Dave's spa day

One of the things Dave likes best about being a cocker spaniel is how scruffy he is. He thinks it's great fun to be scruffy, running through hedges and sitting in puddles, and seems to take pride in getting as dirty as possible on a walk! He clearly thinks this looks great. He is, however, a nightmare to keep clean, so when his hair gets too long I insist he takes a trip to the groomer for a spa day. As you can see from the photo above, that day had well and truly arrived, so off to the spa we went.

He seems to really enjoy his visits to the groomer - probably because Lisa (at The Happy Hound, Braunton) has treats that she administers regularly during the long process. He insisted this time on having what he called "the military cut". This meant the clippers came out and Lisa got to work on his long, shaggy coat. Apparently she told him he was a "very good boy" many times. This is Dave half way through the trim, looking very happy with himself!

I asked Dave what his favourite part of the spa day is, and surprisingly he said the shampoo — which is odd, because if I ever try to use shampoo on him at home he sulks! Maybe he prefers the smell of the brand Lisa uses, or maybe he just likes to create a fuss when he's at home. Either way, he seems to have fun there.

After a couple of hours at the spa, Dave is looking tidy again — for a while, at least. I've tried to explain that if he's going to be the face of Toshi Straps, it's important to look smart — he doesn't agree. He thinks "scruffy" is his best look, and he's not easily persuaded otherwise. But I think he looks much better like this, and he's certainly a lot easier to keep clean, too! Now he's back to keeping an eye on me while I work.