Diesel takes a bath

Pre-bath

We've had a new and unpleasant smell in the house lately. It seemed to start with the rainy days we  had Monday and Tuesday. We've had rainy days before and wet dog smell is never pleasant, but the new element in the house this time is Diesel. He has a LOT of fur, he's low to the ground, and he just recently came from an out-of-state shelter. I think he may have brought along some shelter stench dried on his fur which reactivated with the recent rains. So, after spending much of the day cleaning the house, I took Diesel to a dog wash late this afternoon.

The store manager was aghast that I brought my own bottle of Dawn to use instead of their shampoo. Perhaps I looked like an idiot, but listen, this is not my first time at a dirty dog rodeo. I wanted the dog clean, squeaky clean. I actually do want the grease and oils removed from his fur along with the dirt and odors they carry. This is not some little lap dog who gets a weekly bath. This dog just came from a shelter. So hold the judgmental look and the lecture about your all-natural, organic oatmeal shampoo. I came to wash a dirty dog, not to make a vegan breakfast. What would have been actually helpful was a scrubbing device or rake to remove dead fur, but I'll tackle that tomorrow when he's fully dry.

For his part, Diesel was wonderful. I had to lift him up and into the tub, but he sat, didn't fight it, didn't shake, and let me take my time working the suds into his thick fur all over his body and then rinsing him until the water ran clear. It clearly wasn't his first bath, but I suspect it was his first one in a long time. We toweled him off more when we got home, but I think I'll let him camp out in the kitchen tonight on dog beds covered with towels. He really is an incredibly nice guy, good dog, and very easy foster.