A better education...

Myrtle needs a better education.

Yesterday, she cleaned out and pulled the curly hair from inside my ears. [I HATE this process].  Then, she gave me a hair cut.  After that, she got out the detangler and worked on some mats on my neck and beneath my ears.  Finally, she finished her puppy torture by giving me a bath.  Yes, the bath was followed by my near favorite activity: being swaddled and cradled in Myrtle's lap for a long as I like (usually several hours).  However, the entire afternoon was too much stress on a still-developing, innocent puppy!

I was so exhausted from the strain of so much angst over the pain of having things pulled and cleaned from my ears, the terror of having snipping scissors clipping all over my body (Myrtle has twice now actually cut my skin instead of my hair, first my chest and then my leg), and the agony of the mixture of the fear of having that stuff spritzed so close to my face and the pain of having a comb dragged through a section of tangled hair until enough clumps come out so that it can be easily combed once more.

Puppy mommas need to be properly educated regarding how dangerous it is to pile stress and strain on an innocent puppy.  Baths are good.  Detangling mats is even a good and proper process.  Hair cuts, when you have wildly curly hair, are needful.  Even...though I am loathe to admit it...cleaning out wax and curly hair from inside a fellow's ears is necessary.  However, all of those things are a bit confusing and rather stressful.  And two of them are painful.  A fellow needs time to recover.  A fellow needs time to...forgive.  Just because you understand that being hurt by your beloved puppy momma is something that has to happen does not mean that you can easily accept it.

I think Myrtle has learned her lesson.  I think.  I mean, she held me all last night and started whispering apologies when I was still napping hours later.  She was still telling me what a great little puppy dog I was when we finally headed up to bed, my having spent the entire evening conked out, first in her arms and later curled up behind her head whilst she stretched out in the GREEN chair.  I think she understands the whole afternoon was just too much.  I think she understands she should never again attempt all that grooming at the same time, subject me to all that stress and strain.  At least I hope she does.


This is my life with Myrtle.  Amos Adams signing off!