It was not planned.
It is true that my husband has a birthday tomorrow, and that he is careful custodian of the dog’s appearance.
It may well be that we considered buying the dog an outfit in his honour.
But until I stumbled on the pet parlour, nestling at the back of the huge pet superstore in our home town, I had not dared hope we might get an appointment.
Is it the same where you are? Are dog grooming services, static and mobile, booked up insane periods in advance?
Why is that? Are we, even in the teeth of a double-dip recession, pampering our pooches when our own appearance could do with more than a minor tweak?
The answer to that question is Yes. I could bring out all the justifications I used: Macaulay has not had a haircut for a year or so; he looks like John Lennon in the very hairiest days; he could write the Karma Scratcha, he is scratching so much and in so many positions.
But really, it came down to impulse. The parlour has a glass facade and, having gawped at all the bunnies and the guinea pigs and the hamsters and the fish, I gazed through the glass to see a small captive Yorkshire terrier on a table being blow-dried, his eyes sending me a heartfelt canine SOS and his little body trembling. Get me, he signalled with every sinew in his small body, out of here. Now.
This was the place for Macaulay, I decided promptly.
I walked straight in and discovered they had just one cancellation, for the following day at nine am sharp.
The dog pottered happily through the small pets part of the store but when his paws crossed the threshold of the parlour everything made a stab at walking in the opposite direction.
It was all attached to a lead: resistance was useless. And I will never, in all my born days, forget the look on that dog’s face as I left and looked back through the glass.
Now, Macaulay is a preppy doggie once more. He even smells nice. It is like having a well-groomed stranger in the house.
Right up to the moment he begins going through every single position in the Karma Scratcha.
Kate Shrewsday 
Awwww! He is such a cutie!
Shaggy or preppy, he aims to charm 🙂
I love the one where he’s trapped in the pen. The look on his face is as good as saying, “Get me OUT of here!!”
There was a moment when he gaze bordered on the malevolent, Andra 😀
Awwwwwwww, Mac is so adorable! Over here in the US my sister has to make an appointment at least a week in advance for Thurber to get groomed. People-wise, my colorist and stylist are not available to do me for two weeks. I look like Cousin It these days. Macaulay would growl if he saw me right now.
No necessarily: he lives with me, another Cousin It, Laneadventures. He’s accustomed to the shaggy look.
I feel comforted.
You described it so well, so vividly! The poor wee pooch, the indignity of such treatment but my, doesn’t he look a handsome chap now! It won’t last long, make the most of it. 🙂
We shall, IE. He’s out running in the forest right now.
Very smart boy!! Bet he hates smelling fragrant though…
So Phil is a Leo too! Happy birthday for tomorrow, Phil. Mine’s the day after 🙂
Cheers!
Ooooh, have a happy birthday, Jan!
You are correct. Fragrance is not Macaulay’s chosen medium.
Thanks! 🙂
Great groom, Macaulay! Give the world the same look you gave your mistress and you’ll get anything you want. It’ll help the contorting immensely.
😀 I shall pass that sage advice on, Amy.
What a darling transformation for the wee beastie. Wish Phil the HAPPIEST of Birthdays from BFF, me, mom, and Tigger too!
I love it when birthdays fall on Fridays . . . practically inviting a weekend long celebration.
Thanks, Nancy. Barbecue this evening, bar torrential rain.
Oh, poor Macaulay! How could you replace him with that smaller dog, even if it does look a lot more reputable?
(Having taken one for a treatment, you can imagine the fun I have getting seven at a time in and out of cars and cages etc.)
That must be quite some achievement, Col!
haha – love the way you see the poor trembling dog in the groomers and decide this is where Macaulay must be 😉 My dogs tremble too – grooming is traumatic for them, but must be done because my attempts make even a labradoodle a bit ugly – they are off to the groomers next Thursday, by coincidence – the groomers rang me to see if they needed doing (they will even pick them up) – how could I refuse!
Loving the dog-based posts over at yours, not to mention your current avatar, Gabrielle. I’m a huge fan of the Bryden pooches.
What have they done to you, poor wee doggie! poor little much maligned pooch.. so mean she is to you!! c
He’d love it on your farmy, Celi!
Lol 🙂 The doggie has got the prefect grooming before birthday bash. How about Phil?
He is a little more relaxed visually, Jas 😀
Great transformative pictures, Kate.
Thanks, Shakti: and thanks for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂
I’m sure I’m mistaken, but was she using straightners?
Great pics; he has such expressive eyes 🙂
They look just like straighteners: in fact it is a very short leash they use to ensure the dog does not leave the negotiating table 😀
Aw, he looks so dapper! Those pleading eyes, though, poor guy. Gwynn is always itchy for a few days after he gets groomed. Itchy, and surprised at how much air circulation he gets in previously protected bits, I think.
You are so right, Lexy, it must be draughty down there right now 😀
Handsome Mac!
Preppy little boy 🙂
A new dog – he looks years younger 🙂
He does. Like a middle aged man with seventies coiffure who has a modern makeover.
Karma scratcha–hahahaha! He looks like a new dog! And I’m sure his self-esteem received a great boost. Everyone needs a little pampering from time to time! 🙂 Debra
He seems very happy, Debra. Who knows what goes on in that head of his…
He’s so pretty!
With two Yorkies, £25 a pop and several cuts a year, we bought dog shears. I do them now. Not brilliant, but serviceable.
I think I might invest in some of those, Tilly…
Macaulay’s imploring you not to leave him. But he looks so darn adorable when it’s all done. I wonder if he didn’t swagger just a bit, knowing how terrific he looked.
He’s ben swaggering ever since, Judy 🙂 Great word for it…
oml…he is so stinkin’ cute! I read an article that said our pets don’t suffer when the economy tanks, i.e. we still find the $ for treats and toys ~
Strange but true, Angela 🙂
“…booked up insane periods in advance?” Hmmm. Unfortunately I can relate to this.
Mac looks just like my dog Daisy. It was only a few months ago that we realised she is a King Schnauzer. She is utterly wonderful and it has tickled me pink reading your stories and looking at photos of another dog that looks like her! 😊