Oh no! You did not slap me upside the head with that fish!

What's the point in having a dog if you can't have a little fun? Fishing is fun, I know that.

Licking, pawing and nipping at fish is fun, Dude knows that.

And, getting slapped upside the head with a fresh fish is lots of fun for my little buddy, especially if it means he gets a chance to grab it and hold on every now and then.

And, I get a kick out of it too! Duh! It's my double dose of fun when I've hauled in a fish, or we're getting ready to clean them on shore.

Okay, so it means that my dog wears catfish snot on his head for the rest of the day. He doesn't seem to mind, and we both have a lot of fun putting it there. Whap, whap, whap! It's a good sound, and lots of fun to watch Humper try to grab the fish tail as it slaps him about the head.

The funniest part is that at first he thinks I'm trying to get the fish positioned to where he can grab it in his mouth, but it's apparently wiggling too much to hold still. I think he's largely caught on that I'm just messing with him. In any event, we both enjoy this ritual after catching a nice fish and getting ready to clean them. It's my way of letting him get his fill of the fish so perhaps he'll lose a little bit of enthusiasm for interfering with the fisherman and his duties.

If you ever run into a lovable, obedient and well-behaved Boston that looks buff and smells like fish, that would be my dog. Please send him home at your earliest convenience - after you've washed his face, please.