Thursday, July 25, 2013

A Discourse on Drool

It's an onomatopoetic word, the long, mournful "oo" sounding like the slow ooze of drool. Among people who freely discuss all bodily fluids and functions of their dogs, it goes unmentioned, perhaps a topic too repugnant to contemplate. Yet its signs are evident where the dog, as of someone gently dripping, dripping on my kitchen floor, leaves spots to dry and adhere to dirt and dust with the gluing properties of egg whites.

After growing up squeamish, I can now leave the dinner table to clean up dog vomit or worse and then calmly return to eating. But drool--I shudder at the very word. Drool is gross, yucky, slimy, icky, and gooey. I cannot photograph it because I don't have an underwater camera.

I deeply appreciated the fact that my Airedales did not drip drool. No slimy puddles in the kitchen or wet patches on the carpet whenever food was in sight. No having to carry a towel on my shoulder as if always ready to burp a baby. True, when Airedales get happy and run circuits with other dogs, they foam at the mouth and the non-Airedale people flee screaming, thinking there's a mad dog on the loose; but that's a trivial matter.
The jaw in question

Miró drools. Is the construction of his jaw at fault? It looks like a normal Airedale jaw with a normal Airedale beard to act as drool-catcher (and mine a normal leg to act as human handkerchief for said dog). Why, then, the flood? At his mealtime, he knows he must sit until given the signal to dive in; but the signal comes quickly lest we drown or I gag, whichever comes first. When I give him a treat, I must wipe off my entire hand. I formed the bad habit of letting Miró lick the bowl after I eat cereal; now he begins drooling with expectation as soon as I begin breakfast. I cannot watch.
 
What to do but steel myself on a daily basis and live with it? When he's gone--and I hope that's a very long time from now--I will miss the drool.
 
 
 
 

9 comments:

  1. I would NEVER drool. However, Ojo drools. When there is very yummy food and she is waiting patiently (we are Good Dogs, you know), it starts on the corner of her mouth and gets longer and longer and longer...

    The people say she is defective and they may send her back. But then they never do. They just wipe up the drool. Sigh.

    Licks,
    Cobi

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  2. We can learn to live with a lot for love of our critters...especially when they have an adorable face like Miro.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  3. Pant legs are napkins. Fancy dresses are towels. And sofas also work to wipe your face or muddy self.
    Miro knows.

    Wyatt and Stanzie

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  4. My Lily spits only a tiny bit when she is nervous. Interesting you guys blow bubbles with foam
    Benny & Lily

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  5. Oh, Miro and I MUST be related!!!
    Ma calls me a Mastiff in an Airedale body!!! I drool like nobody's business...I leave puddles all overs. Ma DOES have 'beard towels' all overs. She tries to dry my drool and water soaked beard every chance she gets....I pity her. She just can't keep up!
    And, yes, I gets the famous Airedale 'foamy' beard, butts my specialty is drool!
    She does say it's not as bad as it once was, butts.....
    And, yes, just like Wyatt, I wipe my snooter all over everyones clothes!!! And furniture, and what ever else suits me at the moment!!!
    Don't I sound fun?!
    Someone asked Ma a couple months ago abouts Airedales (she was askin' how good of hunting dogs they make...FABulous Ma said!) Butts, she warned them that Airedales are...ALOT. Just alot!
    (I don't know, butts I thinks that was an insult.....)
    To one drooler to another....
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  6. I drool something terrible and when we go to Glenwood for burgers and fries, there are actually times when mom scooches forward in her seat to avoid getting a soggy shoulder but she loves me drool and all!

    Love ya lots♥
    Mitch

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  7. We think Miro is related to our cousin Cooper. He's a Springer Spaniel, and he's drools something fierce. It's kind of gross, but we all love him. :)

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  8. I'm not a drooler, but Floydie, being a boxer, he sure is!

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  9. her seat to avoid getting a soggy shoulder but she loves me drool and all!Challenge coins

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