Not funny at all.

Obviously, with two hunting dogs, this has happened many times before, but DH has - or had - a routine of how to clean up the mess, without making an even a bigger mess and keeping everything smelly contained. It has always run like clockwork.

I guess he lost his mind Monday.

He called from the field and asked me to pull out a skunk it. (See recipe at bottom). I did; I knew what was coming. While out pheasant hunting, Sam killed a skunk, after he and DH were both sprayed. DH usually does not get sprayed when the dogs do; this was a fluke.

Normally DH runs the water hose to the far end of the yard on the other side of the trash can, that's the boat/trailer/garbage can area.

He has a disposable bucket with the "skunk kit" and old towels. If necessary, he changes his skunked clothes (I have already put fresh ones to the garage) and hangs the stinky clothes and Sam's collars on the boat trailer. He then washes Sam (or Harry as the case may be!), puts the old wash towels in a trash bag, and stows them under the trailer until trash day. Easy-Peasy.

By the time the dog is dry he can come back in the house. After DH has showered, he soaks his clothes in baking soda, rinses them, and then washes them.

Monday, instead of putting all the skunked items on the rails of the boat trailer as normal, where they are out in the open air - he put his jacket, bird vest, shirts, and jeans in the garage.

After washing Sam, he carried the stinky, dripping wash towels across the garage floor - instead of bagging them and putting them under the boat until trash day - and now the entire garage is permeated with skunk. It's an old, porous concrete floor. De-skunking it is going to be a long and horrible process.

He also did Sam's washing up right by the front steps. ??? Now anyone that comes to the front door, or when I need to open the door to go out, we get slammed with Eau de Skunk.

"WHY did you wash the dog by the front door?"

Ummm, I turned off the south spigot and didn't have a hose there.

"Did it dawn on you to hook one up, and ask me to turn the shut-off back on to keep the stink out of the front door?"

Silence.

The next morning I got in my car, in its seperate bay, and started the long haul to the base for blood work. I keep the windows up and the doors locked at all times, but even so...sniff, sniff - the inside of my car has a more than a faint hint of Mephitis mephitis.

I have left the garage doors and windows open for now.

I am a million miles beyond POed. Not at Sam; not at the skunk; but at dH for making a bad mess even worse and more nasty. A small job is now many large, hard ones.

I have been spitting nails, stomping and stamping my feet, thinking of words that would make the saltiest sailor blush. I've been seriously graphing out the new, now much larger laundry/pantry/mud/dog room(s) compete with a PetCo-style, stainless steel, elevated, ramped dog tub. This incident is going to prove costly.

I was trying to downsize my first sketch. Now? I'm super-sizing it.

I called him a while ago - yeah, right, I'm not suppose to call when he's at work - "Dude, did you lose your mind? It will take weeks (months?) to get the smell out of the garage!" Where am I going to park my car?"

"I don't know what I was thinking."

Well, Captain Obvious...

DeSkunk Formula…..Easy, Effective, Low Cost

1 quart (32 oz.) hydrogen peroxide
1 quart warm water
3 tablespoons Dawn Dish soap (DAWN is best; it breaks down oil; skunk scent is oily.)
½ box of baking soda

Mix all these ingredients in a small pail. Work the solution into the dog’s sprayed areas and let it stand for 15-20 minutes. Use a rag or sponge and keep patting the solution into the hair to get it thoroughly soaked. Keep sponging him with the solution while you’re timing it. Don’t get it in his eyes or mouth.

Rinse the dog very well and towel dry. Repeat if necessary, depending on how much spray actually got on him. Use old towels to dry him. The peroxide may lighten his hair, especially if he’s in the sun a lot.

This solution works very effectively. We’ve used it many times on Harry and Sam! They are able to come in the house right after being washed and dried off.

When I tell people my dog has been “skunked” they usually tell me to “bathe him in tomato juice.” I’ve asked several people if they’ve actually bathed a skunked dog in tomato juice, and did it remove the odor? The answers have always been, “No; but I’ve heard it’s good.”

I’ve also asked folks if they know anyone that has successfully removed skunk odor with tomato juice. I get more, “No, not personally.” If you ever hear of a real, live, tomato-cleaned dog, let me know!

We keep a several “skunk kits” made up. We store two 16-ounce bottles of peroxide, a small bottle of Dawn, old cleaning rags, and a box of baking soda in a 2 ½ gallon water jug that’s had the top removed. Open the ingredients, pour them in the jug, add a quart of water and you’re in business!

Wes keeps one kit in the truck during the warm months.