Mud Baths

At the park, all the rain makes the grass look beautifully green, but really, it's just a thin veneer over squelchy, thick, unavoidable MUD.

Puddles like this one are preferable to the muddy grass. At least the puddle has a higher water-to-dirt ratio, making it much easier to clean off.

It doesn't help when your pals roll you around in the mud.

"Hmmph, what's wrong with the way I look?" Honestly, I don't know how people with dark dogs manage--I like being able to see the mud clearly so I can make sure Cabana is clean.

Cabana HATES being sprayed with cold water from the garden hose, even in summertime--she barks and skitters around, making it impossible to do a thorough job, getting me drenched in the process. After weeks of battling mud, and with many more weeks of war to wage, I invested in this Waterpik handheld showerhead. What a cinch to install, and it makes life SO much easier! Cabana jumps right into the tub--she loves the warm water being sprayed on her so she's extremely cooperative.

For the past two years, I've been putting Cabana in the tub and using a plastic cup to pour water over her--talk about low tech! It was a HUGE cup, but still just a cup. Not only did that waste a lot of water, it took a long time, wasn't very effective, and provided no water pressure. The Waterpik is effortless, has GREAT water pressure to get all the way down to the skin, and even has a water-off switch to save water while I'm soaping Cabana (which I only do sparingly, usually doing just a quick rinse to get the mud off). My only complaint is why I didn't buy this two years ago?!