Drabble by Kevin Fagan for August 16, 2023

Our dog groomer is in the same plaza as our vet. This confuses Finnegan. He doesn’t like to go to the vet, but he’s friends with his groomer.

So … honest! … you’re not gonna get tutored!

A little paranoid, are we, Wally?

My poor dachshund had to go to the vet every day toward the end. Refused to walk in and had to be carried. Came bouncing out though.

My last dog was always excited to go for a car ride. It usually meant we were off to visit the extended family dogs. He had no problem going to the vet until we went in the examination room.

My dad used to take his cat for car rides and buy them both a bowl of ice cream as a treat.

It takes time, but you gotta condition a dog to associate car rides as a good thing. My family takes our dog to a park once or twice a week. Initially, he HATED getting in the car. Now? He’s the first one to jump on in.

A dog on a car ride gets to stick his nose out the window and sniff for something to chase while watching the world go by really quickly. The car stops and someone hands you a bunch of bags with food in them. It doesn’t get any better.

It’s hard to reassure them when they know you lie.

Growing up, our dog knew two turns out of the driveway what was up, and started howling.

Not just dogs. When my older son was very young, he was terrified of the dentist. On one trip, in order to get him in the car without a major scene, she told him we were going to Disneyland. Forty years later, he still (good naturedly) reminds her of that.

Our problem is the one way out of our neighborhood has the vet’s office on the corner at the stop sign. Our dog relaxes once we pull away from the stop sign.

Ed McMahon will be on his doorstep soon. JEFFREY REDFERN YOU MAY ALREADY E A WINNER!