Dirty Dogs

I have many things that irk me, and I admit to being slightly OCD about some things. One of these is doggy smells and muddy paws. Our dogs have a large collection of their own towels and bedding. These are laundered two or three times a week, much to the chagrin of Custard our lab, who feels I whip away his bedding with malice, as soon as he has got it, to smell just right. He is the fussiest about his bed. He will sometimes rake out his covers and then just sit there, blocking the hallway, waiting for someone to notice his plight and come and refold his quilt, refluff his pillow. Then he is happy, and will plop back into bed. He is compliant when he is groomed and loves a rub down when it rains, before being let into the house. And then there is Frou Frou.

 



Today Frou was in the sitting room having a really good scratch, until she caught my eye. Paused mid scratch, her foot raised, and an,"I know what's coming next, and I want no part of it" look came into her eye.Like a shot, she was gone and heading for the stairs. I could almost hear her shouting, "Sanctuary, sanctuary, open the gate", as she made for the one safe place in the house. My daughter's room. But alas, there is a Judas in our midst and she was delivered to Mum, dejected, to face the flea comb and brush alone.
  I'm happy to say that Frou was harbouring no friends amongst her tangles, but did give up a couple of seeds,small wood shavings and some rather nasty crusted dog food round her chin. Looking sleek, glossy and with a perfect parting down her back in true yorkie tradition, Mum was proud of little Frou, who had survived the ordeal remarkably unscathed. Then the phone rang, hubby RC, for a lunchtime chat. Sensing mum's grip had relaxed, Frou sprang like a gazelle and landed like a wart hog to rub her face all over the rug and along the sofa. With a quick shake to restore the "dragged through a hedge backwards look", that she is rocking this winter, Frou gave me a look of utter contempt. Then she strode off to stare at my daughter, to see if there was any betrayal guilt there that she could milk for a treat.