The Owner’s Side:

It’s summer, you know. It gets hot. Toto (name change to protect the innocent) gets hot. He’s a husky. They’re made for cold, snowy days, not this blistering New Jersey heat. I thought I was being kind. Refreshing. Thoughtful, even. I set up a little kiddie pool in the backyard filled with cold, refreshing water. A perfect little oasis for a snow dog trapped in a mid-summer inferno.

That’s what I told myself. That’s what I told my husband. That’s what I whispered to Toto while lathering him with his favorite mango-scented doggy shampoo (you know the one from The Hungry Puppy, delightful smell). What says love better than a cool bath on a hot day?

Toto didn’t agree. He stood there, staring blankly into the soapy water with a look that I swear resembled betrayal. His ears flattened against his head. His tail, usually curled over his back in a proud arch, sagged like a damp noodle. He didn’t move. Not even to shake off the suds.

“I just wanted to help,” I whispered pleadingly to the fluffy, unhappy pile of suds. He ignored me, rising from the bubbles to give one long, mournful shake. His expression said it all: he’d expected better.

Rocky’s Revelations

On a day I should be sunning myself on the grass, or maybe inspecting the back fence for anything new, I was dragged off for a BATH. That’s right, a BATH. On a PERFECTLY GOOD SATURDAY.

She made sounds about the heat. Said it was for my own good. I KNOW MY OWN GOOD, THANK YOU. I’ve survived multiple summers without this, shall we say, special attention.

Everything was perfect. I had my spot, a cool patch of grass in the shade. And then, BAM! NEXT THING I KNOW, I’m in a pool. Filled with WATER. AND SUDS.

The audacity! I’m a husky. Bred for the wild, snowy tundra. Not a poodle in a doggy day spa!

Crisis Averted

Toto’s silent shunning and the leftover suds finally got to me. I felt like the worst dog mom — how could I not know how much he hated baths?! It’s not like I ever saw him jumping into bodies of water. His idea of a swim was a quick paddle in a puddle after a heavy rain! Was it so hard to connect the dots?

Stricken by the force of my misjudgment, I did the only thing a dog-mother with a guilt complex could do: drove straight to The Hungry Puppy and bought him the longest-lasting chew I could find — a giant elk antler.

He ran a suspicious eye over it when I presented it to him, but then his curiosity won. He sniffed all over the chew, took it from me, and promptly trotted off to his favorite spot in the garden.

A peace offering accepted. Forgiveness, a long-lasting chew away!

Crisis averted. Forgiveness procured through elk antler presented. Dog no longer hates me (until the next heat stroke prevention idea).

For your own peace offerings or just to treat your furry friends, make your way to The Hungry Puppy. With a variety of long-lasting chews and treats, you’re sure to find the perfect apology gift. Visit us at www.thehungrypuppy.com and bring your pup to our on-site dog park!

• 🦴 Tons of long-lasting chews to sample
• 🐕 On-site Dog Park — exercise freely
• 🏪 In-store shopping — Bring your pup for the full experience
• 💚 Lots of love — We get it. We’re dog people too.