A Well-Groomed Dog
Rusty the red Border Collie is a rather fluffy dog. Because he has serious gardening commitments his fur is always full of plant material - seeds, small twigs, gum leaves, and the like. He needs a professional dog-groomer!
A Gardening Dog
After a long day spent in the garden, an older lady gardener will try and clean herself up - showering, putting on clean clothes, scrubbing her fingernails, brushing her hair, and so on. In this well-groomed apres-gardening state she can sit on armchairs and walk on carpets without leaving any plant material in her wake.
Apres Gardening for Dogs
Long-haired gardening dogs, too, should go 'apres-gardening', but this requires a human to get out the dog brush and put the dog in a wrestling hold. At least, this is what Rusty needs - he hates being brushed, particularly around his rear end.
Before the Grooming
In the Moosey house the Head Gardener is usually far too self-absorbed (and exhausted) to even remember to brush the dog. So the days go by, and his fur gets more and more messy. Tufts at the back of his legs get matted and felted. Sticky seeds give his coat a speckled look.
Dog Grooming Etiquette
It's simply not good dog grooming etiquette to nip away with the kitchen scissors. So this year for the first time Rusty went to a professional dog-groomer to have his summer coat completely clipped.
After the Grooming
Oh dear! First thing I noticed on his return was his size - Rusty, three years old, was covered in rolls and rolls of pink, cuddly puppy fat. Oops. And quite the wrong shape for a sheep dog - absolutely no definition of a 'waist' at all. I was looking at my dog's head on the body of an old fat Golden Labrador.
A Brand New Dog
The Moosey cats noticed, too - they thought he was a brand new dog, and struck alarmed poses, backs arched, eyes wide, huge spiked tails. Oh dear! It must have been a confusing homecoming.
Down First...
Dog thinks: 'Hmm... I'm smaller, and all the cats I live with have become super-sized...'
Then Up...
Dear Rusty - I hope it's a nice summer feeling not to have fur. It must be relaxing not having sneaky scissors nipping near your butt. And the Head Gardener is so gentle when she brushes you - there's actually nothing to brush, but you needn't let that worry you for a while! Enjoy!