Noodle, the Groomer, and a Very Long Afternoon

I have had dogs all my life, but I had never seen one take a grooming appointment so personally. Noodle is my seven-year-old Thai Ridgeback, a sleek, sandy-colored girl with a strong sense of dignity. The groomer in Chatuchak, a patient woman who has seen everything, promised a quick bath and trim.

Noodle disagreed. She went limp like a wet noodle on the table, which made me laugh even though I was annoyed, and she refused to stand for the blow dryer. At one point she sat down, looked at me across the room, and sighed the sigh of a dog who has been wronged.

We got home three hours later, smelling of shampoo and pure defiance. She sleeps now with her new coat fluffed up like a cloud. Some days I wonder whether she is more patient with us than we are with her.