Bathing Beauty

After our trip to the beach yesterday, it was time for a bath. Cabana LOVES her baths and might be happy to have one everyday. Too bad she has to go 6 weeks in between.

In the past when I've given her baths in our bathtub, I would pick Cabana up and put her in the water. Now at 50+ pounds, it's a bit hard on my back to lift Cabana, but I had every intention of doing that again this time.


(Erin, notice our humongo TN Vols cup! It's great for pouring water onto Cabana.)

This time, Cabana didn't give me a chance. After I ran the water for a while, just as I was going to pick her up, she gracefully hopped right in! She's not always willing to hop up or over things, so I hadn't even considered trying to get her to go in on her own.

I got in the tub with her so I could reach her more easily, slid the doors shut (thank goodness for shower doors, they make dog bathing so much easier), and after soaping and rinsing, I let the water drain out. She stood there calmly the whole time, then gave herself a good shake, after which I slid open the door. Again, I was just about to pick her up to take her out of the tub, but she hopped right out on her own! Such a smart and accommodating puppy!!


Here, Cabana dries off on top of and under towels, waiting patiently while I take my turn to get clean.

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Spring Cleaning

Judging from the blogs of other puppy raisers and dog owners, the spring sunshine means time for a good spring puppy cleaning. It is quite overdue for Cabana, but the last couple weeks have been chilly and rainy here. I didn't want muddy paws to spoil the results of a freshly cleaned doggy, so I waited until the rainy spell passed.

This was Cabana's first bath in the tub. Up until now, I've been hoisting her into the kitchen sink. Now weighing 44 pounds, those days are over. I put on shorts and a t-shirt and got in there with her, so I could shut the sliding doors and keep any watery messes contained.

Cabana seemed to enjoy being in the bathtub. She liked lapping up the water coming out of the faucet and stood patiently while I lathered her all over.


I bought a new shampoo because the cheapo stuff I had before smelled awful. It was lavender fragrance, which I normally like--but mixed in with eau de wet dog, it wasn't a good combo. Plus, I felt like I had to use tons of it, and it still wouldn't lather or spread around. This new shampoo by Earthbath is FABULOUS. It smells great, lathers copiously, has a nice thick consistency, and best of all, doesn't contain soap, so it won't dry out Cabana's skin. Although a couple more dollars than the previous bottle, it was worth every penny!


After the morning's excitement, a clean and naked (i.e. collarless) Cabana lays sleeping and drying in the sun.

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