Sunday, November 20, 2011

She had ants in her pants!


Yes, she did.

Casey came for her "spa" treatment on Thursday. She's the last of my Hunter's pups and is now about 8ish.

She fits in well here, although she's more of an onlooker than a participant with the games the other dogs play. Always in for a game of tag tho' and today was no exception as I went out in the yard with my small group and they went zinging around the yard, Casey in "hot pursuit" (the registered name of her mom, by the way, lol). Close but not too close.

Then it was time for grooming. First the nails and the trimming of the feet. She has such stinkin' cute, perfect little paws. I always get silly delight in trimming them up and making them looking prettier. Then a trim of her ears, head, hocks and feathering. Then it was onto her petite little body.

Patience flew out the window (hers, not mine, lol). Normally I groom the dogs while they lie on their sides on the tool bench or grooming table. A nice soft towel or bath mat under them so they feel more secure and don't slip. I generally just gently take ahold of them, lay them on their sides and say "dead dog, do your dead dog routine", lol. And they do. Rarely protesting.

All was fine. For about 5 minutes. I was into the hind leg area of one side when her head popped up and she proceeded to get up. Dead dog, I said. Nope. So, she gets a pet and a chat and we start again. The next hour and a half plus (should've taken a steady hour this time as I'd already completed the trimming and thinning and manicuring) was like a comedy. Few brushstrokes, spray of watered down conditioner, and buck, buck, buck. Settle. Stroke, stroke, spray... buck, buck, buck. Twas funny really. Casey had ants in her pants. Or a bee in her bonnet or whatever cliche fits. The princess had something to say and the last word.

In hindsight, a maybe... about 1/2 way thru our session, I finally found the source of the "whistling" that had permeated the house all morning. The darn CO detector was obviously warning us that the batteries were dying. It broke into a shrill screech that had me lifting it literally off the wall and prying open the battery compartment to shut--it--up. Hmmmmm.... maybe, just maybe, that audible noise (and any of the inaudible to human ear components of it) had thrown Casey off her game/good grooming behaviour?

Okay... I'll give her that. This time, lol. We'll see when next she comes back.

What I did noticeably miss this time? Hunter. Not just because Casey is her pup. She ALWAYS came downstairs with me when a visitor came for grooming. Always. And she'd plant herself literally touching my feet the whole time that I'd be grooming. The others? Close, but not too close, lol. Just outside the doorway. Close enough they can run for treats that every dog gets after grooming; not so close that they can't runaway upstairs if they think their turn might be next .

Pics are of Casey "before" and "after". Cute either way.

~Shelley

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