Chester and I made an amazing discovery last week. Admittedly I am late to most crazes, where other people are in vogue I am generally in-the-dark, so my amazing discovery is probably old news to everyone else. There is a you-bath-it facility at our local pet supply store and it has changed my life.
Chester is a fairly smelly fellow, he is blessed with a built-in water repellent that is oily and fragrant and can be quite offensive to those not accustomed to it. For those living with an odorous pet sometimes it takes an outsider to alert you to its problem before you make the effort to fix it. And that’s what lead Chester and I to our amazing discovery.
I had no clue my house was stinking up a storm until I found my realtor’s secret stash of air freshener hidden in the closet. I was flummoxed. Do realtors usually donate a can of Febreze to a challenging listing? Could my tidier-than-it’s-ever-been house actually be making a bad first impression? My kids tactfully confirmed what the realtor was trying to cover up and pointed me in the direction of the you-bath-it salon.
While I was surprised to learn my house smelled like a kennel Chester was totally unaware he was the offensive odor. We made our way to the pet supply store, me a bit embarrassed about the stink on the leash and he totally nonplussed.
The bathing station was decorated with ceramic tiles that rivaled most people bathing facilities. It sported beautiful faucets, luxurious towels and shelves filled with shampoos and conditioners for any type of furry friend; curly haired dogs, itchy dogs, old dogs, puppy dogs and stink dogs. This was luxury I wasn’t expecting – Chester was unimpressed.
The attendant showed me where to fasten my dog to the wall and suggested I do the fastening before turning the water on. He gave Chester the side eye perhaps having a vision of a startled Chesapeake leaping the ornate fence enclosing the bathing station and landing in the high end dog treats and toys displayed on the other side. I took a mental note. The kid chose stink dog shampoo and conditioner for us and handed me a towel.
Chester doesn’t mind a bath, he’s a water dog after all, but the site of all the wonderful paraphernalia on the other side of the fence made him more intense than usual. He pulled against his anchor and I hoped the fastener would hold.
Well, the fastener held and half an hour later Chester was as fresh as a flower. I paid my ten dollars and signed up for the frequent bather program.
The house took a tad longer to de-stink but the effort was totally worthwhile – a week after the discovery of the Febreze in the closet a buyer walked through the door. We are outta here in eighteen days. It turns out the fragrance of stink-dog shampoo is the same as the sweet smell of success.
Comments (1)
Excellent!