Oura had her first vet appointment today. she did great, was complimented by all the staff on her temperament and good nature. "most docile and attentive husky puppy they'd seen" in her age group was a running theme. along with "looks like the training is going well" and kind, affirming words of that nature. she actually surprised me with how good she was for them- i was expecting her to kick up a fuss- (Robin always hated the vet and would whine and cry and make fruitless attempts to hide his giant white fluffy butt behind chair-legs, etc-) Oura has been a bit shy and taking a while to warm up to new people but she was all kisses for the veterinary staff- ears back, tail tucked and wiggling with the inability to contain herself. tried out going back to my old vet too (we stopped going there when we got Lily and Whiskey the goaties b/c they don't treat farm/livestock animals and we were trying to keep everyone at one place to cut down on the confusion)- but old vet is much closer by and after todays experience I like the way they do things and i'm glad i went back to them, esp. with a new pup and first visits. Oura barely noticed her shots going in, or that she was even getting a physical in general- total loving distraction from the vets, going out of their way to make it a positive experience as opposed to performing a near mechanical methodical medical procedure. (A) for the vets and an (A+) for Oura, kickin' it off to a good start in life and with a perfect clean bill of health. not expensive prom party dresses in color red
i miss Robin, my wonder-dog, my waggle-butt. he was stolen away from this earth before his time and I miss him so, SO much. every. single. day. but knowing that i've got a good little egg, and snuggling up with her, when she sees me crying and runs to me to kiss away my tears at night rounds off the sharp edges of my grief into something hopeful- something i can work with and invest into. when i'm missing him bad, i take Oura on a walk to one of Robin's favorite spots- down by the creek, or for a romp thru the woods. i try to teach her the names of her toys (especially the little handmedowns i gifted to her- Robin's Stuffed Tiger, Robin's Stuffed Bunny, Robin's Frisbee!) I reinforce the inherently wonderful aspects of her personality and reprimand the naughty bits... and all along the way i drop little pieces of my grief into the vast ever-expanding well of potential contained within the big ol' soul of a tiny puppy.
....also, today I found Robin's hula hoop. Once upon a time, when Robin was young and sprightly and could run and jump without pain, I had used it to teach him to jump through hoops......
.....I think my bouncy little girl is going to love that one.