I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty!

I gave Riley a bath today. She does not like baths. She doesn't like the groomer or the vet either. In fact, aside from treats, her dog walker and walks, I'm not sure what she likes. Giving Riley a bath is a pretty entertaining experience, if only because she makes these ridiculous low moaning sounds. They're not whines, but they're not really dog sounds either. They sort of sound like a cross between a kid who is fake crying and a purring cat. Low, guttural and totally melodramatic. She's such a drama queen. Speaking of that, I walked her in the vicinity of her dog groomer today and she got very nervous, thinking I was going to torture her by taking her to get a bath. Little did she know I would do it myself later in the day. Then I took her to pick up two prints I had made, and just being near a counter in a business establishment made her worried that she would either be poked, jabbed, examined, groomed or otherwise manhandled by strangers. It was embarrassing to be in a store for three minutes with her whining the entire time. I guess she deserved to have her day ruined by being soaked, soaped and shined. And shiny she is!

In the tub, before the action started. Can you see the fear in her eyes?

Wet body, dry head. Her head looks huge, even more so than usual. 

Wet body and wet head. This is the "wet rat" stage.

During the blow-dry. I think she liked this part, but she would never admit it. She let me brush and dry her, and just sat there, patiently. We were like two girls, hanging out in a hair salon, shooting the breeze.

And then came the good part - treat time. She got a greenie which means bathroom cleanup will be interesting tomorrow. 

She seemed to enjoy it.

Then it fell out of her mouth and she just sat there and stared at it. Weird. 

Once she figured out she was supposed to eat it, it was go time. That thing was gone in under five minutes.

After she had finished her greenie she just sat there staring at me, obviously expecting more for her, you know, effort. 

Since she was finally clean I put her brand spanking new collar on, the one we got while in San Francisco. It is so pretty and feminine, and perfect for the spring/summer season. She is sure to be one of the trendiest dogs in the park. 

What a good model.

I'm Riley!

How pretty her spiky head looks now, post bath and new collar in place. 

Even though her bath is finished and she is free to relax the rest of the night (which is what she does best) she is still really mad at me. She spent the last 15 minutes staring at me, shooting me the evil eye. That dog sure knows how to lay on the guilt. I should add that to the list of what she likes to do.

Postscript - Dave just got home and he decided to add to her misery by brushing her. Getting brushed most definitely goes in her "hate" column. You should see her trying to get away from him. It's like both the vet and groomer are bearing down on her with thermometer and clippers in hand.