I Love That Dirty Water

[Catia]

I'm gonna tell you a story
I'm gonna tell you about my town
I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it's all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river *Monongahela* (aw, that's what's happenin' baby)
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves (aw, but they're cool people)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, *Pittsburgh*, you're my home (oh, you're the Number One place)

Frustrated women (I mean they're frustrated)
Have to be in by twelve o'clock (oh, that's a shame)
But I'm wishin' and a-hopin, oh
That just once those doors weren't locked (I like to save time for
my baby to walk around)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Pittsburgh, you're my home (oh, yeah)

(Tessa's version of the Standells song)

***Found something Tessa ***LOVES***
Have never seen her so happy & motivated--check her out wet!!!

 

[Catia]

She looks different wet

 

[ELB81]

Mine loves dirty water LOL he thinks its fun to try and drag me in too!! Have you tried the beach yet?

 

[Catia]

Her foster home was for 3 weeks on Chesapeake Bay, she walked the shore but never went into the water--
---------So this was her 1st time-& certainly won't be the last!!!!!!

I was hopin for a swimmer-makes hot city days a lot more fun for her & is great exercise.

Of course I let her bring home the stick--it is now all over my livingroom floor

 

[ELB81]

They are funny aren't they lol. Cal loves clothes, he grabs anything he can makes a big pile then lies on top of it guarding it.
I've falling in love with this breed

 

[angelbears]

Beautiful pictures. Please consider taking off her leash and harness before she gets in the water. They could get hung up and she could get hurt or worse drown.

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

Mooshi is a swamp monster too, she loves water, clean or dirty she is in it like stink!

 

[Smokeycat]

It remarkable how much long haired dogs change in appearance when wet isn't it?

 

[ruthcatrin]

lol! Shows just how much coat she has doesn't it! Glad she liked the stick idea!

 

[Catia]

She doesn't have the coat like all of your TM's-She's not in that league-but what she's got *is* getting longer.
Tessa's coat has these incredible waves down her back that go in crazy directions & it really shimmers & is so soft.
It is dense but fine, you can get right down to her skin. She doesn't have those oils that rotties get either.

She seems to have no undercoat, her wooley puppy fur blew & it doesn't seem like she's getting an undercoat-meaning that short fur that is usually there with rotties under their regular fur even in the summer.
What's weird to me is that since she blew her pup fur, she does not at all. But that could be cuz it's all new fur & still developing.
But I *could* so easily get used to a pooch that only blows their coat once per year!!!
--I don't want to get too excited about that yet, cuz my last girl, who was a rottie/shep/dane mix didn't develop her full coat til her 2nd winter, she looked all rottie as a pup, but looked like a huge shepherd when adult, with the full shepherd coat that shed constantly. So you really never know about coat til much later.

How about that tail??? It just keeps getting longer, I don't know what to do--i think i will have to give it a name of it's own!
I have gotten rid of the coffee table, just like with my last girl, she can clear it with a wag already.
Tail is getting feathery, but she still has her curley Q at the end of it, only now it is a double curley Q

What took me so much by suprise yesterday is that she doesn't enjoy a bath-she'll tolerate it, but isn't playful in the tub.
I expected she'd get her feet wet, but did not expect her to want swim & retrieve.

While she will play fetch, it seemed she was doing it more to humor me, & will generally get bored with it.

In the water though--whole *different* Tessa--it's like I tapped into something-like it turned a switch!
--She was ALL puppy & completely happy & carefree.

She is even behaving differently, during & after.
I'm getting a LOT more eye contact, & her recall was good.
I think I found something that can help her drop the seriousness & have some fun.

 

[ruthcatrin]

If she really is part TM the lack of undercoat right now isn't a surprise. They don't ALWAYS loose their puppy coat the first spring (Apollo's breeder said some do and some don't), but once they blow it, or their winter undercoat, they're practically naked under their outer layer. You can litterally see Apollo's stomach skin right now.

 

[Catia]

Ok--I wanna see some wet dog pics--I'm a sucker for a wet dog always!

My last pooch loved water so much, I actually put a very large claw footed bath tub in the back yard just for her!!!
For bath & for play.
Her name was Gertie Buttster, & the feet on the tub have claws with a big "B" on all 4 feet. I'd fill it up with the hose & plug it, when we were done, she'd stick her head under the water & pull the plug.
When she passed, it was filled with dirt & planted, but I'm gonna empty it now & use it for Tessa's baths & make it more play time. Gotta find the time to move a ton of dirt & rock.

 

[ruthcatrin]

lol! We just gave him a bath saturday too and I didn't think to get a picture, but here's 2 from when he was about 6.5 months old, he still had his puppy coat though, he didn't really shed his puppy coat till the following spring. And for comparison one when he was 9 months and dry.

 

[ruthcatrin]

*MOSTLY dry....stupid can't edit function.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Speaking of dirty water

 

[DennasMom]

^^LOL!

I caught Denna doing that in a puddle just the other day, too.

So... Tessa's a water dog, huh? Glad you found the 'switch'.
How does she like the water hose at home?
Denna goes after the water from a hose like a cat goes after the dot from a laser....

 

[Catia]

Well EVERYONE goes after the laser dot, my last dog did too--& months later would look for it-because i used to make it seem like it escaped or emerged from a heating vent.

Tessa is weird about water-she climbs in the tub all of the time, but doesn't like to get a bath, but wants the water on,
she plays in her water bowl, loves to jump in the river, but bath---noooo.

Honest to god, I don't 'get' her, with fetch, she humors me--but add river & she's all about it.

She was very very good on her recall today, both in the house to "come" & whistled & also off leash at a field where people were playing frisbee. Whistling makes a huge difference. Now she is begining to equate "come" when I speak it--
Damn cat comes every time I call Tessa no matter what-because he is trying to escape & also to make sure i still love him lol.

 

[Catia]

Ruth--that is only a slighly damp pooch--he has sooo much fur--can you even get to his skin with his full coat?
I don't think Tessa will get near as furry.

I need to meet a dog lover with an in ground pool.

 

[ruthcatrin]

In full winter coat, or his puppy coat, getting him soaked to the skin is a pain, getting the soap out after a bath is a pain, getting him dry is a pain.....in his summer coat its easy peasy all the way around lol. Wish I'd gotten pictures when we gave him a bath!

 

[Mooshi's Mummy]

After a walk in the rain...