The Great Dog Wash

Went with Frankie’s family to Breamlea beach on Saturday morning. The weather was a bit spotty but everyone had a great time – exploring the dunes, etc. Pip and Frankie found a lost doggie toy and had a great game of tug-of-war.

Frankie and Pip play tug-of-war at Breamlea Beach. Photo by Mr Sinatra

 

And then I decided it was time to give Pip his first bath.

 

Mrs Sinatra had told me about the dog wash which is an adjunct to the car wash in Ocean Grove. I thought it would be great to go with her, as she could show me the ropes. So Frankie went in first – quite reluctantly it must be said. The dog wash is basically like a giant fish tank with a gate that you close your dog into. There’s a strap that you attach to the dog’s collar and then you put money in a slot and choose an option.

There’s shampoo, conditioning treatment, rinse, soft blow-dry and a host of other selections. MS brings her own doggie shampoo, puts a dollar in to rinse Frankie down and then lathers him up. She then puts in another dollar to rinse him off.

Pip watched and decided he didn’t like the look of it at all. He was straining at the lead in a ‘get-me-out-of-here’ kind of way. Luckily I had MS with me because it seems that bathing Pip is going to be a two person job. So we got him into the tank, me helpfully jamming his paw in the door!

I turned on the rinse function and began hosing Pip down. Pip jumped up with his paws over the edge of the tank, vainly trying to make a bid for freedom. I decided – given this was his first time and I was kind of underprepared (I didn’t have a towel) that I’d just rinse him for a minute and leave it at that. He was very unimpressed.