On Friday I was blissfully sleeping in when I was awakened with a sweet kiss, “I have to go,” and followed by, “… and Hailey got into a skunk.” With the arrival of spring in Maine comes mud, lambs and skunks. Mud is all pervasive on a farm and with 4 dogs it seems the season will never end. Lambing is at once exciting, worrying and exhausting. Skunks are just a pain in the butt! Of course it had to be Miss Hailey who got skunked. Hailey is a Bergamasco Shepherd which originated in the Italian Alps, near Bergamo, as a herding dog. Not a particularly large dog, Hailey weighs about 60 pounds. What makes Bergamascos unique is their coat of abundant flat mats or flocks. Yes, she has dreadlocks.
The only vehicle available was the farm truck which needed to be plugged in for an hour in order to start it and go to the store. My first task was to see if we had hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. We had enough, so after caffeine, it was time. Hailey is not a dog who will be bribed by food, so out comes the leash. Luck was with me as Hailey didn’t see the leash until I had her and into the bathroom we went. With the doors closed the real stand-off began. I must admit, that though I am no slouch in the strength department, I am no match for a dog determined not to have a bath. Hailey won rounds one and two. But hell hath no fury and all that, and round three went to me. 45 minutes and 10 towels later, Hailey was perched on top of a snow bank, back to being the queen of all she sees. I, on the other hand, had a vey dirty tub, wet floors and a whole lot of wash.
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