Indignation

Male Humans! I am soooo embarrassed! Margie gave me my first official groom, but please understand that I certainly have not been walking around unclean! Margie and Jerry have a walk-in shower…well, lately it has been my own private spa. I walked behind the glass and Margie used the personal shower attachment to help keep my…well, you know, personal areas clean. Sometimes she used the massage setting on my legs….oohoohoohooh…..that warm water made my legs feel so good. Anyway, I don't want everyone out there to think I have been unclean these past weeks. I can hardly contain myself! I am just going to have to make cynical circles around that man to let him know how disappointed I am. Hmpf!

Now, let me tell you about one of the greatest joys of being a Standard Poodle….grooming. All canines get bathed, but Standards get the royal treatment. Because of the quintuplets, Margie used a simple oatmeal shampoo, but I got her to use my favorite conditioner on my topknot and ears….oooh….it smells so good! She worried about using anything with a stronger scent because the quints might refuse nursing. She doesn't realize that even at a few weeks, the quints have better scent-sense that she has. In fact, they have been surviving on that wonderful gift we canines have.

Back to grooming... Margie asks me not to shake until she gets on the other side of the glass, but I got her this time! She didn't get mad or anything, we just laughed about it. I must admit, I hate the air force dryer but love to see the water droplets jump from my body. Every time I think she will turn the dryer off, another spray of water leaps from my skin. Now, my favorite part….I looked up at her with my innocent look and she said, "Okay, lets get the towels and dry off in the family room." YES! The warm dryer heats the brush and comb….oooh….it feels so warm and good. There is nothing better than being a Standard. I'm not crazy about the shaving, but I feel so clean after being shaved. Afterwards, she takes a damp cloth (with my favorite conditioner on it) across my newly shaved face and neck to get all the hair dust off. Shaving on my body feels like getting one of those massage treatments. Scissoring is next…I am lovely!

Grooming is a one-on-one time with a human. During a groom, humans can forget the stresses of the day and think only of the dog. Even during the week, brushing and combing is such a special time for us. I hope all the new parents of my children think of grooming as a special time and not a chore.

Margie and Gretl even shaved the faces of the quints! They were wonderful! Kayla and Avery didn't like the vibrations under the chin, but the were real little troopers. I am so proud of them.

Martha