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Timing

10 minutes ago
2 min read
photo taken earlier in the day
photo taken earlier in the day

So many things would be completely fine if they just didn't happen at the most inconvenience time.


Today . . . I was waiting for a delivery. I got the call that they were a few minutes out and went to grab Babu, put him in a happy little place so he didn't escape or go crazy on the men. I go outside, swiftly pick him up and get a massively unpleasant whiff that something was not right. He had apparently been in the middle of a feces massage in the bag yard when I called him over. I gagged as I scooped him up. I took off his collars, which confirmed my suspicion with a caked brown substance, and in a superhero fashion (it was all that blurry), I doused him in Dawn dish soap for his initial bath, yelled out the window to two men in my driveway that I was on my way down, scrubbed him down, quick rinse, wrapped him in a snuggly blanket and put him in his crate. I think all the training of inconvenient diaper explosions over years, i've become a part of an elite squad equipped me with this agile ability.


After the men left, I had to resume the process of removing the stink from my beloved little dog all why wondering, "why do dogs do this?" I mean pigs, I know, roll around in their unsavory pens to cool off, but a suburban, air-conditioned-ly privileged pet would need to do this.


I did a little research -- now worries, good old Google, no water wasted here:


Main Reasons Dogs Roll in Gross Things


Masking and Camouflage: Wild wolves and dogs may roll in strong-smelling substances to hide their natural odor. This helped their ancestors blend into the environment so they could sneak up on prey without

being detected. (Chipmunks beware).


Pack Communication: A long-standing theory suggests that dogs roll in a strong or interesting scent to "collect" it and carry it back to the rest of their pack. By bringing back the smell of a carcass or feces, they might be broadcasting information about what they found. (He is an only pet so this one is out).


Broadcasting Discoveries: Some animal behaviorists note that rolling on or near a find acts like a billboard, advertising to other dogs that something significant or pungent is right there. (Explains why other dogs steer clear of him on walks).


Sensory Pleasure and Fun: To a dog with an extraordinary sense of smell, a decaying animal or pile of waste is not "gross"—it is an intense, fascinating sensory experience that they simply enjoy. (Gross. Why is my dog so gross?)


Babu counters that he did not ask to be domesticated and this, and he does have a point here, is essentially my fault. I would now like my dinner, fresh water, and my fish toy thrown for 40 minutes.


 
 
 

Comments


a picture says so much

#1 

What cannot be cured, must be endured.  In Michigan that means the weather.  Get outside, trust me, it does make it better.

 

#2

Instead of texting, meet up with a friend.  If that's not possible, make a phone call.  Voices are amazingly comforting.

 

#3

Find your humor.  You need it in life.

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