A New "Do"

 Okay, Cujo here. Where did we leave off? I remember now. Toni Louise and Eddie have once again been plagued with itching. Mom has to slather their undersides (she calls it their undercarriage, but HeWho is our Dad says this is a word for cars, leaving us all in a state of confusion). This stuff she puts on helps with the itching. But, Toni Louise has a rash on her back now.

In case you don't know, Toni has long hair. Eddie does, too, so I do not think it is a girl dog thing, this long hair. When Mom puts the stuff in Toni's hair it gets all matted. Toni is opposed to daily brushing and grooming. 

The other evening, Mom went out on the porch and told us dogs to come out with her. I thought about it, but I was just settling on the couch for a lovely nap. I didn't see any treats or food, so I decided to just stay where I was. Eddie and Bo went out with Toni. Eddie saw that Mom was closing the doggie door on the end of the porch that leads to our yard. Then she started fiddling with electrical cords and suddenly she had the clippers in her hand!

Eddie saw the clippers, but Toni did not. Have I mentioned that I sometimes wonder about her IQ? Mom invited Toni into her lap. This is unusual enough for suspicion, but, like I said, Toni misses a lot of signs. She settled Toni and her long legs on her lap with her belly up.

Then she turned the clippers on!! Toni finally realized she had been tricked into Mom's lap, but it was too late. Mom started cutting Toni's hair off! All of it! Well, she had a guard on the clippers, so she was leaving Toni with hair as short as mine!

HeWho is our Dad came in and asked Mom what she was doing. She told him that taking the long hair off would help them to be able to get to Toni's hot spots to treat them. I did not know Toni had hot and cold spots! I didn't know she had spots at all.

Mom kept clipping and soon there was a huge mound of hair on the floor of the porch. HeWho is our Dad thought she must be through, but Mom started all over again, telling him that she was trying to get the undercoat off, too. Undercoat? What is that? Do I have an undercoat? What is is for?

I was confused, but kept watching from the safety of the couch. You might recall that Mom likes to use me to demonstrate to the others that whatever Mom is doing does not hurt. Toni wasn't crying, so I didn't think it hurt. She just looked annoyed at being held still for so long. Mom told HeWho is our Dad that she was finishing up, but that Toni still needed a good brushing to get all the loose hairs off before being allowed to go inside.

Bo was watching this and suddenly looked in at me. He was in a total panic! Eddie was trying to be invisible as he slowly made his way under the table. Bo has long hair, too. I am the only one with short hair, well, now Toni joins me in having short hair.

Mom put the clippers away and picked Toni up. HeWho is her master had brushed her hair and Mom had swept up a pile of fur that looked like there were two more dogs on the porch. She came in with Toni and asked Dad to get rid of the fur while she bathed Toni.

I joined Mom and Toni in the bathroom, hoping I might get a bath, as well. I like a bath and the massage with the doggie shampoo, them the rub down with a towel. Toni does not. Mom kept praising Toni for being such a good girl while her fur was removed. Toni did not fight, she simply succumbed to the bath. I have told her before that this was the best way when Mom decided a bath was in order.

We all had a bath. I enjoyed mine tremendously. Mom said her back hurt when she finished bathing Bo, the last bath. By then Toni was prancing around, showing off her new "do". She confessed that losing all that fur was liberating and that she liked the new short hair. Bo steered clear of her at first, like she was suddenly a new dog in our midst. Eddie stayed close to me. He gets a bit cold after a bath and liked my body heat. He was happy that bed time was close at hand so he could snuggle under the covers next to Mom.

I sincerely hope that Mom does not have any more "treatments" in store for us dogs! It has been a traumatic week for us!