by Sara A Broers

Created on: May 15, 2008

The long,brown ears fall back quickly and the tail goes right between the legs. The dreaded word "bath" has came out of my thirteen year old son's mouth. Now, Wally is his dog and bath time can be quite the adventure. Living in Iowa proposes many unique challenges when bath time arises for an eighty pound dog.

During the winter, my son and Wally, will shower together. Wally has to be coaxed into the bathroom with a large dog treat. It is amazing that he will still fall for this old trick. I let the two of them be. The shower doors rattle and my son is continually telling Wally to stay down. It sounds as though a train is roaring through our home. Once the shower is somewhat completed, Wally will exit before my son. I usually wait with a large absorbing bath towel. The more water we will remove from his short brown hair, the fewer water spots we will have to wipe down from the walls. For whatever reason, he still manages to hop out of that shower and shake his "stuff" all over the place! If we had some disco music playing, he could possibly audition for "Dancing With the Stars." He has some terrific moves!

The warmer weather months bring new challenges at bath time, but overall the session is much easier to handle. We have a long green garden hose that will wash away the dirt and grime that have matted into Wally's fur. Again, the biggest problem is once the word "bath" is mentioned Wally will do anything to avoid a meeting with that garden hose. It can quickly become a game of hide-and-seek, as Wally will dart quickly between buildings. He also adds a little spice to the game, as he incorporates "tag" into the escapade. Once Wally is caught, the fun begins. He will huddle down and let the water fly. The soap suds begin to double in size. Within a few short minutes, the task is completed. We have a clean brown dog that smells exceptionally clean. How long the clean smell will last always remains to be seen, as it can be minutes or days. The worst possible encounter for him right after a bath would be a skunk or a dead animal. Living out in the country any of these things are possible.

Giving your family pet a bath can be a great experience. It is always fun and adventurous at our home. So, once that dreaded word "bath" is mentioned at your home take it all in good stride and know that excitement is about to begin!

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