Would Fido fancy a facial?

From nail polish to mud baths, the barking-mad spa for pets

By Judith Summers
Updated: 10:08 BST, 11 November 2010

The lighting in the 治療 room is muted and soothing. Candles flicker on a shelf, rose-petals are scattered acros s the ?marble 床に打ち倒す, and the 空気／公表する smells of geranium aromatherapy oil.

I’m in London’s 最新の 高級な spa, on the fourth 床に打ち倒す of Harrods. Only it’s not me blissed out on the massage （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, it’s George, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

While George snoozes, a Labradoodle (a cross between a labrador and a poodle) in the 治療 room opposite is on the Fit Fur Life treadmill, guided by a personal trainer. And in the grooming room, a 巨大（な） white poodle is having his curls expertly teased into a 流行の／上流の afro.

Pampered pooch: Judith begins George's spa make-over by washing her pet and giving him a massage

At the Pet Spa in Harrods, which opens this week, everything from 栄養 協議s to nail-絵 is on 申し込む／申し出 to the 井戸／弁護士席-heeled dog, cat or even ferret ― at a price.

A Thalassotherapy mud bath will 始める，決める Rover’s owner 支援する £49.95, 十分な 団体／死体 grooming 上向きs of £85, 高級な ?massage £125, and Reiki 傷をいやす／和解させるing £175. This, the brochure solemnly 知らせるs me, is ‘a ?傷をいやす／和解させるing method adminstered by laying on 手渡すs...?channelling energy to the a?nimal’.

But isn’t all that rather a lot to spend on dog-grooming in a 後退，不況? Not so, says Pet Spa 経営者／支配人 Stephanie Mehanna, the creative brains behind the new 投機・賭ける.

In Harrods Pet Kingdom, ‘Chewy Vu itton’ handbag-形態／調整d cushions cost £119, diamante collars £530, 水晶-studded gold-lam? Robert ?Cavalli dog-coats £249, and Perspex dog beds £1,200. Compared with these, the £295 I’m 支払う／賃金ing for today’s 開会／開廷／会期 seems a 取引.

Stephanie’s enthusiasm is so 感染性の that the idea of olive oil baths for tortoises, waterless shampoos for gerbils and one-to-one kitten 協議s soon begins to ??sound?.?.?.井戸／弁護士席?.?.?.?normal. Or have I gone barking mad?

I’ve come in with George for a 手渡すs-on Learn to Groom Your Pet day, ‘the ultimate in pet grooming education’. George looks 疑わしい ― the last time I 試みる／企てるd to 削減する him, he ended up with a Mohican.

Relaxed: George seems to be enjoying his 治療

But on Sunday he’s helping me to 裁判官 the Prettiest Bitch contest at the Kennel Club’s Discover Dogs show at Earls 法廷，裁判所, so the old boy needs to get spruced up.

Zipped into an 全体にわたる in the grooming room, I let 長，率いる Stylist Alison Rogers advise me on how to 解除する my portly pom-pom of a dog on to a grooming （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, and attach him with a harness to the stainless-steel contraption above.

George relaxes with Alison. He seems to sense that she’s the Vidal Sassoon of dog groomers, who, as a member of the England Grooming Team, （機の）カム third in the World 選手権 last year.

A plain-speaking Northerner, ?Alison 根気よく but 堅固に shows me how to clip George’s toenails and 小衝突 絡まるs and dead hair out of his coat without 原因（となる）ing 苦しめる.

Next, we 適用する and massage in a hydrating blueberry-and-vanilla facial that will gently exfoliate George’s 肌 and 除去する the 涙／ほころび-stains ― where moisture has seeped into his fur from his 注目する，もくろむs.

Then we swaddle him in a towel and carry him to a large stainless steel 気圧の谷 for a moisturising paw massage and 補充するing oatmeal shampoo.

削減する: Next it's a fur 削減（する） by a professional

He looks like a 溺死するd ネズミ, so Alison uses a megablaster ― 基本的に, a 逆転する vacuum cleaner ― to blow some of the moisture and dead hair out of George’s coat. Then it’s 支援する to the grooming （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する to be blow-乾燥した，日照りのd and trimmed by me in 十分な 見解（をとる） of a small audience outside the spa’s glass 塀で囲む.

As the 星／主役にする of two doggie 調書をとる／予約するs I’ve written, George relishes this 肉親，親類d of celebrity attention. Under Alison’s snip-by-snip 監督, I painstakingly transform my shaggy old boy into a show-stopper.

I’m so carried away I 熟視する／熟考する 調書をとる／予約するing George in next week for a £39.95, hour-long Deluxe Pet Pedicure. This 含むs a milk-?thistle paw soak and steam 治療, a ビタミン-濃厚にするd between-the-pads massage, and claw-絵 with pet-friendly nail varnish of the 肉親，親類d that David and Victoria Beckham’s Bulldog Coco was spotted wearing in LA. But I finally decide this would be a beauty 治療 too far.

George’s 注目する，もくろむs gleam when, after a final spritz of ?Harrods pet perfume, he’s given a plate of iced ‘pupcakes’ and carob eclairs from the in-蓄える／店 Canine Cookie Company.

Now the outer dog is taken care of, it’s time for the inner beast. 最高の，を越す dog trainer and behaviourist 略奪する?ert Alleyne, of BBC TV’s Dog Borstal fame, is on call to advise on behavioural problems. I 自白する that George no longer shows any enthusiasm for walkies.

Looking 'ten years younger': George with a 井戸／弁護士席-groomed coat after his spa day

Like all dog trainers, Robert knows that the answer to problem pets ?usually lies in their owners’ behaviourand I can sense that, behind his friendly smile, he’s sizing me up.

But rather than sending me その上 （軍の）野営地，陣営, he 示唆するs ‘incentivising’ George by rewarding him with his favourite 扱う／治療するs for getting as far as the 前線 door.

‘Once you get him out of the house in a 肯定的な でっちあげる，人を罪に陥れる of mind, he should be all 権利,’ he 追加するs.

However, if 12-year-old George really doesn’t want to go out, there’s no point in 軍隊ing him. ‘You could just leave him at home and 減ずる his food intake a little,’ I’m advised.

After his pampering, George trots cockily out of Harrods on his leash, looking ten years younger.

He flounces off 負かす／撃墜する the ro 広告, turning 長，率いるs at every step. Though I say it myself, he looks 素晴らしい.

The Badness Of King George by Judith Summers is published by Penguin, at £6.99.

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