Bath Day For My Dogs

Today was bath day for my dogs. Angel and Dory (left to right respectively) are nice and dry in the picture on the right. However tonight before I put them in their crates for the night I gave them each a bath. I do this to allow them time to dry off completely over night. As any dog owner who bathes their pet themselves it can be quite an ordeal; at least it is in our house.

I bathe them individually. Because they're rather smart they became aware of the impending cleansing the minute I take their special towels from off the top of their crates to the bathroom.

The majority of their resistance comes in getting them to the tub. Once I take off their collars they each try to get me to let them out the back door. They resist going down the hall until I "guide" them in that direction. Instead of taking the first right into the bathroom they both go left and try hiding in our bedroom. I believe they are hoping I will change my mind and just decide to go to bed. You know forget the whole thing. They each give me a look as if to say "Gee Ron it's so nice and cool in this room and look at that bed. Why don't you just call it a night?" Despite their attempt to put it off; again I coax them across the hall to their cleansing experience.

Angel's bath includes: lifting her into the tub twice because she jumps out during the rinsing processing; and using twice as much shampoo as I will on Dory due to her thick coat. She's relatively quite during the bath but resists every time I have to turn her one way or the other to rinse her off. After she shakes twice while the shower curtain is closed I dry her off with two towels. I open the door and give her the verbal command to go to her crate.

My knees are hurting from kneeling at the tub and are imprinted with the small squares of our tile floor. I am just about as wet as the dogs but I am only halfway done.

Once Angel is securely in her crate I put on my Indiana Jones hat and begin searching for Dory. By now she has found some place to hide where she thinks I won't find her. Her usual place is under my wife's feet. Paula is usually sitting at the computer room which is about as far away from the bathroom as you can get and still be in our house.

I find Dory sitting in front of my wife laying on her feet trying hard as she can not to be seen. I go through the same resistance routine as I did with Angel but finally get Dory into the tub.

With Dory most of the battle is getting her to understand that her bath is inevitable. Once she's in the tub and the water is turned on she becomes very quite and passive. I guess she just wants to get it over with. She's very cooperative and the bath takes half the time and trouble as Angel's.

Again the same shaking and drying routine follows the rinsing. Once the bathroom door is opened Dory hurries toward her crate but not before a quick detour. She runs into the computer room and rubs her ears on the carpet trying to dry them herself.

As a reward I give them a little larger serving of green beans in their dinner than usual. I mix their food with their favorite low cal vegetable, and fill their water bottles. I pet them both as I put their dishes into their crates. I make sure I pat them on the head and tell them what good dogs they are. I turn out the light and say "good night." Tomorrow their coats be dry, will feel soft and they will smell good once again.

One of their least favorite rituals is over again for another 6 weeks or so. What they don't know is that tomorrow night before bedtime they will get their monthly heartworm medicine and their flea and tick treatments. But that's not anywhere near as much trouble. In fact none of this is any trouble for me. I love my dogs and wouldn't know what do to without them. They are truly one of the best blessings in my life.