Wednesday, January 16

Wet Dog - the care of

The sun was shining this morning so Harry and I got outside quick sharp.
Kelly asked me about what I did with Harry when he got wet- any seasoned dog owner will tell you nothing beats the smell of wet dog to linger long and prompt more comments than any pot pourri ever will. We do have a procedure of a rub down to get the worse of the wet off (known as rub a dub dub) quickly followed by biscuits to make it seem fun, finally covering the sofa and other chosen locations with towels. If there is mud involved then sometimes a footbath is necessary (an old mixing bowl). If dead fish have been eaten or played with then I get nasty with a drop of washing up liquid or shampoo and the face and ears are shampooed and Harry is sent to Coventry as the smell makes me wretch.
Returning to the subject of our walk this morning the recent bad weather had blown seaweed up from the waters edge and I enjoyed seeing the odd pieces on the path.

some varieties can be used as compost for the garden.....

I know this as a mermaids purse but I believe it's an egg sack of something or other - Harry has tried eating these a couple of times but they have proved unpalatable even for him!


Last week I picked this lovely vase/jug up in a charity shop for £1.75. It is nothing special - by that I mean it doesn't have a stamp on the bottom and was never expensive when new but I loved the relief of the flowers on it and as I have a thing for jugs couldn't resist....

Yesterday my lovely neighbour bought me tulips - a perfect companion for my tulip vase

The tins are presents from Christmas....can't beat a lovely tin.

12 comments:

  1. I dragged the boys out for a dog walk this afternoon which turned into a great adventure because the water meadow where we often walk and which the river Wey runs through was flooded. Of course it was impossible for Ned not to slip up and get muddy and wet (he's worse than any dog you know. Silas decided to go into the river which was a bit scary as the water was flowing really fast and the current was strong. He tried swimming against the current to get back to me and was going absolutely nowhere. I could see the doggy panic in his dear face, so walked further along the bank calling him encouragingly. He did get out ok and it didn't dampen any of his enthusiasm. Makes you think though - dogs are much more capable of getting out of scrapes than we are. Glad you had a great day with Harry and hope you are getting some of your energy back.
    Love Al x

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  2. first of all those tulips look fantastic...i haven't bought my 1st bunch of the season yet but you've inspired me to. love that blue/red combo : ) oh + the tins are fab!

    i like the dog drying run down. harry's a lucky chap with all you do for him! plus those smells that you put up with...all worth it i'm sure because he's so gorgeous! on the seaweed talk...those mermaids purses (which i never knew were called that) used to scare me as a child on our annual english beach holidays. i always thought they looked like they had pincers on them + that they'd come alive + nip my toes!

    glad you sound more chirpy today. xxx

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  3. Beautiful tulips - look great in your jug. I'd have bought it too, love a bargain. Nick is off today so has the delights of the doggy walk and rub down thank goodness. Some days I'm out in it and think 'what the hell am I doing?'....I've decided now that if its peeing down he's going to have to wait !
    Love the tins too, can never have too many..

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  4. Anonymous11:06 AM

    What a beautiful picture. I absolutely love jugs and have many and tulips are my favourite flowers!

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  5. Hello Al:) - I would be freaked out if Harry got into a swollen fast flowing river - actually I'd be in intensive care....i guess they have instincts....although Harry's are mainly focused on food.
    Kelly - I'm glad you love my tulips - they are gorgeous. Pungent as it is damp dog smell isn't us unpleasant as it sounds - an acquired taste!
    Asti - you know I have those exact same thoughts almost every day!
    Hello Jess - are you new to Gigibird? I'm glad you liked the photos of the jug and tulips.

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  6. Oh, tulips! How wonderful, and so pretty in your new vase.

    Miss Dog has an embarrasing problem with D.O. (doggy odour) after damp endeavours. She loves swimming like a hairy crocodile. Even if the pond is pure, stinking mud. She is not all that keen on baths or "playing" soapy games under the hose. I have to call in her father as reinforcement. And rub a dub dub makes her horribly excited (and the hair drier is utterly terrifying, in her opinion). I'd rather have a freshly scrubbed hound than one followed by a cloud of D.O.
    I should consider myself lucky that she doesn't snack on rotting mackerel or roll in dead hedgehogs! You sound cheerful- yay!

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  7. The mermaid's purse is a skate egg case. It sounds so much more exciting to call them a mermaid's purse, doesn't it?

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  8. Wet dog is a horrible smell!
    I love seaweed, especially when you can pop it, I miss the sea, I'm stuck too far in-land for my liking these days. I was about to point out it was a skate egg case (I remember having a book on sea things when I was small, I used it to check out the names of things I'd found on the beach - what a nerdy child!)...but then I saw you'd already found it out. Still, the mermaids do use them for purses, definitely ;)

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  9. Yes I do love a good tin. It is only bettered by a fabulous jug. The tulips look triffic in your new one.

    Great tip for getting rid of pongs on dogs is tomotaes. Anything tomato based - puree, sauce, soup, passata..... (you get the drift.)Shampoo 'em with that then wash off and shampoo again with normal liquid. It is amazing. Definitely a proven method - my black hound likes nothing better than to roll in fox muck (although he will accept badger if necess).

    I picked this tip up years ago from some information about how to deal with skunk stench! Just make sure you rinse out from the skin up or a world of tomatoey-doggy dandruff can threaten your world!

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  10. I'm sorry about the knees, I do hope you are feeling better. I could smell the sea on that seaweed and started wanting to just see the sea again, or just smell it come to that, lucky youxx.
    The vase is a fab buy and does look rather stunning with the red tulips.
    Have a nice, but looks like wet!! weekend.
    Hugs Lynn xx

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  11. Anonymous5:28 PM

    Poor Harry, poor chap having his 'smells' openly discussed by ladies! He will need therapy.
    Can I just add that there is nothing quite so disturbing as a cat fart.
    The Neighbour
    xx

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  12. Hi Gigi, The vase looks lovely with the tulips in and also the tins are fab. I agree you can't beat a good tin. Hope you're feeling better honeybun.xxxxx

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