A recent study took a scientific look at this involuntary behaviour. Dogs that are wet suffer the risk of hypothermia, so water removal is essential. Animals who remain wet can use 20 percent of their daily energy staying warm and generating the heat necessary for evaporation. A vigorous shake will efficiently remove excess water so we dry faster, suffer less risk from the cold and save energy. We can remove 70 percent of the water from our fur with just a few seconds of shaking.
I like a good shake myself, but whenever I have a bath and Mummy plucks my bedraggled body out the tub, she curiously runs away.
Mummy uses the garden hose to give me a bath and I don’t like it at all, however, these photos from daddy, recently in Italy, shows a much more civilised way to have a bath. He sent me an email saying . . .
“Nigella, you would love it here. Dogs are part of the European lifestyle and they have the same access to facilities as their owners. There is a steady parade of dogs taking their owners for a walk up and down the main street and dogs are invited into restaurants with their owners. When you need a special fur-do for a big occasion you go to the Splendy Dog Parlour for a bubble bath and a blow dry. It’s right in the centre of town. The pictures on the street billboards invite dogs in for a luxurious afternoon of relaxation and refreshment.” Love Dad. 