On Christmas Eve, squeezed in between the regular stuff of last minute shopping, cooking, wrapping presents and housecleaning was a appointment to wash George. I say “wash George”, not get George washed because that is exactly what it was – me washing him, not the groomer doing it.

My friend Ellen and I took George to a place called Happy Clean and Smart where they have a place for customers to wash their own dogs. I’d seen such places before in larger cities and thought it was a great idea, but only learned recently that we have one here locally.

George is such a tender little soul and so frightened by everything, especially anything new, so I thought he would feel better about being washed by me than by a stranger. He’s been to the groomer’s before and I always hate to hand him over to strangers, no matter how skilled they are, because his little body quivers and shakes so much. The self wash option would only be a wash, no nail trimming, no teeth brushing, no hair cut, so we’ll still have to go to the groomer’s occasionally. But for Christmas eve, self wash was on the agenda!

Ellen and I entered into the salon-like facility and were instantly impressed. The spa employee showed us around and explained how to use the equipment. Happy Clean and Smart provides the shampoo, conditioner, towels, and dryer, so all we had to do was show up. We were given a portable shelf to put over the bathing sink so we wouldn’t have to bend over so far to wash George. The portable shelf also provided security for George as it was textured and more comfortable for his feet than the bare sink.

Lots of suds and scrubbing and cooing later, we rinsed him well and moved him over to the drying table. The blow dryer there is much more powerful than my blow dryer at home, so we were able to dry down to the root of his fur and warm his skin. We got him fluffy dry and then dressed him in a fresh, clean sweater.

For $12.00 and one hour, we got a happy, clean dog. The bonding and good time together was a bonus. When we got home, George had puppy energy and seemed pleased to show off his new and refreshed little body. He puppy-trotted all afternoon and turned circles like a professional canine model on the runway.

I definitely recommend the self-wash option for bathing your dog!

A New Pup: Cherry



When my kids were little we lived in Japan. I taught at a small liberal arts college (Miyazaki International College) at the southern tip of Kyushu. We lived in a new neighborhood at the edge of a state university that specialized in medicine and agriculture. Just beyond our neighborhood was the ocean to one side, rural countryside at the other.

One day, while riding our bikes through the big campus, we came to a small brown puppy curled up in a cardboard box in front of one of the dorms. A handwritten sign was stapled to the front of the box: “If I am not claimed by Friday, I will be adopted by the test lab.”

We got off our bikes and played with the pup. The kids begged me to take her home. Cute as she was, I was hesitant to take on the responsibility. We lived in a rented house and I knew we couldn’t have a dog inside. I also knew that we wouldn’t be staying in Japan forever, so the problem of taking a dog through customs and back to the United States looked complicated and expensive. I said “no”, but was keenly aware that my heart strings were already tied up in knots for the kids, the adorable little pup, and even for myself.

That night, the puppy was all we could talk about. I finally agreed to go back Friday after school and if the puppy was still there, we would take her home…

When Friday finally came, we peddled as fast as we could to the dorm where we’d seen the little dog. The box was still there, but it was empty. We stood around and lamented for awhile, then walked around looking for her. She was gone. We got on our bikes and started to head home when suddenly, she came tearing out from around another building. At top speed, she ran right toward us. I got off my bike just in time to catch her when she leapt into my arms. The kids were screaming and jumping and the pup was squirming all over us.

We took her home and named her Cherry for her cherry red coat.

Cherry changed our lives…