Rain rain, wet dog hair

It is still raining here in SoCal; weird but very welcome. "Nothing smells worse than a wet dog." Ever hear someone say this? I have often heard it; especially when I was involved in showing in conformation. I guess it was part because of all the work that goes into grooming for show that can quickly come undone with one trip out into the rain.

My breed is especially awful in the rain; that is if they are in a typical puffy poodle clip. It can all come crashing done in a matter of minutes and it does not dry quickly on it's own. The poodle has hair; which is very different from typical dog fur. A poodle's coat continues to grow; much like ours and needs to be cut to keep it a manageable length.

Whereas dogs with a fur coat grow to a predetermined length and stop. Their hair sheds on a regular basis and depending on the length and texture is how it presents itself in our homes. I remember back when I was handling Dobermans; there was always 1/2 - 3/4" hairs woven into my clothes which were nearly impossible to get rid of. Other short single coated breeds are the Greyhound, whippet and Great dane, all of which shed but not like these next guys.

The double coated short haired dogs like Labs, Jack Russells, German Shepherd dogs who's hair seems to be a never ending massise loss of it into our homes, cars and of course clothing. It can usually be brushed to keep the shedding under control but they typically shed alot.

The hairy type breeds like Goldens, Setters, Cockers etc shed alot as well but it tends to fall into tumbleweeds around your home and is actually easier to pick up than the shorter version. It too can be kept to a minimum by regular brushing but you are never going to stop it.

My little Jack Russell sheds a ton; depending on the season it can be more or less. Her coat is thick and very dense; and it is everywhere. She gets a doggie smell to her that my poodles don't get; poodles just don't smell like normal dogs. And it is not the grooming regularity because there have been times my poodles have gone months without a bath and they still don't smell doggie.

Now although they do not take on the typical doggie smell; of course they have a scent. This is individual; all my poodles have smelled different from each other and the boys seem to smell more than the girls; hmmmmmmm. Tilley always smells the same; just like a blanket, a nice big fluffy blanket. Luke smells like a blanket that has been used by too many teenage boys. And they both often smell like Rosemary after rummaging around in the yard looking for lizards.

But when they are wet; dogs smell. Whether or not they have fur or hair; water makes them more potent. And if you have ever had a dog who was unlucky enough to get caught by a skunk? Rain brings the memory back clearly with each drop.