I will admit I am not the best at dog maintenance.  I walk them, feed them good quality food, make regular visits to the vet, but the grooming part, not so good. Today, after ignoring it on my ‘to do’ list for weeks, I finally remembered it was time to brush, trim, and clip.  My dear, beautiful, sweet dogs are not keen on this activity, but resign themselves to my gentle ministrations, usually with a groan, a deep, sad sigh, and a look of slight panic in their eyes.  There is no cowering or hiding, just a little passive resistance: falling over onto the side I am trying to brush, paws curled under their bodies, a paw twitch just as I have lined up the toenail clipper, and sitting down as I am trying to trim tail feathers.  Hair brushed and trimmed, full body massage, toenail maintenance sounds like a spa day to me, to the dogs though it is only tolerable because of the food bribes.