One Dog’s Opposition to Bath Day
My dog stood his ground, and the lesson I learned
Morgan’s point of view:
Today, I stand my ground for all my canine compatriots! We will not be humiliated by this unacceptable form of water torture! How dare this human drag me by my cherished collar to this pit of dastardly despair. First, I was plied with sweet words. Then this betrayal. This is unconscionable.
Update:
Once the human was finished with her completely unnecessary endeavor, to my bemusement I must admit that I do feel rather refreshed.
My point of view:
Bathing this boy is always such a difficult task for both him and me. Morgan relives the trauma of having an accelerant poured over him every time liquid hits his body.
I know this from his reaction to the application of any form or amount of liquid. Peroxide for wounds. Rain from the sky. Water spilled on him by accident. It doesn’t matter what or how it is applied.
After much observation and consideration, eventually I found that a loofah hand mitt with buckets of water caused the least amount of stress to my brave boy.
Getting him to his “wash station” is the first hurdle. There is much sweet talk and love involved. A tiny bit of pulling and pushing is also necessary. Now, mind you, he weighs almost as much as I do. So he could full stop at any moment. I wouldn’t be able to do anything without his lift harness in that case.
Once the brave boy is at the wash station, the real struggle begins. His emotional and physical struggle to trust that I won’t set him ablaze like his former owner is palpable. And my emotional struggle to have caused him distress is intense.
Once we get through to the end of the ten-minute ordeal, I always feel like he and I scaled Everest together once more.
What I have learned from this big brave bastard (I call him this because of his stubborn streak) is that nothing is too much to handle unless you allow it to be. The only way to accomplish goals is to keep fighting your way forward even if you are terrified of the outcome.
Never have I been set on fire or tortured. I have had my own struggles. Sexual assault, domestic violence, homelessness, near death, health issues… things that I wasn’t sure I would survive. Yet nothing compares to what he endured.
Morgan is a light in the darkness. The example of courage, of strength that we all need at times to make life work for us. Not the other way around.
Be like Morgan. Go forward through the fear.
