She must think me incredibly dim. It is a regrettable human trait to dismiss what we do not comprehend.

Putting on her harness, wiping her feet, drying her, brushing her. Every routine which involves touching her triggers the same response: tugging away, leaping around and play nibbling. Sometimes it takes several minutes to put on her harness. But once it’s on she’s wagging her tail and keen to be off.

When we were in Wales, Polymath said, “What do you expect? She doesn’t know what you are going to do.”

Yes. She’s right. However thoughtful one thinks one is being, dismissing behaviour which we don’t understand seems to be a hard-wired human trait. If it’s inconvenient and annoying to us we blame the perpetrator.

Of course Isis is suspicious because, unlike most animals, she can’t see or hear what’s coming. Other dogs observe the preparations and know what is about to happen. (And if it’s a bath, they can run off!) The first thing poor Isis is aware of is a strap being dragged over her ear or a paw being assaulted by a wet cloth.