Mason is half German Shepherd, half Akita.
German Shepherds were bred to herd and protect sheep.
Akitas were bred to hunt bears.
I suppose neither of these occupations required much swimming or bathing.
I understand that Mason may not be genetically predisposed to a love of water.
But at 105 pounds and with a thick, long, double fur coat, he would be cooler if he was.
Mason got a shower yesterday. He’s a good boy, he really is. When I called him, he immediately sashayed towards me. Then I turned the shower on, and he hid in the crate until I coaxed him to the bathroom.
To be fair, he didn’t fight getting a bath. He didn’t exactly help, either. Once I convinced him to get into the shower, he thought his part of the bath was over. He suddenly forgot how to turn. He stood still, back end pressed to the shower wall, until I allowed him to get out of the shower.
This means that, in order to bathe his whole body, I had to get in the shower with him and push and shove and lather and bend and contort myself into a few yoga poses I knew and a few I learned right there in the shower.
Now, some people say that dogs don’t really feel emotions like humans do, and to say they do is mere personification. But I’m telling you–this dog was laughing. He was so happy with himself. Smug, I daresay. And as soon as he was rinsed and the shower was off and I had the towel ready, that arrogant beast shook and soaked every dry speck that may have remained on me, as well as the entire bathroom.
I dried him the best I could. That didn’t prevent him from soaking the living room with the next shake. As he dried, he shot me the most pitiful glares.
If you’ve never seen a half-dry Akita, go Google it right now. I’ll wait.
He looked terrible! His dad chose that moment to walk through the door. He immediately commented on his appearance, and Mason glared at me even harder. He had tufts of fur sticking out everywhere. There was nothing smooth or shiny or even fluffy about him.
As he dried, I managed to brush and comb his fur in a way that made him look more like a dog and less like a drowned rat, although it took all day for his coat to return to its previous majestic state.
As I type this, Mason is licking his fur and probably lamenting the fact that he smells nice. Belle, who also got a bath but actually liked hers, is lounging around, rolling over, showing off, and begging us to tell her she’s pretty every hour or so. Luna, as always, is planning world domination and also how she can knock everything off the table and sit in all the laps. She did not get a bath yesterday. I chose life.
I’m off to use a heating pad on my back while shopping for a bubble for Mason. Surely I’m not the first dog mom who wants a solution to keep my pup clean longer. If I figure it out, I’ll let y’all know.
References
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/akita/
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog/
Pets & Poetry 