ferdie (50% Husky, 50% Australian Shepherd, 100% shedder) and witnessing the clumps of fur he dropped around the house like an endless trail of fuzzy breadcrumbs, I turned to The Pet Stops Here in Bellevue for some advice and was offered this mysterious service.

What is carding, you ask? Actually, I don’t entirely know myself. Even after two visits. According to their website, “Carding is the process of eliminating excess hair from many of the shedding breeds. Carding can remove between 60-80% of the coat that you would ordinarily find around your home.” The groomer I spoke with described it as removing the downy undercoat of dead hair that would normally find its way onto your couch. Or car seat. Or pillow. Hair blobs floating languidly about the house and coming to rest in my Lean Cuisines were my personal last straw. Whatever the precise details of the process (similar to hand stripping), it works. After just one session, Ferdie’s shedding was drastically reduced, and after the (free) follow up session 5 days later, he was as close to a shed-less dog as a Pound Puppy.

At around $80 for a two session process, it’s admittedly a little painful to drop more on carding your dog than on a Gene Juarez haircut. Barely two months later, Ferdie is already in need of another session. But what a beautiful two months.

Back to the couch coat – the easiest hair pickup tactic I’ve discovered is a wide roll of masking tape. I tried using lint rollers, but peeling sheet after sheet got to be a hassle. Just pull out a section of tape and wrap it back around the roll, exposing the sticky side and attaching it back on itself. I also carry a roll in my car for when the “Ferd-mobile” has to transport non-dog passengers.

A case for Shelters…

I grew up with mutts. As a child, my best friend was a little Humane Society Wire-hair Terrier mix that I adored more than anything else in the world. After he died, my family adopted a Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd mix from a Kansas City shelter that instantly won my heart for her sweet nature and kind soul. Next came a Black Lab mix rescued from a small rural Iowa shelter that – through loyal affection and an intense passion for life – became the third dog love of my life. The most recent dog to steal my heart, Winnie, is another Humane Society find and a mix of unidentified breeds + raw cuteness.

I’ve never owned a pure-bred dog. I’ve met plenty that are wonderful and that embody the best traits of their breed. In my heart of hearts, however, I know that I will always be a mutt-advocate and therefore a shelter advocate. I volunteer a couple weekends a month as a matchmaker at the Seattle Animal Shelter, and few things beat the joy of watching an orphan dog find its forever home.

I think that for plenty of people – particularly for those who need a special breed for home health (e.g. allergies) or happiness (e.g., no shedding, strong breed preference, etc.) reasons – working with a breeder is a fine thing. (And working with a breed rescue is an even finer thing.) But for me, there is no greater motivation in making a dog a part of my life than in saving its life. There are just too many unwanted dogs at shelters and rescues to make working with a breeder an option in my world.

Listen, I’m speaking to you as the mother of two loving, gentle, free-spirited Siberian Huskies. I love them to pieces, adore their personalities and can’t imagine my life before crate training, puppy teeth, dog parks and long hikes. However, heed my warning…

huskies are not, I repeat, are NOT for everyone.

So, what makes me so qualified to have not one, but two huskies? Well, quite frankly, had you met me 2 years and 4 months ago, prior to Ruckus, I wouldn’t have said I was. I had to become a husky owner the hard way. Ruckus taught me. Had I known how much work Ruckus would have been, how much time Jeff and I would have to spend exercising him seven days a week, how many books Jeff and I would have to read to learn the characteristics, how many times Jeff would have to patch the fence, or that I’d have to come home at lunch to keep him company because huskies, more than most breeds, suffer from loneliness, I don’t think I would’ve thought I was capable.

So what did we do then, we got Kaiya. Crazy I know, but there was a method to our madness. In addition to being adorable, loving and needing a home, we thought she’d be perfect for Ruckus to 1) keep Ruckus company, 2) give him a playmate, 3) hopefully calm him down, and 4) give him something to chew on other than me or our furniture. And it worked, but now we need a third husky to do the same for Kaiya.

It took a lot of time, energy and sacrificing and after several long months and through a lot of trial we learned what it takes. Then again, I don’t have children, of the human sort anyways, I live close to work and I love the outdoors and enjoy exercising and don’t believe in hitting animals (if I did, Ruckus would be dead). All of this, combined with the fact that I had Jeff there doing just as much, in fact more actually, made it possible for us to be good husky owners. If you can master the skills, they are the greatest, smartest and coolest animals you’ll ever meet, but then again I’m their mom.

As much as I adore my Winnie, one thing I really miss about my pup-less existence is the freedom to do whatever I want after work. When it’s time to sign off from my workday, I want to do one of two things: socialize or be lazy. The latter doesn’t lend itself well to a 17-month old puppy, but the former, now that I can work with.

Enter Norm’s Eatery and Ale House in Fremont, my favorite dog-friendly Seattle establishment.

In the few short weeks I’ve had Winnie, I’ve been to Norm’s at least five times. The atmosphere is chill, the servers and bartenders are friendly, the food is good and they serve beer. What more can you ask for from a happy hour destination? That it invites you to bring your dog along. Now that’s icing on an already delicious cake. (Or, in Norm’s case, it’s extra gorgonzola and mushrooms on an already delicious burger. Highly recommend that menu option.)

Aside from Norm’s, most Seattle bars and restaurants with patios welcome well-behaved dogs. A few tips for the comfort of you, the rest of your party, as well as the diners around you:

• Bring treats to reward a good dog or to distract one on the verge of misbehaving.
• Before sitting down, ask tables near you if they’re comfortable with your dog being on the patio. Most Seattle-ites are a pretty easy-going, but be respectful of people who may have allergies or who are fearful of dogs.
• Nobody likes a barker. If you have one, leave him or her at home for happy hour.
• Only bring socialized dogs.
• Don’t let your dog lick your plate or silverware when you’re done. Ew.

What are some other dog-friendly happy hour destinations folks like to frequent?

I thought when I left So Cal last September I’d be saying goodbye to the scorching heat for good. Just my luck, the year I move to Seattle, the weather goes from temperate most of the year to record-breaking snowfall followed by record-breaking heat waves. While the huskies relished in the snow, dragging my boyfriend on his snowboard up and down the streets of Finn Hill, they’re now dragging their tongues as the sun beats down on the northwest.

Looking ahead at this week’s five-day forecast, we’re in for some unfavorable husky weather (think 90 degrees and above). My problem – two pups with tons of energy wearing fur coats and no air conditioning. My solution – other than moving further north, find ways to keep our pups cool while keeping them moving. Here’s what’s in store for the week ahead:

• Hunt down a kiddy pool and let the pups splash away. Buyers beware – don’t buy the inflatable pools for your dogs; they’re chew toys waiting to happen.
• Take a trip to the Magnuson Dog Beach and let them run wild in the water with their four legged friends.
• Throw some ice cubes on the deck and watch them play chase. Ruckus, especially, likes to chew and stomp on the cubes.
• Take them to get a bath at Pup Scrub in Kirkland. They’ll be in an air conditioned room for an hour and come out looking beautiful.
• Stroll along St. Edwards trail, hidden beneath the shade of the canopy of trees. The temperature is roughly 15 degrees coolor and we can jump in Lake Washington mid-hike.