Rain, mud and puddles...

3dogs love to play in the cemetery after a good rain, and this morning was no different. After a hearty turkey breakfast we headed over to 18th & Potomac, SE. Ellie was immediately running through every mud puddle and water hole seeking out her ball. Maggie would follow in hot pursuit not realizing she was knee deep in water until it was too late. Only Andy stayed away from the mud and the water, occasionally drawing near to lap up a few sips of water.

Now it always interests me when dog owners scream and yell at their dogs to stay away from the water. Especially labs. Why get a Labrador if you don't want them to enjoy the water. Even if it is a bit muddy. And why take them to a place that has many water logged sink holes? So you can yell at them the entire time you are walking? Inevitably, while my dogs are pouncing around in water, laying in it, drinking it, rolling in it, other dog owners will look at me as if I am nuts. As if to say "how the hell can you let your dogs get so dirty and wet?" Some owners will even ask me why I let them play in it. And it amazes me. Key word dude: PLAY. Now dictionary.com's third definition for play is "exercise or activity for amusement or recreation." That is exactly what they are doing. We could learn a thing or two from our dogs. Water is fun. Mud is even more fun. And getting dirty just feels good. We would all be better off (and probably get along much better) if we played more, especially in mud puddles.