"Mud-dar"

My dog Nash has "mud-dar". That is, he has a special, radar-like power to locate any mud for miles. If this was somehow marketable, I may have a bit more patience. As it stands, I can't see any real benefit to his keen ability.

Let me explain how Nash's "mud-dar" proved to be a detriment just this weekend...

Cincinnati is a "dog-friendly" city. Not only do they have beautiful parks that are great for dog adventures - they also have a number of dog-parks. These fenced-in, doggie wonderlands are an excellent way to socialize your dog with other dogs (off-leash) as well as to give them plenty of space to run, roam & frolick.

We were thrilled as the dog-park nearest to our house recently was upgraded. The park underwent a substantial expansion, as well as added gravel to the watering areas (complete with buckets), and added a "time-out" location (for your misbehaving friend). Previously, the watering areas doubled as mud holes. These didn't truly test Nash's ability - the mud was just too obvious. Together, my husband and I were able to guard the watering holes. So, that is when "mud-dar" kicked in. Somehow, somewhere, he would find mud. The only dog in the dog park to find this sacred, hidden mud hole. At one point, I was chatting with fellow dog owners and looked up to search for Nash. As I was calling for him, a chocolate lab ran up to me. As I gave him a second look, I realized that wasn't brown fur... it was Nash, covered in MUD!

So, this past weekend, we headed to the newly renovated dog park. We were so excited to see the upgrades! As we walked in, it looked mudless. However, it wouldn't take long for Nash's "mud-dar" to kick in and prove us wrong. I saw him take off for the edge of the dog park under a grove of trees. I interrupted a discussion with the owner of a Springer Spaniel to scream "NOOOOOOooooooooo........." and go sprinting down the hill to intercept him. When I got there, I found him standing in 6 inches of mud. Not only did he stand in it, he dove in, head first. When I finally coaxed him out of his mud bath, he was covered.

He knew what was coming next... the bath, the leash, the ride home. Yet, somehow, a few seconds in the forbidden mud is all worth it for him. Maybe I should just head to the spa for my own mud bath and attempt to connect with his reasoning.