Pet care: Picking a puppy — and a career

Second in a series.

Father and son trundled off in the family station wagon to a somewhat dilapidated quasi-farm. In the corner of an ancient barn sat a plywood enclosure of delightful Brittany puppies scampering around their haggard-looking mama. She badly needed a break from the unrelenting demands of puppy production.

Because I was a boy, it somehow made sense to me that a male puppy would be a good choice. The first cuddler to hop into my lap was my immediate BFF. My father’s childhood cocker spaniel was named Scott; my dog would be his namesake. I was the luckiest kid on the planet. I am older now, wiser and a bit battle-scarred, but still lucky.

Now it was time for Responsibility. No more fun and games. Vaccinations for puppies, a concept in its infancy at the time, got my attention next. I read about distemper. We didn’t want that.

Grownups often asked me, as they do with most kids, what I wanted to be when I grew up. Really? Should I have known my destiny by third grade? I loved animal shows on TV, but Westerns glorified aggression so, of course, my plan was to become a gunslinger, interspersed with my sheriff and fireman phases. That kid stuff was about to change. An appointment was made.

When young Scott and I arrived at the Harper Woods Veterinary Hospital, we were met by a young Dr. Lyle Tuck. I remember him to this day. He was kind to me and my new puppy. He performed a thorough exam and carefully explained the vaccination procedure. I listened while silently marveling at this medical setting. Science, medicine, working with pets and nice people? OMG!

Dr. Tuck encouraged us to have the relatively new distemper vaccine for Scott. We could reduce the risk of this nasty disease, but there would be no guarantee. My father bought-in so, of course, I did, too. As I walked away, leash in-hand, my mind was turning. Could I be an animal doctor, helping pets and their people?

Next week: Hard lessons ahead.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign up for a Zoom group conference at drjeffnichol.com

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