Way to go, Pritch. I'm a big chicken when it comes to the doc, too!

I walked into the vet waiting room with my fox/rat terrier mix (he weighs about 12lbs on a full belly) and there was a great dane he took a disliking to. It was pretty funny to see a 150lb dane backed into a corner scrambling away from that terrier.

I don't know about funny, but not too long ago I was shocked by my beagle/bassett mutt. For some reason that mix tends to produce dogs in excess of 4'-6" long not counting tail, but under 18" at the shoulder and with a head that would do a wolfhound proud. He's the mildest mannered dog I've ever owned. Lost use of his rear legs almost overnight. Day 2 we were at the vet. I thought I had a grip on him. When the doc, through thumb pressure, found the offending ruptured disc said enormous head whistled past my left ear with jaws extended to the point where the vet's head, which was accelerating backwards at a slightly faster rate, was at one point in danger of taking canines to the top of the scalp and under the jaw at the same time. Flash was muzzled for the remainder of the visit. I sheepishly apologized, he told me he should have known better and that he knew it was going to cause real pain. Flash btw is still running around the yard today. A cortizone shot and a week of steriods and the inflammation went down until it was no longer pinching the disc to the point where he seems to be experiencing pain or limiting mobility. I don't believe he actually feels the legs based on his movement and stance sometimes, but otherwise he functions just fine.

Thanks Dave. He's not my hunting dog due to lack of drive, but he is going to be missed in the house. I hate to say it, but I'm actually kind of glad we had a "near miss". My girls really love that hound and his passing is going to be rough. This got them thinking about the fact that our canine family members are mortal without the full trauma. My beagle they somehow haven't bonded with in the same way. He's definitely "dad's dog".

I work at a vet hospital and I could go on for hours about the crazy things I've seen the pups do. It made me chuckle you wrote about it :)

Take a little spray cheese and spray out a couple of small lines for the dog while giveing shots.The dogs total attention is on the cheese and doesnt notice the shot.A tip two different vets showed me.

When I had a German Wire haired pointer my vet finally looked at me one day and said" I am more afraid of him than he is of me." And this guy had a large animal practice as well.

My lab does pretty good for the most part. Just gets excited and wiggles trying to lick the vet they walk in.

Hmmm...

As long as we're off the subject:

In the last 6 years, I have spent between $20,000 and $25,000 on Bill and Woofie.

It's worth it, just to have Bill.

Woofie is a 5-year-old puppy.

I should have named him "Me Too!"

As we aproach the vet's entryway, they become uncontrollable.

On an average day, I can do 75 good pushups, fast.

But I'm no match for 230 lbs of Labrador.

They burst in, slamming the door against the wall, and veteran employees know what's coming and start laughing.

Woofie charges ahead along with Bill to exploit every opportunity to play.

Woofie is a leaner.

He quickly leans up against everybody and their dog and beats them with his tail while barking nonstop. Bill jumps on everybody and kisses them on the mouth.

He's very powerful and quick.

He kisses people on the mouth before they can blink.

Once, a very pretty lady who worked there ran over and offered to take Bill's leash from this helpless old man and control him.

So I smiled to myself and handed her the leash.

She didn't believe it when he didn't become submissive just because she was holding the leash.

He spun around and stood up, looked her in the eye, wrapped his arms around her neck and repeatedly kissed her on the mouth.

But Bill, she's married!

He didn't care .

So I grabbed the leash.

The initial furor out of the way, I got Bill's OFA X-Rays.

No surprise, he's perfectly healthy.

Condolences to C Pratt. My dog LOVES going to the vet for the treats and rubs and all the good stuff the techs give him. He can't control himself in the car as we get closer to the office. In the rooms they have old church pews, and they keep the temperature at about 80 degrees. Needless to say, my long-haired golden retriever is pretty worn out and panting by the time we get out of the waiting room. He lays down on the floor in the room till the techs come, then about five minutes of treats, petting and licking later he ducks under the aforesaid pew bench just as the doctor comes in. It usually takes two or three to pull him out by the collar. As soon as the rectal temperature-taking is over, he chills out and decides the vet isn't such a bad guy.

My Boykin pup is good at the vet but my 100lb Boxer shakes all over a soon as we walk in.

When Briley was four months old he picked up some kind of doggie bug and he wouldn`t eat, had diahhrea(sp) and was really down and mopey...you know the look, head and ears down and drooping. So I take him to the vet and when his very caring(and attractive) young assitant looked down at him and said in a baby voice, "Awww.... is Briley not feeling good"? He lets out with this pathetic "Oooowwwwwww" that had everyone in the office just cracking up! Needless to say he`s fine now after an IV and some TLC and they just LOVE seeing him come through the door!!