Nico had his annual check-up at the vet this morning. He did well going through the waiting room with other dogs and people and staying reasonably well-behaved with our vet and the technicians. He had his blood drawn and his vaccines, which aren’t his favorite. He fought a bit during that whole process but didn’t fight back in an aggressive way. In the past, he would show his teeth and snarl if anyone did something to him he wasn’t comfortable with. We’ve been working with him on his nail trimming, teeth brushing, and other things he isn’t thrilled about. That training, coupled with our other training, helped today. He was super scared after the blood draw and did everything he could to keep his rear end away from the vet techs. They wooed him with plenty of treats, and he got through it all, though I’m pretty certain visiting the vet is near the bottom of the list of things he likes to do. There is some irony in all of it. The vet’s office was one of Khyber’s favorite places to visit. He loved all the attention and he trusted everyone. Even if he had to do something unpleasant, he assumed it was with good intentions and just went along with it. He would give the technicians kisses as they poked him with needles or pulled stitches out (he had a few over the years). He could even be x-rayed without being sedated. We went from the perfect patient who loved seeing the vet to one who is suspicious of the entire experience. Nico did great, though, and I’m really proud of his progress. The only downside is we don’t see the wonderful staff at the Lake Placid Animal Hospital as often because we know how stressful it is for Nico.

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