PEDIATRICIANS

In light of Fun with Fizziology week and a nod to so many of our friends that have needed to spend a bunch of time with a doctor of late, including S'Milo, today we talk about Pediatricians.

Can I have a show of paws how many of you out there have children?  I raise my paw of course because I had 8....  'course Ditto n' Dufus didn't but they're boys.  Dawg only knows how many illegitimate puppies Dufus has out there.  Remember...he was quite the Cassanova dog when he descended on my kingdom.  Or so he thought.  He even, uh, managed to get himself in trouble physically too, if you recall.  *howl*  But...like my beloved teacher and brother Bear, I digress.....

Anyway, so lots of us have had puppies.  But how 'bout a show of paws how many of you have human babies?  Or had human babies?  Do you remember when they were tiny and they couldn't talk?  Yeah, I know you probably remember with longing.... But do you remember when you didn't know much about them?  And do you remember what it was like when they got sick?  Or did something you didn't understand?  Do you remember how frantic you were, how concerned you got, when something was wrong and they couldn't TELL you?  Who did you call? 

Well of course it wasn't Ghostbusters... *HOWL*  (I can be as funny as Bear too, y'know).  But who did you go to when your baby was sick?  Their pediatrician, right?  That magic doctor who seemed to know all the answers.  Who calmed you and assured you Junior would be alright.  And, most of the time, Junior ended up alright.  You loved your pediatrician didn’t' you?  There were probably times when you loved your pediatrician more than anyone else.  Well except for Junior.  Your pediatrician didn't make you feel stupid.  He was empathetic.  She was caring.  A special kind of person.  Because he treated your baby and he treated you.  Right? 

So, how many of you have fur babies?  I'm gonna guess a whole bunch of you since you're actually READING this blog.  Show of paws?  Yup, I guessed it.  Doesn't matter if your fur babies are dogs or cats or horses or birds.  Doesn't matter if they're really "babies" or if they are grown up fur kids.  The fact is,  your fur kids are not too much different than human babies.  They really can't tell you what's going on, they can’t verbalize pain or illness.  So, aside from knowing some of your kid's repetitive behaviors, and things that you've come to expect, it's kind of hard to know what's really going on, right?  So who do you rely on?  Yup, the vet.  Your fur kid's pediatrician.  The one person who knows the questions to ask and the things to look for.  The one person who understands your baby.  The one person who doesn't think you're an idiot or being neurotic or overprotective.  And that doctor, if they're really good, treats not only your dog but YOU.  Because remember what Bear always said?  Us fur kids can read you--like a book!  So if you're upset, then we're upset.

Yes, a good vet treats your dog very well.  A good vet fixes what ails your baby, and answers your questions.  But.... a great vet?  Well, they treat you.  A great vet makes you feel good, or at least better, even if your baby isn't 100%.  He doesn't demean you even if you did something wrong.  She is patient.  He is kind.  He treats your dog like it's the only one in the world and the best one at that.  She trusts you.  And a great vet celebrates your joy and suffers your pain with you.  A great vet is gentle with your baby and gentle with your soul. 

In my time I've been around a lot of vets.  My foster mommy loves her vet.  She took me there first when I was sprung from jail.  Of course my mom loves our Ohio vets a whole bunch (we had three remember--our "family vet" and Bear's ER vet and Heart vet), likes our horse vet, too (I’m not sure why them things hafta have a vet*sigh*), and is really liking our new Michigan vet.  It’s really nice to go to the vet when mom is happy.  It makes us happier. 

Fur Pediatricians.  The only difference?  At adolescence we don't have to switch doctors! *howl*   So next time you take your fur kid to the doctor, remember this conversation.  Do something nice for your fur pediatrician.  Send a nice note.  Say a kind word.  Bake them a batch of cookies.  A great vet is something you never want to be without.  I, for one, am grateful for my fur pediatricians.  And so is mom.

Thanks for reading everyone.  Feel free to share your fur pediatrician stories.   And may happiness Reign on you today and always.  

Trust

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy”

Trust. A subject very near to my heart. I'm sure you all know that I had it pretty rough prior to coming to my Mom and Dad's house. See, people were mean to me. People threw things at me. I still can't talk about it but it has taken almost 3 years to get over most of my fears.

I still have some and I'm not sure I'll ever not cower at a loud noise. But...like my beloved brother Bear, I digress. Have you given much thought to trust? Does your dog trust you? Do YOU trust your dog?

I wish sometimes that Bear Dog, in his Last Will, had given us his trust. He sure had plenty of it didn't he? Even after he got hurt. Even in his last breath. But, alas, trust is earned and not something to be given away. Yet both of us--you and us dogs--trust, or not, and when we both trust each other it's true...our relationships are deeper and stronger.

Mom knows a guy who worked with a guy who wrote a book called, "The Speed of Trust" (by Stephen M.R. Covey). The book contends that when people choose to trust, the speed at which they do is directly proportional to how successful the relationship will be. Surely you didn’t think it worked any differently with us dogs. (and Mom will also say that those dumb horses are the same too). How can I explain it best?

When I first came home, I was scared of a lot. I was scared of my mom and dad. But every day that they were nice to me and showed me that noises aren't bad and let me get used to a routine, I started to relax. Even after I had an accident, mom never yelled. She was calm and gentle and I realized that while I was embarrassed she wouldn’t punish me for an accident. I started to trust her.

And, initially, mom kept me on a leash. I know she was scared, too; scared that I might run away. But we started to trust each other and I showed her that if she dropped the leash I would come back to her. She showed me that we when I came back to her she would shower me with love—which is what I really wanted most. I saw that Ditto and Bear trusted mom. And so I tried too. And as the days turned to weeks, I graduated from a short leash to a long leash. In turn, I played more and learned to always "check in" with mom. And, eventually I got to be off leash like Bear and Ditto. The faster we trusted the better it was.

I bet you didn't know when Bear first came to Mom and Dad’s home, he ran away. He told me that he was so scared he ran and hid (kinda like me) and Dad couldn't find him for hours. He was scared and had just been taken from the only home he knew and he didn't trust Mom or Dad. But like me, he learned to trust quickly (unlike me he was rather "treat" motivated and dad figured that out quick!), and they started to trust him, and soon it was like he'd always been there. And I really don't need to tell you the love or joy Bear and Momma had.

It's a slow process you know. Repitition. Consistency. Patience. PATIENCE. I try to tell mom that all the time. Trust is not like one of Bear's gifts which can be given and received instantly. No, trust is a slow process but like the book says, the faster you learn to trust, and allow others to trust you, the richer your relationship will be. I know you love your dogs and they love you and you both know love and joy, but do you trust each other? Have you experienced the joy that becomes so much greater? The love so much deeper?

It's hard to trust. It's scary. How do I know you won’t hurt me? How do you know I will behave? Sheesh, ask Mom about Chaudy. You have to trust yourself first, but then you have to have faith. (Remember Bear’s blog about Good Things?). Us dogs usually come pre-programmed for trust. It's not until we're hurt that we start to fear. But even we can learn to trust again. It is possible. It's harder for you to trust us. But give trust a spin. Build up some speed. You'll LOVE the ride. I promise.

Thanks for reading. It’s been awhile, and I’m sorry.

I wish happiness (and trust) to REIGN upon you today.