Betty led Jen to the steel-topped counter and turned to look her over again.
"Well," she said with an exaggerated sigh, "I must say this is probably one of the most unusual orders ever given to me. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. I am well prepared for whatever Ms. Lockehart might throw at me. Now then, please strip and hop up on the exam table."
"Whuh?" Jen replied, her mouth hanging open in shock.
"Strip and hop up on the table." Betty repeated. "All of our... students... must undergo an exam and grooming to ensure that they are fit and healthy for our training regimen. No exceptions."
"Exam? But aren't you a vet? I'm not exactly..."
"Perfectly understandable." Betty replied with a smile. "I am not just any vet, I am the head medical examiner for this facility. I have trained not just in veterinary medicine, but also as a Physician's Assistant. Since there are dogs of wildly varying temperaments in our care there must be medical staff for humans in case of accident or injury. Since you are an extra special case Ms. Lockehart assigned me to personally perform your induction exam and grooming. I assure you that I have all the proper qualifications to do so."
Jen gulped. The anxiety was bubbling away inside of her, nagging at her. She looked at Betty's open and honest face. This woman seemed trustworthy, and she did want to do everything right after all. With one last bit of hesitation Jen stripped off her clothing and sat, naked, on the cold steel surface of the exam table.
It was the strangest medical exam Jen had ever experienced. Much of it was familiar. Checking vitals, examining nose, eyes, and ears, etc; but Betty performed all of these checks as if Jen was just a dumb animal. She never told Jen to move, just pulled and poked until she was in the desired position, usually on all fours. Jen was especially shocked when she suddenly popped a lubed thermometer up her butt. It was too thin to hurt her, but it was still very uncomfortable. The exam ended with a very brief vaginal inspection. Jen blushed heavily at Betty's comments on how pink and healthy she looked "down there." With the exam finished, Betty helped Jen down off the table and led her to the steel tub.
"I have been given special instructions of how you are to be groomed." Betty explained as she helped Jen clamber into the steel basin. "Ms. Lockehart is very particular about appearances. Did you know she breeds champion show dogs? She is quite proud of her pedigrees, every generation has spawned at least one prize winner. If I didn't know better I'd say she probably sees you as no different from them. She might even try to enter you into the state show next month!"
Betty laughed uproariously at her little joke and Jen managed a weak chuckle. The bath was just as odd as the exam, though a lot more comfortable. Betty had Jen stay on all fours while she scrubbed her from head to foot, making sure to get every crack and crevice, even between her toes. Betty explained that the shampoo they used was a house recipe that was so high quality that most of the staff took home bottles to use for themselves. It kept hair and skin smooth and healthy for both humans and canines. Jen found the scent to be incredibly soothing, and with the warm water and Betty's soft but firm hands caressing her she found herself relaxing more and more. She didn't even hear the buzz of the clippers until the second clump of hair fell to the bottom of the tub in front of her face.
Jen shrieked and tried to throw herself as far from Betty as she could within the confines of the tub, but Betty had a firm grip on her shoulder and held her in place. She turned the trimmers off and began making soothing noises at Jen while stroking her bare back with her free hand.
"Hush now," she half whispered, "I did tell you that Ms. Lockehart gave me special instructions. She doesn't care for long-haired breeds and insists that any dog she trains be trimmed to a standard length. Look, I'm not shaving all of it off, not at all. Just trimming it up short. Short hair is in right now with girls your age anyways and you'll look very cute when I'm done with you. Look."
Betty fumbled around on a nearby shelf until she came up with a hand mirror. She held it up in front of Jen so she could see herself. Jen saw that the spots that had already been cut were well on their way to being as cute and stylish as Betty had promised. She ignored the anxious feelings that had welled up again and nodded at Betty to continue. Betty was kind enough to prop up the mirror so that Jen could observe her transformation. She was quite skilled with the trimmer and in no time she had trimmed Jen's hair into a boyish and cute style. Then she had Jen lie on her back while she made a couple of passes over her pubes as well. Jen had never bothered trimming up that region beyond maintaining her bikini line. She felt odd looking down at the short and fluffy patch that had replaced the dense bush she was used to. Betty gave her one last rinse and helped her back out of the tub.
After a rather pleasant blow-dry Jen was led back to the table and told to sit while Betty prepared the final step in her transformation. From a box on a nearby counter Betty pulled several leather items. The first was quite obviously a collar. Betty showed Jen the metal tag, it had 'Jennifer' etched on it in curly cursive with a tiny heart dotting the I. She secured it around Jen's neck, it was a snug fit but oddly comfortable as well. Next were some pads that were strapped onto Jen's knees and another thinner set that covered the tops of her feet. Betty explained that these were to cushion her knees and keep her feet from getting damaged by any rough surfaces she may crawl on. Finally there was a pair of fingerless gloves with pawprint pads on the palms. The pads were thick enough that Jen couldn't curl her fingers in very far, it would be extremely difficult to grip anything while wearing them. Betty stepped back and admired her work.
"You know," she mused, "When Ms. Lockehart first told me about you and how we were going to enroll you in the training program I was quite skeptical. But looking at you now I have to admit that there is a certain charm to it all. Normally I don't have much to do with our students after the intake exam, but I think I'll be following up with you throughout your training. Just to see how you turn out. Plus you are very cute, I want to see more of you."
Jen sat on the table and blushed again. All of this was very strange, but for some reason it also felt oddly right. The anxious feeling reared its head again and Jen felt some thought trying to force itself to the front of her mind. Some part of her was screaming that something was utterly wrong. That she needed to remember something important. She shook her head to clear it and the shake became a shiver that ran down her entire body. She forced the thoughts back and tried to focus on the here and now. She was at obedience school with her dog and she was going to enjoy it. Speaking of which.
"Um," Jen half whispered, "The receptionist said that you keep the boys separate from the bit- from the girls, is that true? It's just that... I came here to keep Rex company... So he wouldn't be scared so far from home..."
"Yes, I heard about that. Very loyal of you to want to keep your doggy happy. I think Ms. Lockehart plans to allow you to visit each other throughout the month, supervised of course, so that neither of you will get lonely. It's not how we usually do things, but what is usual about this anyways?"
She reached out and gave Jen an affectionate pat on the head. Jen almost objected to this, but it did feel oddly comforting having her newly cut hair ruffled by this nice lady. She closed her eyes and leaned into it. Betty laughed.
"That's a good girl. Hop down now and I'll call Ms. Lockehart to come and collect you. Best not to keep her waiting."
Jen pushed herself off the table and landed awkwardly on her feet. The kneepads were somewhat curved and kept her from straightening her legs properly. Likewise, the leather covers on her feet were locking her ankles, keeping her feet pointed and forcing her to stand on her toes. It was uncomfortable, bordering on painful, to stand like this. Betty reached out and took her arm before she lost her balance and fell.
"Get down on all fours, love." she instructed. "That's how a proper dog walks. The pads are designed to help remind you as well as protect you."
Jen dropped to her hands and knees. The pads were surprisingly comfortable, cushioning and cradling what would for the next month be her 'feet.' She made a few experimental movements and found that it was quite easy to crawl around. The cement floor wasn't a problem for her new leather accessories. While Jen tested her new position in life, Betty walked over to a desk and picked up the phone. After a brief and quiet chat she hung it up again and returned to her charge. Jen looked up at her as she approached.
"So," she asked hesitantly, "Do I put on my old clothes or do you have a special outfit to go with these pads?"
Betty stared at her blankly for a moment, then started laughing again. Jen was a little put off by this. The woman managed to bring herself under control and answer Jen.
"No, sweetie." she giggled, "That is your entire outfit. You're here as a student, and all of our students are dogs. Dogs don't wear clothing. That would be ridiculous. I actually had to convince Ms. Lockehart that the pads were necessary for your health and wellbeing, and I was almost unsuccessful. You're lucky that we allow dogs with sensitive pads to wear booties. It was the only argument I could find that worked. Everything else was vetoed. Though I also managed to secure a doggy cape for you if you have to go outside in the rain."
Jen stared up at her in horror. She was going to be naked? The whole time?! The cape wasn't any consolation. Betty held up the aforesaid garment, it was just a standard plastic raincover that you could find in any petshop. All it would cover was her back and head leaving everything else exposed. The anxiety that she had forced back surged again, stronger than ever. Tears began to well up in her eyes and she let out a frightened sob. Betty tossed the cape aside and crouched down next to her. She began stroking Jen's head and back while making soothing noises like she had during her grooming.
"It's okay baby, don't cry. No one is going to care what you aren't wearing while you're here. Ms. Lockehart made it very clear that you were here as a student and gave strict instructions on how everyone was supposed to treat you. If anyone says or does anything out of line they will be fired on the spot and trust me when I say that no one wants to lose their job here. Ms. Lockehart is quite well known in these parts. Get blacklisted by her and you might have to leave the country to find someone willing to employ you again."
She reached up and pulled a wet-wipe from a box and began wiping Jen's tears away.
"You want to be a good girl, right? Good girls obey the rules. You have to obey the rules in order to stay here and keep Rex company. You still want to do that, right?"
Jen nodded.
"Good girl. Ms. Lockehart will be here in a moment. Let's show her how much of a good girl you can be, okay? No more tears. Just hold your head high and be proud that you're willing to go so far for your beloved Rex!"
Jen sniffled a bit. The anxiety was screaming at her that this was wrong, that Betty was crazy. But somehow Betty's words were brushing those feelings aside, soothing them back to wherever they had sprung from. She shook herself again, almost like a dog would, then gritted her teeth. She was going to do this. For Rex!
The door to the room opened.