Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas is the official name of our dog, Tom. He was one year old when we got him from the local Humane Society. He and his sister had been used as subjects at the local college for teaching veterinary assistant students. In essence, he had not been mistreated or anything, and he was beautifully groomed; but he really had no experience as a house dog. I had to house-break him, and teach him 'house manners', like; 'don't eat the furniture', 'don't destroy the bed pillows', and 'leave my granddaughter's stuffed toys alone'!

Over the past two years, he has calmed down considerably, except for the separation anxiety. I had to buy a dog cage, I call it 'The Den' to keep him and the house safe when we go out. Now he is a very loving member of our family, and we can't imagine life without him. He still has a tendency to snitch food when we aren't looking, but we are getting better about leaving food out!

Last Tuesday, I took him to the vet for his shots. He is a puggle, (pug/beagle mix) and must have a good memory for smells or something, because as soon as we walked into the office, his  curly tail (from the pug in him) sunk down flat, and his countenance dropped as well. The tail stayed to the ground all the while we waited, and he greeted another dog. He was cooperative and quiet, just not himself.  While we were in the examining room, the vet did everything she could to win him over, not even treats worked, and believe me, Tom does not usually turn down food! After I paid the bill, and we were half-way out the door - BOOM - the tail curled up again! Tom was his usual happy-go-lucky self!

He was rewarded with a trip to the local pet store, where he could sniff and smell all he wanted, and you would never know he had such a harrowing experience as a trip to the vet! Now my girlfriend, Maggie says her dog loves the vet, and I have never had a dog who was so uncomfortable as this one with the vet, so I think it must have something to do with his past. All is well now, and I really hope he stays healthy!

Have a great day,

Phoebe