Sunday ? a day of rest, a day for the family, a day to laze around. Sunday holds a very special meaning for all of us. But for my dog, Phoebe, it is a day for battle. A battle that never ends and comes every week. A battle that she always loses. A battle that she always fights hard. It is the day of her weekly cleansing that we fondly call ‘bath’.

For the rest six days, she is a regular visitor to the bathrooms. Intrigued by the marvels that lie within it, she is a guest of honour in there. But on Sundays, it is the most dreaded of all dungeons for her.

Initially, it was the duty of my mom and me to complete this Herculean task. For the first six months, it worked fine. Since then she has resigned from the post and refuses to give it a second thought. “I cannot handle that hurricane” is her response to my sincere requests. So the ardent task of cleanliness is left up to me.

It all begins with an honest call to play. Which soon turns into a kidnap and run case. When she realises what hit her, she is already in the dungeon. And then the battle begins.

Initially, it was tough for me to give her a bath as she would not stand still for more than a second. But as time flew by, I recognized a method to the madness. And soon I got some tips and tricks that have now made it a smoother experience than what it was before.

Here is a simple checklist that I follow.

  • One. Get this straight. Dogs do not like to have a bath. So it is important to make them feel comfortable in the bathroom.
  • Two. Do not keep the water running when you are giving the dog a bath. Fill the buckets / tubs before you start the bath. The sight of running water does not help.
  • Three. Do not throw water on them. Gently pour some water and let them get used to the temperature.
  • Four. DO NOT, under any circumstances, throw water on their faces. The water rolls down the ears which is not a good thing. I usually wipe the face with a wet cloth to clean it.
  • Five. Gently scrub the coat of the dog with your hands while cleaning. This soothes them.

This is something that I follow while giving Phoebe a bath. It has definitely made things easier for me. But, the Sunday battle remains. I am not complaining, as so far I have won all the battles.

Till the next one happens I can breathe easy.

Oops! I almost forgot, today is Sunday. Time for the battle for friend, Phoebe, here I come…

This is a guest post by Avik Noronha of Avikspeaks

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