A day in the life...

The last few weeks has found Rocky and I at one of the local vet clinics here in St. Augustine. It was a bit difficult to dx him for at the time we had been treating his ears for a nasty yeast infection, but then he started cocking his head to the side and limping.

Still, even after spending almost $800.00 we are not too sure as to just what....leaning towards cervical disc disease. Poor, handsome Rocky. He has had joint issues since he was a puppy.

While waiting for his prescriptions to be filled we sat in the waiting area. In walked a lovely, adorable Westie pup. So happy to see everyone and announce his presence. An older couple were at the end of the leash and they seemed to be embarrassed over the dogs exuberance. I smiled and had Rocky sit. The Westie barked, and pulled on his leash. The girl at the desk asked if the barking bothered the couple... they replied that they would prefer he did not bark. Girl at the desk starts telling them about a bark collar....also, she kept repeating "pet parents"..."All of our pet parents who have barking dogs have had great success with the use of one of our citronella collars".



My right eye began to twitch...the girl at the desk was really doing her best to sell them when I asked how old the dog was....6 months. I started asking questions about the breed to see if they knew about Westies, yes, they had one before. I asked if that one had barked, not too much they replied. I then said at six months the dog had found his voice....now they should start teaching "Quiet", teaching sit, teaching the dog to be calm. The poor girl at the desk once again mentioned that the success rate with the clinic pet parents (my eye really began twitching) and the citronella collar....I just raised my hand and told the girl to please be quiet.
I know, but hey.....once you turn fifty you really learn to just speak your mind ;-)
Well...all right, if any one that really knows me is reading this I know just what your thinking...so I started speaking my mind when I turned 20!




I am not a big fan of the term "Pet Parents". I feel it takes away some of the dogs dignity. To me, it is in no way endearing...mostly used by those individuals. with an agenda...sales, advertising, animal activist groups.

I asked a few more questions of the Westies people...are they home with the dogs, yes, crate trained, yes....does the dog bark in the crate....if he hears a noise....mostly quiet. I then asked if they thought that the dog had a barking peoplem....no, but they would like to turn him off.

Training tools are wonderful and indeed have their place. Working with a young dog is as easy as implementing it into your daily life with the dog. So...I suggested they do just that.



As for "Pet Parents"....what do you think...anyone reading today??

Pet Parents...