It Took Both of Them to Give Cocoa a Bath. Look at the Crown She Ended Up With.
The galvanized tub is foaming over with bubbles, and Cocoa is standing right in the middle of it, her chocolate curls soaked flat and stringy, with a little crown of suds sitting on top of her head. Frank and Marion lean over the rim from both sides in their cream cable-knit sweaters, each working shampoo into her coat with gentle hands and big, delighted grins. Cocoa gazes off to the side with the patient, slightly long-suffering look of a dog who has accepted her fate. Two blue sponges and a bar of soap float in the foam, and a basket of laundry, a garden bed, and a wooden fence fill the yard behind them.
Bathing a Poodle is a bigger job than it looks, so teamwork helps. Their curly, low-shedding coat traps loose hair and dirt, which means it can mat quickly if it is not brushed out thoroughly before bathing, since water tends to tighten tangles. A gentle shampoo made for dogs is best, as human products can irritate a dog's skin. Rinsing until the water runs completely clear prevents leftover soap from causing itchiness. Afterward, towel-drying and brushing as the coat dries help keep the curls smooth. Many Poodle owners also schedule professional grooming every several weeks to keep the coat at a manageable length and trimmed around the face and feet.
Cocoa may not be enjoying every moment, but she is in very loving hands. Soon she will be fluffy, fresh, and ready to show off her clean curls.
