In comparrison

I didn't plan to do this, but the day after I took the camouflage picture of Cotton, I took this one of his sleeping between my feet as I work at the desk.

Look at that skinny little tail...

I wasn't very happy to cut off the fluff, but some insect took a couple of bites of Cotton's tummy, and they got infected.   The hair had to go so that the area could be kept clean and dry.... it seems to have worked; the sores look way better already.

I can't say I don't miss the fluff, though.  I used to have a deal with his groomer; instead of going in every 4-5 weeks for a full grooming and cut, he went in once a week for a bath and a comb and we let his hair grow long.  Since it's so much easier to groom a dog that's done every week, she charged me the same per month to bring him in weekly as she did for the one big groom/cut every 4-5 weeks.   It not something that works in the summer, when he's out rolling in the mud but we're almost past that time of year.  Since he's essentially an indoor dog once the temperature drops, I'm thinking that once I come back from my trip this fall, I might start doing that again for the winter.