It's not easy being this handsome . . .Or putting your best paw forward

Greetings everyone!

Mom and I attended our first therapy team workshop together and we crushed it! Thank goodness Mom and I didn't get nervous, or we'd have been in a fur flying mess!

Part of what we are evaluated on is how we look, so there's a whole lot of grooming that I have to endure, I mean, participate in. And it makes sense when you think about it: Would you want to pet a dirty dog? Or be greeted by the pet's human partner if he or she didn't look presentable?

Humans have such a funny thing about smell - for some reason to be covered in the scent of a dead squirrel or horse manure or skunk is a BAD thing. Well whatever, I will have to comply with what humans deem as smelling good.

So I have to be clean, my nails trimmed short and rounded, my ears cleaned, my teeth clean, my breath non-stinky, and the fur that grows between the pads of my paws trimmed even with my pads. At least I didn't have to be waxed or my fur dyed - can you imagine? I shudder to think!

The grooming begins . . .

Like, wow, dude! 

The day before my first work shop I had my teeth cleaned. Mom took me to my favorite vet and they took wonderful care of me. The anesthesia rocks!!!! 

I was feeling pretty hip and groovy and my mouth felt kinda funny. I got home, climbed on my bed and took a good long snooze. I woke up a few hours later with the munchies! Well I couldn't eat the morning I had my dental, so I was hungry! And thirsty too. A big bowl of water and a bowl of food later and I was as right as a Border Collie herding sheep!


The grooming continues . . . 

Get ready for the shake!!!

Mom dons her scrubs and the process starts with what else, (sigh), a bath. Or in my case, a shower. Mom got the shampoo recommended by many of the therapy teams. I guess it smells good to humans, so I allowed her to use it.

After that came a good, brisk toweling off, a quick brushing and then she whipped out the hair dryer.

I was not particularly thrilled about the hair dryer, but I do have fairly thick fur, so it's a necessary evil. And Mom kept telling me what a good boy I am and gave me kisses, so I decided to "pit bull up" as Chunk, our next door dog neighbor would bark, and get through it.


Once I was mostly dry, it was time to trim the fur that grows between the pads of my feet. Now I'm not one to have my feet messed with(truth be told it tickles!), but Mom explained that trimming back the fur on my feet will help protect the people I visit by not dragging in mud or disease from the outside. And it will help protect me by not having any bad stuff come with me when I leave wherever I'm visiting. So with a heavy sign and an eye roll I acquiesced.

All neat and clean!

Next came cleaning my ears. This wasn't bad at all really. Just some cleaning solution on a cotton pad and then she rubbed that in my ears. It kind of felt good in an itchy sort of way, if that makes sense. I felt the need to scratch or rub my head against the bathroom rug.

After that it was nail trimming time. Mom has basically what is the dog grooming equivalent of a Dremmel and she set to work filing down my nails. Again, it wasn't pleasant, but I thought of my G'daddy and MeeMother and how delicate their skin is, so I can see how sharp or jagged nails could easily cause bleeding or rip out an IV. It's not unlike when Sophie bites me on the ear. Or the tail. Or the leg. Or the lip. You get the idea. But the pictures, and the wear on the sandpaper, speak for themselves.

It's not easy being me!

So, with everything as cleaned and polished and scrubbed as it can be, it was time for a final brush out and a well deserved break!

I sprawled out on the floor and had a bit of a snooze until it was time to head to the workshop. Normally the grooming wouldn't take place the day of the workshop (or visit), but I was so groggy from the dental on Friday night that Mom thought it best to wait until that morning to finish the grooming.

The workshop was great! We (well Mom actually, I was pretty much flawless) only made a few mistakes, but for the most part we did good. I was calm, Mom was calm, and we had a lot to absorb in a short amount of time. 


The long and short of it is this: I need to be sociable and agreeable, ready to meet new people and help those in need. And Mom needs to take care of me so I can do my job. She needs to pay attention to me and the situation to ensure that I don't get overly stressed. She has to protect me and work with me so I can visit with people who need me. I have a wonderful dog and human family and friends because someone took the time to notice me and to care. The same goes for Callie and for Sophie. 

Our G'daddy is alive because someone had the compassion to see beyond her own pain and realize that her death would not be in vein if she could give life to others. And she gave G'daddy the heart that beats inside him today.

So call us melodramatic, but this works means a lot to her and to me. We want to give back; it's our small way to say "thank you" to those that given so much to us. Life is precious; joy is precious. And like some diseases, happiness is also contagious. And I intend to spread it, one tail wag, one soulful look, one lean, one hug, at a time. It's the least I can do.

So wish us luck!

Sniff ya later, home dawgs, paws out!

Sammy