After spending a pretty confusing day with Mama Suz (Allison had to go "get advised" for her library school, and Rachel had to work), I was excited to have some time with all of my humans. I leapt, I sprang, I jumped, I hurdled. I panted until Allison and Daddy were sticky from my breath. Finally, Allison took me for a walk after supper. Surprise! Aroooooo! I made two new friends; a brother-sister pair of human-pups were taking a walk with their grandmama and Finnegan the shi-tzu. They laughed when I showed them my jumping tricks and said, "Wow, he's a wild little dog."
To which I answered, "Arruffrooo." Which means (roughly): "Thank you - I have wolves way back in my family tree." Allison and Rachel say all the time that I act like a "little wolf." I am a wauzer after all. Wauzers are fun and fierce!
Back home after the usual dives into bushes, mud sniffs, and bug hunts, my humans got a very silly idea. They decided that I needed a BATH! I didn't like this one bit, so I ran around trying to distract them with a game of chase instead. My plan didn't work. Allison cornered me and carried me to the tub with gentle but firm words. No bones about it, I was going to get clean. Arooooo!
See? I look ridiculous when I have a bath. Woof.
Once out of the tub, I fluffed myself out again with a good hard shake. There. Better. I still felt a bit silly though, as the hair on my bum was sticking up oddly. I whined at Allison. Just like always, she pulled out a book to make me feel better:
Gene Zion's Harry the Dirty Dog, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham, tells the story of a dog who HATES baths. One day Harry realizes he is due for a rub-a-dub-dub in his family's tub, so he runs away. Soon he is having a ball getting as dirty and smelly as he wants - until he tries to go home and his family doesn't recognize him!
Harry becomes a black dog with white spots when he gets dirty!
With a hero human-pups and dogs will relate to (Allison says that many human-pups don't like baths), this book is a funny, wonderful read. The illustrations add to the reader's understanding of Harry's emotions (from his hatred of baths to his joy at getting muddy to his loneliness when he realizes he misses his family). Feisty Harry is the highlight of this book, with no other character being so well-drawn and defined, personality-wise, as he. I give this book two [clean] paws up. Harry has helped me understand the importance of taking a bath once in awhile - imagine your family not recognizing YOU! Sometimes we must do things we don't like to be healthy and happy, and sometimes our family knows best. Rrruff! Best for human-pups ages 4-8.
Oh boy. Clean and smelling of that oatmeal soap stuff my family put on me, I'm going to bed. I'll leave you with this...next time you have to have a bath and want to try to escape, you gotta ask yourself: Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, pup?
Yours in baths and an admiration for Dirty Harry,
Sam I Am
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