Pet Smart

Last year, The People made a decision to refinish the tub in their bathroom. It is now all nice and white, and squeaky clean but an issue came about that The Shiba could no longer be placed into this nice shiny tub since it appears that I have claws and these could injure the tub.

Not that this bothered me. I have never been a fan of baths.

However, this spring as my coat has decided to blow, That Guy offered to pay for me to go to Pet Smart to "get groomed." Sounds suspicious. Pet Smart is for buying toys and treats. The only dogs that get groomed are those poofy dogs that sit on people's laps and bark all the time. But the arrangements are made, and at 9 am., I find myself inside Pet Smart just as the Puppy Socialization class is starting.

Now, The Woman is very intrigued by this. There are, in her opinion, some very cute puppies present and she fawns over several of them before class begins (**yawn**). Things got interesting when the puppies decided to socialize with me.

First, there was a Boxer puppy who insisted upon jumping on my head and pulling at my ear. I batted her down with one paw, and she howled like I was using a large stick. This got the attention of a Husky puppy who immediately jumped on my back, causing me to have to flip around and knock him to the ground. The third puppy, something white and yappy, immediately began to rush at my feet so while I was defending myself from the Husky, I stepped on the white yappy thing, and it screeched its way back to its person and hid behind her. By this point, The Woman is dragging me away from the arena and toward what I hope is a dog spa rather than just a sink and a hose.

At least I did my part in socializing the puppies.

So I get washed, vacuumed, brushed, nails clipped, and wait for The Woman and That Guy to pick me up. Which they do. I see them on the other side of the wall, in the waiting area, and I know that I am going to get out of here RIGHT NOW because I am done with being touched by strangers. However, between me and them is an obstacle.

A black pit bull who needs her nails clipped.

The Woman steps forward and shouts to the handler to be careful, but the Pit Bull Owner says "oh don't worry, my dog is friendly." I start to make my move on the Pit Bull, getting my karate ready because the Pit Bull is in MY way, and The Woman says something like "watch out!" or "Shibas eat Pit Bulls for appetizers," and the two handlers are able to separate me from the Pit Bull who merely is standing around looking confused.

The path to My People is clear and I am ready to go. Even when other dogs attempt to approach me as we are leaving, my mission is to get out the door as soon as possible as to avoid any further contact with other dogs. I have already proven myself a worthy opponent; now it is time to go home and celebrate my Shibaness.

Oh, and I might add, I look great too!


I Am Shiba. I Am Now A Lean, Mean, and Clean Fighting Machine.