Dog Refuses To Take Bath Anywhere But This Sink
“Some people think he was Photoshopped in there ...”
Franklin the golden retriever loves getting dirty, but when it comes to cleaning up, that’s another story. Splashing around in the water is just not Franklin's thing, and that means his mom Anam Rahman is constantly chasing the pup around when it’s time for a wash.
“Being a retriever, baths are not an easy situation,” Rahman told The Dodo. “He loves to play at the park and the one close to my house has a mulchy bottom so anytime he goes there, especially if there’s been a little rain, he needs a bath afterwards.”
An attorney with a busy schedule, Rahman doesn’t always have time to herd an unwilling Franklin into the bathroom. That’s when she stumbled on a solution, one both she and Franklin loved: the kitchen sink.
“It started when I was in a rush for work, and I couldn’t go through the entire ordeal of getting him in the tub because he’s not too keen on going in to the bathroom,” Rahman said. “The sink just happened as a necessity because I didn’t have time to give him a full bath.”
“It was so much easier because I could do his paws and his underbelly and I didn’t have to wash his entire back,” she added.
Over time, Franklin grew and the sink didn’t, but that hasn’t dampened the now 66-pound dog’s adoration for his snug little tub.
“He loves it, he’s generally super chill and happy in the kitchen, it’s a much more open space and it’s just better for everyone involved,” Rahman said. “Occasionally I’ll give him a full bath, but otherwise the sink has been a great alternative.”
Franklin doesn’t particularly like to be carried, but his attitude completely changes if he knows he’s getting lifted into the sink. He hops into his mom’s arms and leans back, while she plops him into the metal basin.
“I can tell when he’s distressed — he’ll pant a little more and look all over the place. But [in the sink] he looks very at ease, he has a smile on his face, and he just lets me bathe him very easily,” Rahman said. “And when he’s clean, he’ll jump back into my arms and I’ll get completely covered in soap and water.”
One day in November, Rahman decided to post a picture of Franklin getting sudsy in the sink on Instagram. Shortly after, the dog’s adorable habit went viral for a weird reason.
“It’s been so funny reading the comments because people think it’s like a trick sink,” Rahman said. “Some people think he was Photoshopped in there, but it’s not anything out of the ordinary at all, he’s comfortably in there.”
While Franklin’s time in the spotlight for his endearing bath time rituals has been amusing, Rahman loves her dog just as he is, clean or dirty. Rahman dreamt of having a dog of her own since she was a kid, and Franklin has more than exceeded her expectations.
“I was that kid who got the golden retriever calendar, and after the year was over I would cut them out and paste them on my walls,” Rahman said. “They’re just so friendly and loving and playful — and he’s all those things and more.”