I've never been all that big on putting clothing on my pets. I'll pass a
dog-walker with a Yorkshire Terrier or a Cocker Spaniel snugly dressed
in a doggie sweater, and I'll think, "Awww, how cute." But I'll also
think, "My dog would never put up with that." And don't even get me
started on what my cats would do if I attempted such a thing. Still,
I've been known to occasionally subject Mokey, a midsized mutt who is
part Husky / Akita and part Basset Hound / Beagle, to Halloween
costumes, if only for a few minutes, and silly hats
or unwanted plush passengers. While her tolerance for such adornments
is limited, there is one type of accessory that she does not object to
whatsoever. Mokey loves to wear bandanas.
I couldn't tell you
just when we discovered this. I have a feeling that it may have been one
of the times we took her to be groomed by my aunt; perhaps she walked
away with a souvenir bandana, and once we saw how well she wore it, we
bought her others. We've now amassed a small collection, including a St.
Patrick's Day bandana, a 4th of July bandana and a snowflake bandana.
She doesn't seem to have any preference among them, but my favorite is
the tie-dyed one adorned with peace signs and smiley faces. She's
wearing it now, since it has such a vibrant, summery look to it. And, of
course, it makes me think of hippies. It strikes me as something that
would have been worn to Woodstock. The bandana may be physically square,
but in the less literal sense of the word, it's all hip and not square
at all. Heck, I'm tempted to borrow it from her sometime.
This
particular bandana has been resting around Mokey's neck for several
weeks. It's probably past due for a change; we should have switched it
out for the flag bandana a couple weeks ago. But while it may be looking
a little dingy at the moment, the colors still shine through, and if we
toss it in the wash, they'll come out brighter than ever. The fabric is
light but sturdy. Mokey's worn it for days on end, but there's no sign
of fraying. I fold it into a triangle and over a couple of times, and it
must be comfortable because every time she sees me with a bandana in
hand, she rushes over and seats herself in front of me, patiently
waiting for me to tie it around her neck. Or maybe she just likes to
show off...
Mokey is a very photogenic dog, and just as I find
that silly hats make pictures more fun, I think the bandanas add a
certain light touch to the pictures I take of her. That's especially
true of this bandana, which looks terrific on her outside in the bright
sunshine. If you have a moderately patient dog, I recommend bandanas in
general and the hippie bandana in particular. For a couple of bucks, the
fun goes a long way!
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