Living With Oreo

This is a picture of Oreo on a dry day after he has been bathed and brushed. Nice looking dog, right? But you should see him on a day like today when there's an ongoing drizzle outside. Of course, he wants to go outside and of course he manages to muck around in the dirt and water and come back looking like a drowned rat.

Every time we let Oreo out on a day like today, we have to towel him down and clean off his paws. Even then, he still tracks dirt around the house. I've recently taken to bribing him with a few dog food pellets if he'll let me thoroughly clean his feet. So far, this method has achieved moderate success.

With all the time and money spent on dog training, it would be nice if someone could come up with a way to teach dogs to clean themselves off before they come into the house. I picture a mini-shower outdoors with Oreo rubbing his paws together to get them cleaner than clean. Then again, I picture a world without George W. Bush. I guess I'm just a hopeless dreamer destined for constant disappointment. Sigh.