I have yet to master the intricacies of grooming the Australian Labradoodle coat. It’s so different from that of my English Setters. As therapy dogs, and just because I like my dogs to be clean and neat, I resigned myself to making regular six-week grooming appointments for Violet.
At first, I told myself I’d have her professionally groomed twice and then I’d try to match the lines and do it myself. Well – Diane, our groomer, does such a terrific job, I convinced myself to extend that to a couple of more times. So I said… Here we are, now eight months later, and I’ve booked Violet in as a regular. It is SO EASY to just drop her off in the morning, just seven minutes from our house, and pick her up midday – all neat and clean.
To me – this is a luxury, and, I’m feeling a bit lazy. I’ve never used a groomer, since my husband and I showed our Afghan Hounds years ago, then our daughters showed our Setters, both Irish and English, while they were in school. Shows every weekend meant, bathing and grooming on a regular basis. When that all ended and therapy dog work took over, grooming was a regular part of our lives and life with dogs. And, I enjoy it.
Someday… the time will come and I’ll work on Violet myself. Meanwhile, therapy dog Violet came home today with her coat trimmed a nice, manageable length. In her line of work, she needs to keep up appearances! She’s all set to visit with her friends at the nursing home and listen to the children read at the school.