Leo's Surprise

Since The Trusty Companion didn't get to make the first trip of the year, I feel obligated to give him a post of his own. After all, he is a co-host of this blog.

When I returned from the Spring trip, I found Leo in pretty sad shape. During the cool months, when Leo wears his coat long, I try to give him a bath weekly. This keeps his coat fairly white, soft and fluffy. It also keeps him smelling pretty good.

However, toward the end of the season his coat gets so long it begins to mat if he isn't brushed regularly. So, by the time I got home from my trip, Leo had been well over two weeks without a bath and had been out in the yard a lot. His coat was oily, he smelled pretty ripe and was really beginning to shed in patches.

As a reward for his patients waiting for me while I was gone (and to make him pleasant to be around) I got him to the groomer on Monday. Since the weather is warming, I ordered him up a summer cut and also treated him to a pawdicure and ear cleaning. I'm sure he felt quite pampered, right?

When I picked him up I was treated to quite a surprise. Leo has grown spots!

 I'm not sure if these are new or if this year his coat was cut a little longer than last year. But in either case, he has clearly developed tan and gray spots on his back and neck and the spot near his tail has grown larger and multicolored. These spots don't show up at all when his coat is long and I don't recall ever noticing them when he has been trimmed for summer before. I think they look real good and Leo seems to be pleased with the overall feel of the shorter trim.

So, now he's fresh and preened and ready for his travels during the upcoming months.

Pappy