Puddle Mania: When Shiro Decided Mud Was His New Favorite Cologne

By early August, the monsoon had turned our neighborhood park into a network of mini-canals and dark chocolate-colored mud pools. During our morning walk, Shiro locked eyes with a knee-deep mud pit. Before I could even tighten my grip on the leash, he launched all 34 kilos of himself into the center with a majestic belly-flop. He proceeded to do the 'retriever alligator spin,' coating his entire golden coat in thick, silky silt while wearing the biggest, most unapologetic doggy grin I have ever seen. Trying to pull an ecstatic dog out of the mud only makes you as muddy as they are. That morning, I made peace with his water-loving genetics. We established our 'Entryway Mud Decontamination Pipeline': a silicone paw plunger, a garden sprayer filled with lukewarm water kept at the apartment building wash area, and three high-density microfiber bath sheets. Shiro gets his seasonal mud joy, and our apartment hallway remains sparkling clean.