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Spiritual Self-Inquiry
Leslie Ihde LCSW, 15 Oakcrest Rd., Ithaca, NY  607.754.1303

Bella Gets a Bath

9/5/2019

1 Comment

 
Ok, it's time.  You are just too greasy.  I know you're afraid, but we've got to do it.

Not far from me is No Barks About It.  For a reasonable price they offer a self-serve doggie bath station with warm water.  Having made up my mind, I load Bella into the car with my friend, and pet sitter, Valerie.  We take her the short 4 miles to No Barks About It.  Although I have to lift her into the car, and then lift her into the dog bath tub, Bella is cooperative and surprisingly calm.  When I lift her, she is dead weight.  She doesn't try to run away but she sure isn't going to help me go the direction I am bringing her.  In the car she is much better than I thought she would be.  She sits still and does a little panting but shows none of the panic I'd seen in the first couple of rides I took with her.  I secure Bella in the car with a special short dog cord that clicks into the the seatbelt.  I think she understands leashes and things that click in because she doesn't fight them.  Under the warm water she stands still and doesn't pant.  Maybe being massaged with warm, soapy water by two devoted attendants isn't so terrible after all. Or maybe she senses my determination and figures resistance is futile.  Later Bella seems to feel liberated.  She takes a perky, longish walk without pulling.  Being clean is good, even when you're a dog.

Oh, and on the evening that preceded the bath,  Bella gave me one of her tentative, slow motion tail tip wags!
1 Comment
Lisa
9/5/2019 04:25:44 pm

Woohoo! Maybe Bella is finally turning into a real dog!

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    please note:

    This page is not professional, and has nothing to do with the rest of my website.  I'm writing as Bella's mommy,  just for fun.   Perhaps this blog will be helpful to others  working with former puppy mill dogs. 

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