Pond-Scum Dog

Echo has developed a rather stinky habit of going into the pond lately. This from the dog who used to avoid stepping into a shallow puddle of water, wouldn't go out in the rain, and refused to swim.

Now on our daily walks, she splashes through the creek with abandon, sinks into mud up to her belly on the banks of the pond and tries to catch fish and frogs without a thought to getting wet.
She comes home each day with odiferous pond-pyuck up to her doggie armpits.

We've been keeping the mess at bay by making her step into a bucket on the porch and rubbing her down with a towel before letting her back into the house. But yesterday, she was just too dirty for a sponge bath; we had to wrassle her 80 pound bulk into the tub and do the full dog-bath ritual.

After she dried (and got over being mad), I brushed about a half-pound of dog hair off of her. This also had the added benefit of forcing me to vacuum the living room rug. And clean the tub.

Now she is sweet-smelling and sleekly brushed and the house is clean--which should last only until today's walk, when we'll start the whole cycle over again.