My Sammy is first of my three Britt’s who seems to enjoy his shower. And he’s so relaxed when clean. But the doggie breath is what it is. Small price for him rescuing me every day. ❤️
Thank you for this! I find showering every day impossible...I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I carry a lot of shame about this. I do try to do a little something every day and leave it at that. Still hard not to feel shameful, so i am grateful that you're breaking the silence on this! ❤️
Thank you for sharing your experience. My goal is to take away the shame on this, and to normalize the wide variety of ways we can take care of our bodies in ways that accommodate our physical and mental health needs and limitations.
I've bathed Shiloh one time in the six years I've had her. In the summer she is swimming nearly every day. In the winter, oh well. She stinks. She's the most beautiful, fowl smelling dog but so much fun! You were spot on with giving the "depends" answer for pets and humans.
Yes, exactly! We wait as long as possible to give Pants a bath because it really just isn’t great for her coat, and I don’t think she smells that bad (my wife disagrees lol).
Great advice and Pants' courage is an inspiration. My dog, Kaba (rip), used to run around like a lunatic after a bath, glad to be alive after the near death experience of warm running water. Doing something even a little helps me overcome the narrative in my head that tells me I'm helpless and keeps me in the fear-helpless cycle. Maybe this is why Kaba liked to run after being so scared, to regain her power and release the trauma.
Pants does that, too! I'm going to post an article in a couple of months about this -- completing the stress cycle. We ALL need to do it. And yes, doing just a little bit is 100% better than doing nothing at all.
I am a person who loves baths so that part of hygiene isn't difficult for me. But I have people in my life for whom hygiene is a challenge. This essay helped me understand a bit more what was behind their hesitation and treat them with more compassion. Thank you.
One of our rescues has serious issues with water. Funny and not funny at the same time.
You alluded to this but this is such great advice for so many things. Taking on something new can seem really daunting, but if you just take a little bite it’s not so bad. A little like the “shitty first draft” idea. Just get started.
Ooh, it really is like shitty first drafts! I feel for your rescue. A lot of people have serious issues with water, too. People with sensory overwhelm can find a shower to be intolerable, and so finding alternative ways to get clean is a must for their mental health and well being. The path is wide if we take off our blinders.
My Sammy is first of my three Britt’s who seems to enjoy his shower. And he’s so relaxed when clean. But the doggie breath is what it is. Small price for him rescuing me every day. ❤️
I can’t say I’ve ever met a dog who enjoys a shower - it’s pretty incredible. But yes, the breath! Somebody save us from the breath! 😅
Thank you for this! I find showering every day impossible...I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I carry a lot of shame about this. I do try to do a little something every day and leave it at that. Still hard not to feel shameful, so i am grateful that you're breaking the silence on this! ❤️
Thank you for sharing your experience. My goal is to take away the shame on this, and to normalize the wide variety of ways we can take care of our bodies in ways that accommodate our physical and mental health needs and limitations.
I've bathed Shiloh one time in the six years I've had her. In the summer she is swimming nearly every day. In the winter, oh well. She stinks. She's the most beautiful, fowl smelling dog but so much fun! You were spot on with giving the "depends" answer for pets and humans.
Yes, exactly! We wait as long as possible to give Pants a bath because it really just isn’t great for her coat, and I don’t think she smells that bad (my wife disagrees lol).
Great advice and Pants' courage is an inspiration. My dog, Kaba (rip), used to run around like a lunatic after a bath, glad to be alive after the near death experience of warm running water. Doing something even a little helps me overcome the narrative in my head that tells me I'm helpless and keeps me in the fear-helpless cycle. Maybe this is why Kaba liked to run after being so scared, to regain her power and release the trauma.
Pants does that, too! I'm going to post an article in a couple of months about this -- completing the stress cycle. We ALL need to do it. And yes, doing just a little bit is 100% better than doing nothing at all.
I am a person who loves baths so that part of hygiene isn't difficult for me. But I have people in my life for whom hygiene is a challenge. This essay helped me understand a bit more what was behind their hesitation and treat them with more compassion. Thank you.
Thank you for reading, friend!
One of our rescues has serious issues with water. Funny and not funny at the same time.
You alluded to this but this is such great advice for so many things. Taking on something new can seem really daunting, but if you just take a little bite it’s not so bad. A little like the “shitty first draft” idea. Just get started.
Ooh, it really is like shitty first drafts! I feel for your rescue. A lot of people have serious issues with water, too. People with sensory overwhelm can find a shower to be intolerable, and so finding alternative ways to get clean is a must for their mental health and well being. The path is wide if we take off our blinders.
Aw, Pants! I feel you, bud!
This was so sweet and comforting :)
Thank you!