Lessons from the Bathtub

My pitbull dislikes bath time. He stands in the tub frozen and waits patiently for it to be over. Tell him it's bath time or start making him head towards the bathroom, and he puts on quite a show. He puts on the brakes, starts wrestling his way out of your grip, he runs around the house, and gets all crazy.

I used to try everything to make my pitbull love bath time. Treats, cuddles, kisses, and kind words. Time after time, in hopes that he would eventually find bath time to be a fun time. But after 6 years, I've stopped worrying about getting him to love bath time. Instead, I've resolved to keep bath time as short as possible. My pitbull may never like the idea of getting a bath, but if I keep bath time short and sweet, then at least it won't become a big long drawn out ordeal and we can both go on about our lives 4 minutes later.

So now, I simply grab my putbull by both ends, lift him into the bathtub, wash him, dry him, and get him out of there ASAP. No one dies. No drama ensues. Quick and over and done with. He still gets treats and cuddles afterwards and I get my clean dog.

Sometimes there will be a situation or task that will just never be the favorite. Instead of turning it into a battle and losing my wits because I can't "win them over" in that certain realm, I have learned the much less painful way is to accept the task as not a favorite but also not completely avoidable. My dog needs baths; he cannot live his life a mangy mutt. However, by making the task or situation as reduced as possible (keeping it short lived and not focusing on it too much) we can make it a tad more bearable. Not everything is going to be fun. But if we keep the unfun stuff simple and don't make a big deal out of it, then it never becomes more of an issue than it has to be. If I can add stuff to it my pitbull likes, like treats and cuddles, then I do so because I love him, but not out of a desperation to win him over. He doesn't need me to be annoying about getting him to like bathtime. I love him regardless and we focus on things he does like, treats for tricks, playing tug-o-war, and getting cuddles.

Maybe one day, when my pitbull has had his 1 millionth bath with me he will make up his mind that heading to the bathtub is actually really not a sore spot because it never has been and perhaps that will be the day he will walk into the tub like a gentle, little lamb. But until then, I'll lodge it as a task he doesn't particularly like and keep it as short and uneventful as possible to spare him any more loathing.

Just one of the many lessons this dog has taught me which I have been able to apply to myself, others, and of course, horses.