Nice tale.
Make want a mud bath

"With tears wetting his muzzle Karl struggled against the mud but it had a hold of him now."

1. When Karl cried, did his tears specifically stream down:
A: The bridge of his muzzle and off the tip of his nose as he hung his head
or
B: The side of his muzzle diagonally and off his lower jaw and chin

2. Exactly how would Karl react and what would he say to me if I hugged him, rubbed his back and licked those tears streaming down his muzzle with my tongue? Because every time I read that, I fantasize licking every last tear from Karl's muzzle.

3. On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the saltiest, how salty would Karl's tears taste on my tongue if I licked them directly from his muzzle?

4. On a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being freezing cold and 10 being scalding hot, how warm were those tears streaming down Karl's muzzle?

I know these questions are weird but please please PLEASE reply back!