Why, why, why…

Ever had one of those “perfect” days where the sky is blue and it’s just you and your furry friends enjoying the outdoors. Playing ball and roaming off leash. Wiggling around in the tall grass. Sniffing all those lovely doggie smells. Then one of the four-legged kids comes back covered in shit!

My two pitties and the little terror (terrier) each have their own way when playing off leash in the overgrown patch we frequent a few minutes’ drive from our home. Hila wants to play ball, Miki wants to roam and chew his ball and Honey Girl (HG) usually stays close. This is the daily routine and the way we begin our walk. It gives me a chance to exercise Hila, my most energetic of the bunch, or the walk will be challenging. Remember, I did say I was a new dog parent. We don’t quite speak the same language yet, but I believe the dogs speak more human than I speak dog.

On one of these very memorable not so routine days, Hila was off sniffing around before returning with her ball. Suddenly, I saw her on her back wiggling on the ground and the red flag goes up. Please, please just be rolling in the grass. She stood up and was very brown in places she wasn’t before. “Hila, come here” I yell. I think I smelt her before I saw her. This was some fresh shit. This time I was in shock. I could see steam coming off the wet chunks stuck to her fur. It was smeared everywhere. I mean literally. From the top of her head, behind her ear, on the side of her jaw, her collar and harness to the side of her body. Why, why, why I ask expecting no answer as she returns the ball oblivious to her odiousness. I was mortified. How could my sweet baby do this to me, again? Now we must cut the outing short because Hila needs a bath. Oh joy!

On that memorable day, my mother and her dog, Kope, were with me, so I put my other two in the car and asked my mom to drive them home. Luckily, we were not far from home and so I walked stinky home. I live in Hawaii, we don’t have skunks so I can’t really compare but I have been around a dog who has rolled around in funky animal carcass and damn, we could not get the stink out for a long time. Well this was like that. This fresh shit just stunk around. I washed her several times. I also generously sprayed her with a long lasting scent cologne used to deodorize. I don’t know what was worse.

Hila is not the only one to do this. They will all choose to roll in some sweet-to-dog smelling shit but it’s normally Hila. So I guess Miki was due. He returns after his 15-minute romp covered in some green cow-pie looking shit on Friday’s daily walk. I know there are no cows in the area, deer maybe. Thankfully, it was not fresh and did not stink much but it was enough to warrant a shortened outing and a bath. Yes, happy joyjoy time. My pitties do not like water, except for splashing in puddles and walking in the rain. Bathes are a workout and I end up a back aching, waterlogged mess. Miki is my big, 89-pounder. Sweet boy but he doesn’t like bath time. I keep it as pleasant as I can but it needs to be done. 

When I tell him it’s “all pau” (all done) he does as a wet dog does (or at least my pitties do), he goes berserk and runs around rubbing himself on every surface he can. I continually call him back to dry him off and brush his coat but after my second much quicker workout, I’m done. Now he’s mad at me for washing away his stink. Oh the woes of being a dog mommy. His face will stay clean for a day or so before he rubs it back into the dirt as is his way. That’s my boy, Miki. I still don't know why.