Revive

Yesterday was Nyxie's bath day. The days leading up to bath day were mixed with excitement and dread. See, Nyxie hasn't had a bath in about a year. That's right, a year. I brush her often with the Furminator given to me as a sample from a sales rep years ago, when they were just gaining fame. What a lucky acquisition that was! With a husky and a German Shepherd, there's no winning the war on hair. For those of you unfamiliar with the Furminator, allow me to share. It's a dog grooming brush that allows you to get the maximum amount of undercoat from your dog with each stroke of the brush. The girls don't seem to mind me using it on them and it works efficiently. Since we just moved, and I was starting to actually smell her doggy smell, it was time for Nyxie to experience the new detachable shower head.

Let me just point out that Arwen has not had a bath in years. In fact, she will probably never have one again. She despises getting wet like vampires despise the sun. When we bathed her in the past, she made sounds that would make you think we were pulling her legs off. She is a very dramatic soul and the bath is just right out. The good part of this, as any of you husky owners know, huskies just don't get oily like other dogs. Therefore, no smell. Mud and dirt just shakes off their ridiculously luxurious coats. Not to mention they shed their ENTIRE coat twice a year with constant shedding peppering the the time between the major blow-outs. So again, no smell. This is what I am glad to say is a win / win situation for both Arwen and us.

So into the bath Nyxie went. We even bought her a no-slip mat made for giving your dog a bath in your own tub. Of course there was only organic, oatmeal and almond smelling shampoo for our little peanut. Daddy wanted to do it, and I was glad to step back. I figured this could go one of two ways. Either Matt would end up trampled by a soaking wet German Shepherd desperate to get out of the tub, or it would be a daddy and daughter bonding experience. All the while I would be calm and dry on the other side of the door.

What I heard would melt your heart. Calm, soothing tones from Matt and a quiet little black dog remembering her puppy days when Daddy would give her a bath. When Nyxie was a puppy, she was too small and wiggly to stay within reach in the shower. Matt came up with an ingenious device for her baths. He took a large Rubbermaid and poked holes in the bottom. This way, she was confined to the tub, but the water could filter out the bottom. He's always coming up with creative devices to make our lives easier. I love this about him. And I love the patience he has for Nyxie, it's a beautiful thing.

The best part of bath time is after bath time. This is the time when you see your dog's spirit take flight. Absolute abandon for all the rules and limitations. Nyxie was a blur, running laps around the house hopping from bed to bed and banking the couch on her way through the living room. What a beautiful thing to watch. If you can get past the dog hair, the wet comforter, and the run over toes, you just have to throw your head back to laugh. It's that infectious. It's the feeling of walking out of school on the last day of the year. It's the adrenalin burst you work off with a sprint. It 's the feeling I had today of walking out of work, a full weekend off ahead of me. I just popped open an ice cold Abita. Cheers to a clean dog and an open weekend with my family.