On the outside

Today marked the start of a very stressful week.  I know this because I was stressed about today before today actually happened.  I had made an appointment at the vets for 2 dogs, both at the same time and the latest they could give me was 5:00.  This would be fine except for that I had meetings on a Monday which usually end between 4:30 and 5:00.  Plus, the vets surgery is 20 minutes away.  I was going to have to attempt to excuse myself - not something that I like to do.

Anyway, you can imagine my glee when the usual meeting was rearranged for Thursday.  I now knew that I had plenty of time to get from A to B without flooring my car (which still has the engine light on from the floods - probably better sort that out too)!  Also, it's freezing, so the only thing I feel like doing is going to bed in the fire!

It's sitting by the fire time already!
Unfortunately, Gemma got their first.

'Never mind, I'll just sit on her!'

Not being a fan of being close to other dogs, Caesar doesn't love visits to the vets at the best of times and I could see him beginning to shake as we wandered up the path towards the familiar door.  As we entered, and on seeing another dog, he began to howl.  Now, normally, I stand outside with Caesar as he is very loud and was planning on doing this as soon as I had let the receptionist know that we were here for our appointment.  On seeing the other dog, Caesar barked and squealed and did his usual 'I'm far too excited for such a small space!' routine.  I stroked his head and told him politely to 'shut up.'  The receptionist winced but ignored us as she continued to work on her computer.  "He's ok," I explained over the din, trying to hold him still as I waited for her to acknowledge us with some eye contact. "He doesn't like other dogs, I'll take him outside."  At this point, the other dog was called into the waiting room leaving me, Caesar, Gemma and Damien.  Caesar quietened down.  "He's just very excitable," I explained to her blank face.  "He gets excited about other dogs."  She nodded, not looking particularly interested.  "If another dog comes in here to wait..." I added, my cheeks reddening at the fact I was being ignored, "...then I'll wait outside."

Anything remotely exciting is
worth a good bark!

No other dog did wait and Caesar sat quietly by my side for a while.  A few minutes later, a lady walked through with another dog and straight out of the door.  Caesar barked as the dog passed and the receptionist got to her feet.  "I'm going to have to ask you to stand outside." she said unkindly.  I looked at her blankly.  By this point Caesar was quiet again.  "We can't answer the phone when he's making that racket." She said bluntly, pointing towards the door, then turned to her computer screen again.

Would rather stay cuddled up to my
best bud, Conehead, any day!

My cheeks burned and my eyes stung.  I was so angry at being asked to leave a vets and stand outside in the cold because Caesar was barking.  When the vet came outside to pick us up, she greeted us with a smile, "come on in you noisy two!" she said smiling towards Caesar and Gemma.  "It's not the little one, called the receptionist.  She seems nice..."

Usually, I am a calm person who is reasonable and the vast majority of times, on a busy day, I take the initiative to bring Caesar outside myself.  But today there was no one there and it was cold enough to make us both shake.  I felt a rush of anger as I stood with my hands up my sleeves outside.  It was almost enough to make me put Caesar back in the car and tell the secretary that I would be taking my custom elsewhere.

As I left, there were 2 Chihuahua's in the waiting room both barking at each other and at Gemma.  Oddly enough this was deemed acceptable noise by the receptionist.

How does your dog react in the vets?  Should noisy dogs be made to stand outside?