Vet and Vacation

It's funny that we've only had Clover since Sunday afternoon, as we drove him back to his foster family for the holiday and he is already missed. While driving in Vermont tonight, Les said "I wish Clover was in the back seat so we could roll the window down and he could smell the cow filled Vermont air." He is also having a vacation of his own with people and animals he adores. We can't give him the freedom of being in a neighborhood with a yard so everyone wins.

This just in! He ran in circles around the yard in Connecticut, ate a lot, and is now happily passed out.

This morning we all went to the vet. As with many parts of this process, I don't have the expertise to know what to look for but Les does so she made all the arrangements. We spent a good half hour with the vet, getting important information on the basics of puppy care as well as getting to know one another. The doctor was great with Clover as well as with us-- which must not be easy to master.

He has a little issue with one of his ears and is 4 months (not 3 months) so it seems that he may not get as big as I fear. We also found out that he has a heart thrill (aka, a murmur). Much like in people, this can be an issue or not but there is a good chance it will take care of itself in a few months.

We learned how to clip his toenails, clean his ears, and clean his his-parts. We were reminded not to leave anything plugged in, as he could get shocked and to be sure he has no access to pennies or Advil. Training should involve the command said only once. Boundaries are important: owning a dog is more like having a teenager than a baby.

While I was driving on the highway, I heard Clover making a weird noise with his mouth- a licking that turned into a sucking and asked Les to check on him. It turns out that he lost his first tooth and almost swallowed it! She put her fingers down his throat to pull it out. One more example of us making a great team.