Clean or Dirty?

My dog Kahlua HATES water! Anything that has to do with getting wet or going near water she absolutely loathes. Whenever she hears the word bath, even if we say the word bathroom, she runs away and tucks her tail underneath herself. Why is it that some dogs love water but others can't stand it?

It is said that it is purely the dogs breed and instinct that decides whether they will like water or not. Because Kahlua is a smaller breed, she tends to not like water where as a larger breed of dog would be more likely to like it. There are obviously some exceptions to that rule of thumb. When smaller dogs are in a bath, they feel like they are being submerged in water, so they feel like they might drown. This is why some dogs will start shivering and try to get out of the bath, because they don't want to drown.

Kahlua is very weird when it comes to getting cold and wet. She will not go near the bath and she will also steer clear from the pool, but when it snows out she will want to be outside all of the time. My dog absolutely loves the snow, but I cannot figure out why. It is cold and wet, just like in the bath, but she loves to play in the snow and get covered in it! If only she could talk and explain to me her reasoning...

We now take Kahlua to the doggy spa (groomer)
about every 4 weeks to keep up on her personal hygiene. We used to do all of that for her, but she would not come near us afterwords like she was holding a grudge against us. We have to drag her in through the spa doors, but in the end it is completely worth is to see her all clean and pretty and happy to see us when she is done.

I have come to the conclusion that if it were up to Kahlua, she would rather stay dirty and stinky than be bathed and clean.

My Little Pumpkin

This year for Halloween, my dog Kahlua was a little pumpkin!She was so cute and got lots of compliments. Some people think that it is really cruel to dress dogs up in clothes, but honestly,I think it is the cutest thing on the planet! My dog thinks otherwise.Whenever I put a piece of clothing on her, she hates it! She won't even move in it unless she is bribed with a treat (in this case she will move as much as you want her to, and she becomes your best friend).

Usually on Halloween we will take Kahlua for a nice long walk around the neighborhood so she can meet some new people and have a good time in her costume. Unfortunately, this year it was raining on Halloween. My mom did take her for a short walk to see all the costumes, but they got a little wet.  My dog is a chicken when it comes to getting wet. She hates it, and only gets wet when it is absolutely necessary. So going for a walk was not a pleasant experience for her this time. I was very disappointed that only a few trick-or-treater's got to see my little pumpkin (no pun intended haha). So I decided to take advantage of the situation and plan her costume for next year! 

I really wanted her to be one of these guys, because I find all of these costumes adorable! But my neighbor knocked on my door not even 5 minutes after I found this picture. She bought a Halloween costume for my dog for next year. It is decided that next year my dog is being a hula girl!! I'm so excited for next Halloween!! I can't even describe how cute Kahlua looks in her bikini (haha) and her grass skirt!

Dressing up dogs in costumes for various occasions like Christmas and Halloween is more for their owners than for the dogs, but it makes holidays fun.  I have seen pictures of dogs who have been dip dyed by their owners, and I think that is a bit overboard, as I think that the dye would be harmful for a pet, but there is nothing wrong with putting them in a cute little dress to celebrate a special day.