Fancy and Muffin at the Groomers

Fancy and Muffin both got a bath and hair cut today. The funny/ sad part is Fancy was all excited to go into the pet store, and was sniffing at the grooming door. But the when the groomer opened it, she took one look at the groomer (who is the same lady who always grooms her) and turned and bolted. Fancy hates the groomer. This was Muffin's first time there. I've done it previously. They say he was good.

 I realize this may be the first time my readers have heard about Muffin.  I've had him several months now.  Actually I'm not sure when I got him.  Maybe since April? He is "another" old dog.  His story from the shelter is he was an owner turn in at 11 years old who had lived his entire life outside.  His shelter picture was very cute and the shelter workers had taken the time to write all kinds of good things about him.  But when I got there the shelter volunteer was afraid to take him out because of the strange noises he was making.  Was he barking?  Growling?  He was reluctant to come out.  Another, older, volunteer came and got him out and once we were away from the deafening barking of the other dogs, I could hear it was very severe reverse sneezing.  He could barley breathe for it.  His ears were so caked with gunk I was thoroughly disgusted and thought it was a terrible case of tumors or warts or something equally yucky.

I was not immediately "taken" with him.  The volunteer carted him off to the shelter vet to have his ears addressed (no one had noticed them before.)  While they were cleaning them out and clipping them down, I tried to decide if I should take him.  The problem with dogs like this is you know if you don't take them, who else will?  What would be my reason for not taking him?  He was old.  He didn't bite me.  Both things I did want.  Not take him because he was gross?  Everything yucky about him was fixable.  So he came home with me, and as you can see, he isn't gross or yucky any more.  He is a good boy- not perfect, but who is?  Muffin learned very quickly the luxuries of living inside, especially about sleeping on the couch.  Recently I've let him sleep loose a few times at night (11 years of no housebreaking doesn't get re-trained very quickly) and he chooses the "Princess and the Pea Bed."  This is 2 dog beds staked on top of each other for maximum comfort.  And since all dog beds are Malinois sized, he looks extra silly on it.

As for the reverse sneezing, I think it was compounded by a slight respiratory infection.  He only does it now if something startles him and even then it is only for a second or two.  And regarding the respiratory infection, once again my quarantine measures held, and none of the other dogs caught it.  An especially impressive feat, I think, when you consider I live in a studio!  He was quarantined in the bathroom, and the bathroom door was kept closed, and the other dogs were kept further away with a baby gate.  Given the size of the bathroom, any dog larger than Muffin would not have worked, since a larger crate would not have fit in there.