Gracie has a dog show this weekend, so I have to drop her off with her handler tonight since I won’t be able to go tomorrow. But I think a day apart is going to do us both some good.

I was planing to bathe and groom her last night anyway, but when I got home Gracie was covered in mud. (The photos from a couple of posts ago were just practice for her. THIS? Way worse.) There was not a single freaking hair follicle or orifice that wasn’t saturated in the heavy-claylike mud we have in our yard. So I left her outside while I got her bath stuff all ready. Once I was situated, I picked her up (I was not about to let her track that through the house) and brought her into the guest bathroom.

She jumped in the tub—the good news is, until last night anyway, she likes baths—I jumped in after her and closed the shower door. I hosed her down for what seemed like 30 minutes, just trying to dislodge the dirt and mud and stank from her body.

When it looked like the water was running clear, I started to soap her up. I bought this shampoo called Filthy Animal and I was hoping it was going to be delivered before I had to bathe her. No such luck. So I used the stuff I usually use. It was clearly not up to the task last night. I worked through her whole body, got her good and lathered and scrubbed really well to get all her nooks and crannies. Then we rinsed for another 20-30 minutes. The water ran clean, but she still looked a little dingy, like a white towel that had been washed too many times.

I figured maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought, towel-dried her and then took her out to the garage to blowdry her on the grooming table. About an hour into drying her (she was only half dry at this point) I realized she was still filthy. (Insert full-body sigh here)

Back in the tub we went. (Any by “we” I do mean we. I usually get in some shorts and tank top, climb in with her and am as wet, if not more so, than she is by the time we’re done.)

We went through the whole process again. Rinsing off, lathering up, rinsing again. Back on the table and under the dryer we went.

I got her dry, but I think she could have used some No More Tears or something (I, however, had PLENTY of tears). I’m not sure I got all the shampoo out — she was a little tangled.

About halfway through drying her for the second time, she had enough. She was wiggly on the table, swating me with her paws, burrowing her head in my neck (which if someone was walking by would think was sweet, but I know she was really trying to suffocate me) and bleating about her disgust and annoyance.

Finally, four hours, two showers, and 50 pounds of swirling hair later, we were done. It was 11:30 and we were both exhausted.

And what sucks? I still have to go home tonight and comb her out some more to make sure I got everything cleaned up. A dog show mom’s job is never done.

This is Gracie’s brother, Kaden. He also won his first Major over 4th of July weekend. I mean, really, who WOULDN’T love a face like that?

Gracie won Best Opposite Sex at the Channel City Kennel Club on July 4, 2008!

Judge: Mr. James G. Reynolds

Beautifully handled by Susan Whitecotton

This? THIS is what I came home to last night.

Apparently, she hit the tequila pretty hard and passed out in a ditch.

Gracie has developed this habit of hugging me. In the morning when I’m rattling around in the kitchen getting her breakfast, she’ll meander out from her bed, jump up behind me and put her paws around my waist. She’ll just stand there like that hugging me from behind until I move.

It drives my husband nuts because he thinks I’m encouraging bad manners, but I know he’s just jealous.

This is the home of Gracie (aka Crazy Gracie, aka Couture’s Grace Under Fire). She is a purebred Samoyed and show dog—yup, straight out of Best in Show, although I hope we’re not that crazy.