Before and After

Some of my friends use their slush fund to get their nails done every 3-4 weeks. Some get their hair coloured, or buy shoes. Some go on trips to tropical locations.

Me? I get my dogs groomed.

About once a month or so, it hits me how much I spend on getting the dogs groomed, and I ask myself why I didn't adopt a black lab. Or a chihuahua.... Something that doesn't need to get their hair cut twice as often as I get my own done.

Then I remember how much I like to breath.

Oh yeah. Allergies.

That, and I like a clean house. As much as I love the cat, I'm looking forward to the day when the only hair I'm picking out of my sandwiches is my own.

Oh, and one of my dogs sleeps in my bed. I'm sorry, but their ain't nobody who gets to sleep in my bed unless they take a bath at least once a month.

All that's to say that today the dogs went to the groomer today, and it occurred to me to take some before and afters.

I'll warn you first, though, that Cotton has an ear infection. Because he hasn't had enough to deal with lately. He's on the mend, but the infection has left his eyes pretty weepy... it ain't pretty, but I'm hoping that they'll clear up soon.

Cotton Before:
Cotton After:

Every time I pick him up from the groomer, I feel like I've traded him in for a new dog. He always looks so svelte and acts so confident when he's freshly shorn... apparently, nobody ever told him that he's one of those dogs that's supposed to look like a tissue box cover.


Then there's Tula. I'm kind of torn on her. The last time she was groomed, I asked the groomer to cut off the pony tailed top knot to avoid blocking her vision. Except, she knew how much I loved it, so she only went half way. Tallulah was left looking a lot like Kramer. It was kind of appropriate, since she does a perfect imitation of him (especially skidding around corners); but I wasn't a big fan of the look. So, today I told the groomer to go short with the top knot. I said I wanted to see her eyes.

Kramer/WhatamessTheGood before:

Tula after:

Why yes! - My dog IS standing on my coffee table!
I've learned to pick my battles.

I suspect it may be my resistance to giving up the pony tail, but I'm not loving Tallulah's new look. The head floof is seeming all wrong.

The bit over her eyes is too full for my taste, so I might take the scissors to her eyebrows (or are those her bangs?!?). Either way, I've got to say it irks me to shell out as much as I do to get them groomed, only to come home and fix it myself. I might wait a week or two until I feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of the groomer before I take the scissors to her.

Or, I might fix it tonight... I'm not sure.

Stay tuned for a possible second addition of this before and after.