Dog grooming, Moscow style

I have to preface this with two statements: (1) I've never had a dog groomed in the US and (2)there are dog grooming "salons" in Moscow. I just happen to have found one (compliments of my friend Betsy) who comes to the house. I'm not exactly sure this is the best way. But maybe I'll let you decide.

Lena is a lovely young girl. Probably mid-30's. Married, with children (a least one, who kept calling while she was working today.) I'm sure she supplements her husband's income. She comes with a small overnight case and a duffle bag full of stuff. Grooming stuff, her "work clothes"...she changes from her street clothes to a pair of tan colored pants, a tee shirt and a cute apron. Plastic sandals & socks. She is ALWAYS late...almost always 2 hours late. Today was no exception. She was to come Monday at 10, but then the bombings occured. I was not surprised she didn't show. Vadim the driver called and rescheduled her for today, 10:00am. She calls about 10:30am, says she will be 1 hour late. She is 2 hours late, arriving right about noon.

Then we get to work. And not in the "Royal We" sense. I mean in the I am just as much a part of the process as Lena and Abby. My job, is to comfort, cajole, caress, scold, and hold, Abby. There is pretty much nothing about grooming that Abby likes. She especially hates to have her feet and her tail touched, much less groomed. Lena obviously enjoys her job. She is great with Abby, not timid with her. In fact she grooms her with gusto! I would say Abby needs a pain reliever following the grooming session...I KNOW I need a glass of wine! But she works constantly, ridding Abby of every single piece of stray hair that is on her body and not attached with Super Glue. She also scrapes the tartar off of Abby's teeth. She has numerous brushes, combs, clippers, scissors, sprays, dental tools and whatnot to aid her in her work. Now picture this....we groom on the floor of the entryway. The marble floor of the entryway. With a huge column in the middle of it. Hey, it's the best place, trust me. So, we end up doing this little dance around the huge column.....Abby, laying down mostly (sitting on marble is hard for her....she slides down to a laying position. She couldn't sit for more than 10 seconds to save her life.) So we slide, around and around and around. Lena is good, she just grabs & grooms whatever portion of Abby she can get. Works around her snarling face and her desire to jump and run. Abby never bites but she does her "ugly" face as Harry calls it. It really isn't a mean snarl, actually she does it when she wants to play sometimes, or when she wants to let you know she doesn't like what you are doing to her. Then sometimes Abby just lays there, like nothing is happening. Wish I knew what was going on in that little brain. Anyway. This is a long and arduous task. Harry calls it Abby's Spa Day. I need a spa day after it is over.

Lena is very, VERY meticulous. You would think Abby was a show dog. She is not. As I stated above, I never had her groomed in the US. She didn't need it. Here, she grows long hairy, feet. She never did that in Houston. I assume the are her "snow shoes." I don't have anyone to compare Lena with. But she is takes alot of time "tweaking" Abby's 'do. Too long. I'm usually about to shout ENOUGH! Just shave her feet and her bum, and brush her good and let's call it good. An hour, tops, would be needed. Not with Lena. Snipping here, cutting there, PULLING hair out here (ouch). I want to say, helloooo she is just going to the poop park! But she is relentless, and yes, of course, Abby looks "stunning!!!" Not really....she looks cleaned up, less shaggy, no Grinch Feet.

So finally, 2 1/2 hours later, we are done! Lena changes back into her street clothes, I sweep up a BIG pile of hair, Abby gets a drink of water and begs me to take her out.

And as Lena leaves, she pulls a big bunch of beautiful radishes that she has purchased at the market, and says, for you!

What a day...but hey, I'm drinking wine and eating delicious radishes. What could be better! Well, maybe a spa day for me!