Why I'd Never Own a White Dog
Last weekend I played Aunty to the little white dog pictured here, Busta. It's always a joy to spend time with this little fellow, now just over two years old. He's full of bounce and energy and absolutely adores attention of any kind. In my sister's words he's rather 'precious'. That's her way of saying he's spoilt. When we arrived at my sister's house Busta had been freshly shampooed that morning. He looked fresh, white and adorable. I'm afraid to say that by the time we handed him back three days later he didn't look like that at all. After several romps in the back yard and three long walks bedraggled is more how I'd describe him. His previously white little legs and paws had taken him through long grass, short grass, and along stony paths. The wind had blown his coat this way and that and, of course, Aunty Val just isn't used to the idea of brushing dogs. He was still an adorable beating heart covered in fluff when we left him three days after arrival, but my goodness, not the snowy white boy we'd met on arrival. As far as I'm concerned, a white dog would be just too much work.
Image Credit » Personal photo of Val Mills
Comments
WordChazer wrote on February 12, 2015, 2:38 PM
Our neighbors' cat is white, and she insists on rubbing sun cream into him and washing him regularly (a cat! In water...that can only end one way!) No wonder he is a grumpy cantankerous old sourpuss that would seriously put the attitude on to go with Grumpy Cat's face.
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 2:43 PM
I can't stop chuckling at your comment 😊 at least Busta's parents expect him to get dirty.
JeanC wrote on February 12, 2015, 2:54 PM
I can understand sunscreen on a white cat if limited to their ears. My brother had a white car who had lost their ears to skin cancer
But regular baths?!? Um no. I will bath my cats, but only if they REALLY need it since we live surrounded by animal and equipment barns they love to hang out in.
rebelann1949 wrote on February 12, 2015, 2:57 PM
I think it depends on the dog, mine is more or less white but because he is big ... well to me anyway at almost 70 lbs ... I rarely shampoo him. When it is really hot the most I do is let him play water sports.
rosepetal wrote on February 12, 2015, 2:58 PM
lol You get use to it. I had a white dog, cutest thing around. Never liked baths. She would invariably find mud just to get the nice clean smell off.
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 3:00 PM
That sounds like my kind of dog!
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 3:01 PM
I'm much more a fan of big dogs. We had a golden lab once.
maxeen wrote on February 12, 2015, 4:39 PM
My Boxer dogs swim in the lake twice a day in the good weather so you have to find a lake..
Porcospino wrote on February 12, 2015, 4:43 PM
Our dog is a Golden Retriever: One day we took him to a dog park where dogs play off-leash and he decided to play in an area full of cow droppings. His white/yellowish fur was not a pretty sight when he returned!
UK_Writer wrote on February 12, 2015, 4:44 PM
They can get grubby quickly - especially those short dogs whose bellies scrape along the grass and undergrowth. Back end's not entirely delightful either :)
bestwriter wrote on February 12, 2015, 7:19 PM
You have said it all so nicely. We always had white dogs until the last one that walked into our life uninvited - Preiti is black with a few splashes of brown and white here and there.Two of our white dogs had long hair with a bushy tail keeping them clean was not easy.
LadyTrouble wrote on February 12, 2015, 7:31 PM
I wonder how often your sister has to bathe the pooch. He definitely is adorable. I would own a white dog, but it'd have to be short haired.
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 8:59 PM
I don't think they're too fussy with him. I think he was bathed because i was coming
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 9:00 PM
I'd rather have a black dog any day, especially one that chose us without invitation
1msiduri wrote on February 12, 2015, 10:50 PM
I have a black cat. He looks like he just walked out of Halloween decoration. After sleeping in his favorite place in the bushes, he looks gray.
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 11:01 PM
Poor kitty, bleached in the sunshine
valmnz wrote on February 12, 2015, 11:02 PM
lol, I guess I'm really just a cat person.
BNelson wrote on February 12, 2015, 11:16 PM
Me I love to brush dogs, I would like fluffy dog but I agree, probably not an all white dog either.
j2jworkz wrote on February 12, 2015, 11:18 PM
Which is why I've always owned black dogs :)
1cheri wrote on February 12, 2015, 11:18 PM
I remember owning a white dog before. It was really hard to maintain it because he would always get dirty easily.
valmnz wrote on February 13, 2015, 1:12 AM
I love to play with him and walk him and hand him back after a few days
valmnz wrote on February 13, 2015, 1:13 AM
As long as you can relax and not care I guess it doesn't matter
Hollyhocks100 wrote on February 13, 2015, 4:02 AM
I´m glad my dogs aren´t white, they are big and very hairy and bathing them kills my back.
roxy7699 wrote on February 13, 2015, 6:02 AM
I completely agree, it would just be too much hard work - any spec of dust and the dog would have to go back in the wash so to speak.
CountryWine wrote on February 13, 2015, 7:21 AM
I would not care about the color of the dog. I pay attention to temperament and personality.
msiduri wrote on February 13, 2015, 8:37 AM
Oh, no. That's from the dirt he picks up from his favorite place to nap.
AliCanary wrote on February 13, 2015, 12:35 PM
Other color dogs get dirty, too--you just don't see it! Something makes me think you have dark carpets, lol