A doggy parable?

 

I bathed my dog, Dylan today; he was getting a bit smelly as dogs are prone to do. He probably doesn’t mind the smell much but he was becoming a little anti-social and not so pleasant to be with, so something needed to be done.

 

He would have preferred, I’m sure, that I’d just give him a good brush; it smoothes him over and stops most of the itches – at least for a little while. This time though we both needed to ‘fess up’ to the fact that trying to kick the itch just wasn’t going to work and exposure to water, soap and daylight was the only way forward. Truth was, he needed my help.

 

When Dylan was younger it used to be a real battle to get him clean. He would sense something was up and disappear rapidly to the far end of the garden turning a deaf ear to my calls. I would have to go in search of him with a lead and draw him to me for the dreaded bath. He always liked it afterwards mind you.

 

I’m quite a kind owner so I always choose a warm day but still he’s very resistant! Mind you, he’s a little more willing as the years go by and he has some memories of how wonderful it feels to be clean.

 

Today he excelled himself. I have never, ever seen a dog so ecstatic! 

 

If you know Dylan, you will understand that he’s quite a ‘hard to please’ type of dog, a bit of an ‘Eeyore’ really. He’s always been beset by fears and, given that he’s a rather large dog, he felt duty bound to express that in aggression. He never quite got the message that we were on his side and would protect rather than persecute him. After 8 years together, I’m just beginning to feel we’re breaking through!

 

Anyway, back to today.  Today he seemed almost willing and came at once (I think the itches were getting to him!). He stood and he endured and soon it was done.

 

Then…he went, literally crying with joy (that dog’s getting very vocal!) down the garden. He ran and shook and rolled and ran and rolled and shook and……. I wish you could have seen the look of sheer ecstasy on his face and reflected in his whole doggy being. He was an honest-to-goodness clean dog!

 

He came, unbidden, almost to thank me! Dylan is decidedly not that kind of dog but today – well hey – he was mighty grateful. Made me laugh out loud.

 

It’s good, is it not, to be clean and to have given in to the Master?