Bath Time

This weekend, everyone got baths. It is the one time I truly appreciate our current dogs’ small size.

Moree hated baths, but wanted to attack the water, making giving him a bath a bit of an adventure. Trying to prevent him (and his long hair) from jumping out of the tub once he was done often resulted in us being as wet as he was.

Smokey thought a bath was punishment. He would crawl in the tub and huddle in the far corner, looking like this was the worst thing ever. I was always afraid I would hurt him by trying to move him in to position to actually wash him.

Neither Larry nor June loves being bathed. They will try to get out of the tub, but it really only takes one hand to keep them in, instead of my whole body like it did for Moree. And Smokey, once he was done, there was no stopping him, and getting him back in the tub felt like I was torturing him.

Larry and June also bathe quickly since they are small and have short hair. It does take a little longer in the summer when there have been daily dog park trips, (Larry’s little legs and feet seem to be able to hold half the sand from the dog park) but coming out of winter, my biggest concern is that our house is warm enough while they are wet. Larry just wants the entire experience done. June doesn’t like the bath, but she actually loves getting dried off. She’ll even roll around and squirm on the towel.

And then, there’s Howie. C helped me bathe Howie because we were worried about him keeping his balance in the tub. (His legs sometimes shake.) Like with all things (well, except when he thinks he’s going to be left behind) Howie took it calmly, and just stood there while he got soaped and rinsed. He did well getting dried off, too.

However, I’d forgotten one thing about dogs with kind of a double coat- how much hair comes out when they are being washed. I think we got enough hair off Howie in the tub to make two mice. Later, we brushed him and got enough hair to make another mouse. I brushed him again hours later, another mouse.

In fact, every time I sit to pet him right now, I end up covered in Howie hair. I don’t mind the shedding, and he feels extra, extra soft, but I am feeling a little guilty for not doing the bath sooner, if there’s been that much coat waiting to come off of him.