The Groomer

Roxy's coat has been getting more and more matted. Her tail had more dreadlocks than Bob Marley's head and all in all she was in need of a good grooming. Trish, mother of Annie and Lily, suggested we try a groomer that comes to the house. The Rox does not like anyone touching her tail and is not in love with brushing particularly so we decided it would make sense to have a professional do it.

The groomer arrived as planned today, but bwo promptly forgot she was coming and buggered off to a meeting. So it was lucky that I was on my back to work from home early as I am still not feeling great and need to be near a friendly toilet. So I met her, a big sporty woman with her grooming van parked outside in the drive. She introduced herself to Roxy and they got on fine. She took Roxy into her truck, her mobile salon, and started brushing and combing. After a few minutes she called me away from my work to help hold the girl as she was clearly not enjoying the brushing and clipping.

I have never seen Roxy so spooked, not even at the vet. She was shaking and shivering. I held her tight and the woman completed her first round of removing the matted hair and half her wonderfully bushy tail with a clippers. There was enough hair on the clipping table to build at least one more border collie. The plan was to then bath and dry Rox before doing a "final shaping". I left her to the bathing. One end of her van held a huge bath that she fills with water in which she places the subject. After a few minutes I could hear Roxy screaming like a banshee. She was not at all happy. She whined, then screamed, even heard a few barks (Roxy never barks, except at foxes and squirrels taunting her from the trees). After a heart wrenching quarter hour it quietened down and I thought it must all be over, when the groomer (big strong woman) appeared with Roxy. She was in tears (the woman not the dog). This was just not a success. The groomer admitted defeat and had given up as Roxy would not stay in the bath or let her dry her. So no shaping or final clipping, nothing. The groomer could not take her mobile salon and zoom away fast enough. Obviously I'm a sucker for tears as I paid her the full amount.

We won't do this again.