If asked to name their favorite aspects of dog ownership, grooming won’t make most people’s short list. But for some, a weekly grooming session can actually feel special. After all, what other times do you lavish such intense attention and scrutiny on your dog?
I’ll never forget the Saturday afternoons I spent grooming my first dog, a Golden Retriever named Jake. Although destined for a pet home with a 10-year-old, Jake’s breeder took the time to sit down with me and discuss all the specialized care my new Golden would require.
Despite my excitement about the fact that I was finally getting a dog, I listened to the breeder carefully. My parents had extracted from me a strict promise that I would be in charge of taking care of the new dog – I didn’t want to fall short.
I speak the truth when I say I actually enjoyed grooming my dog. I’d patiently trim the hair around each paw to get that neat “cat paw” look. This was no easy feat – Jake hated having his feet touched – but I loved the way it looked, so I bribed him with treats and belly rubs until it was done. Brushing, bathing, and drying his feathered coat transformed the dog who liked to roll in anything dead or stinky into a glowing, golden vision. And that made all the work worth it.