September 7, 2013

White Dog did a double take. YoYoMa wasn't sure whether to let this strange dog in the front door. Oso and Puff immediately went for the sniff test. Taiko was back from a morning at with Scot, the grooming spa of the White Dog Army.

Steve gave his report. "3-1/2 hours of fussing and finger detangling mats and scissoring when nothing else would work. BUT your brother did not have to be shaved!"

You can start to guess in the "before" photos that our boy came to us a grimy matted mess but you can not see all of the details...the knots so tight that OY!AWD's skin was being pinched...the islands of tightly woven and fused hair clots that covered his back, his flanks, his belly...the underside of his tail so clumped and packed together that the long fine hairs looked like a sodden solid lump of felt...and the SMELL! That was the first thing that Scot said when Steve and Taiko walked into the shop..."Whew! He IS a smelly boy!"

Taiko was by no means a patient or cooperative client and the experience was nothing like White Dog's spa days there. In fact we are certain that our upscale neighborhood groomer NEVER get dogs in the condition Ty was in. It was hard work on both sides of the brush. And at the end Taiko was MORE than ready to leave...and Scot happily helped him out of the door. Both understood, but it was a long tough morning.

What an entire morning's work revealed was a colony of dead ticks hidden in the mats, along with flea dirt, pollen, seeds, and lots of embedded burrs. The Scot's team worked a miracle to wash and trim away all of a past life obviously worth forgetting and to send Taiko into a new forever life looking like the proud and perfect member of the White Dog Army that he is. His future (and coat) is so bright he has to wear shades!

Take a look for yourself...

Before: The day he was pulled from the high-kill shelter.

After Scot's Grooming worked their magic...it was exhausting for all involved.

Despite my protests I really DO like my new look!

Don't you just love the way the sun glistens on Taiko's coat?

Bet you can't find me, Puff!