Grooming Day Disaster: Mok, a Puddle and a Pink Bow

Every Saturday morning, Mok gets groomed. It is the high point of his week. He knows the sound of the scooter turning into the lane near Patong beach, he starts to dance on the spot, and by the time we arrive he is already pulling me through the door of the salon. A Poodle with a curly silver-grey coat needs a lot of care in this humid weather, and he treats the whole thing like a spa day.

This particular Saturday started perfectly. Mok was washed, blow-dried, trimmed into his best cloud shape and finished with a small pink bow on his head, chosen by the groomer, who told me he looked like a movie star. I paid, thanked her, and carried my shining dog out into the street. It had rained heavily the night before, and the sois of Patong were full of puddles.

I had a plan. We would walk the fifty metres to the scooter along the dry edge of the road. Mok had a different plan. Halfway there, a tuk-tuk driver waved at him. Mok, who adores every human being, jumped with joy, pulled the lead out of my hand and ran straight into the biggest puddle of the street. He did not just step into it. He lay down. He rolled on his back with all four legs in the air, and the pink bow floated away like a small boat.

I stood there with my mouth open. The tuk-tuk driver laughed so hard he had to sit down. Mok sat up, brown from nose to tail, and looked at me with the biggest Poodle smile I have ever seen. The silver cloud was now the colour of a chocolate milkshake.

We went back to the salon, where the groomer put her hands on her head and then, kindly, did it all again. She told me that Poodle coats show everything, and that a wet-ground rule is a good idea after rain. I asked her about checking his ears, because wet ears can bring problems, and she showed me how to dry them properly and said to ask the vet if I ever see redness or smell.

Now we walk to the scooter with a short lead and a firm face. Mok still dances in the street. The bow, by the way, was returned to us by a shop owner, washed and dried. Patong people are the best.