Yesterday I was grooming both Elsa and Riggs. I finished grooming Elsa on the floor; because since her spinal stroke she is very apprehensive about going on the table, so I sit on the floor. It is not the most comfortable way to groom a standard poodle but it is what I do for her. As I swept up the clippings from Elsa I got the table ready for the next one.
Riggs has a love/hate relationship with grooming. As I tell all of my poodle puppies, I told him that grooming was a fact of life for him and he better get use to it. It has taken a great amount of dedicated work to make his hate into an “okay for treats I’ll do it,” idea. As soon as I set up the table he tries to get up onto it. Typically he just puts his front paws up on the table and I hoist the rest of him. Occasionally he jumps up on his own but not often. I definitely prefer that he put his front up and wait for me to do the rest. That way he is not on the table sometime when I don’t even know he is on the table. Jumping off on their own is a big NO, NO and they are taught early on that getting off on their own is NEVER to happen.
So, Riggs was up on the table when I realized that it was far too quiet. He was being very good, as he is now about being groomed. We were in the garage which is where I workout now with COVID as both Elsa and Riggs watch. When working out I have my music blaring for some motivation to pump iron. When we are not in the garage/gym/grooming room, there is Christmas music playing though out the house. So as I groomed Riggs it was way too quiet, so I started to sing. His ears went up and I realized it was probably the first time he’d heard me sing.
I don’t sing, I am probably one of the worst sounded singers in the world, no I’m not kidding. My father passed this down to me…and it is a very rare moment that I sing. Of course like many people, I sing very loudly in the car, at home when no one is around or lip sync when I am required to sing something like Happy Birthday. You get the drift, horrible, horrible sounding singer. :)
But…Riggs loved it, I never knew this because I’ve never tried before. Within minutes of my singing his body relaxed and he was in a very mellow state. His eyes closed a little, and not in a bad “oh no” way…he was relaxing. Witnessing this transformation I kept on singing, even when I didn’t know the words. All the songs that I sang were Christmas, so when I forgot the words I just hummed and Riggs never knew the difference. The singing just changed his entire mood; and I have to say that it was very adorable.
When I stopped singing he would turn around and lick my face. This was all very new and he and I both loved it. It is not very often that I get to enjoy someone enjoying my singing. Of course I have sang to my kids when they were little and my grandchildren who have all loved my singing. It is isn’t until someone knows what sounds good and bad that they realize just how bad I am. They enjoy my singing as a moment shared.
Riggs loves my singing so I will sing to him often. This statement would make anyone who has heard me sing, laugh. It makes me laugh and I’m the one who is the horrible singer. I don’t care that I don’t sound wonderful when I sing. When I can gift something to a baby or dog, I will. Even if I have to shut up very quickly should someone arrive on the scene. :)