In Which I BANISHED Thorin Oakenshield

This little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is Abby, and she is totally my Number One patient. Not from a financial standpoint, though as a puppy and teenager, she got herself into enough scrapes requiring veterinary attention that she certainly did pay some of the bills. But no, this little cutie-patootie is just my very favorite girl in the world!

I’ve been her beloved best friend veterinarian since she was 6 weeks old, and we just bonded from the first moment we met. I ADORE this little scamp! (And the feeling is entirely mutual).   =)

It never seems to phase her if I have to draw blood, or insert that fecal loop, or give an injection that stings. She may give me sad puppy dog eyes, as if to say, “This again?” but she is always delighted to snuggle up and shower me with love the very next minute.

So whenever Abby comes, as long as there are no other dogs about, her mom or dad lets her off the leash and she races around to find me, and if I’m not to be found, she boogies down the hall and into my office! She jumps onto my lap and gives me all the wiggling happy snuggles and kisses I could possibly want, then jumps onto my couch and makes herself right at home until I am ready, then she follows me back up front and into the exam room where her room her mom or dad is waiting.

Abby’s mom finally stumbled across a child-proofing system for the pantry and the bathroom cabinet, and as a result, Abby hasn’t been raiding the trash or the food supplies and requiring my attention on such a regular basis. In fact, I hadn’t even seen Abby since before Christmas, which means that SHE hadn’t been back to my office, or on my couch, since prior to Thorin Oakenshield’s arrival.

I happened to see her mom at the grocery store recently, and told her that while I was glad the little stinker was staying out of trouble, a 6 month absence was just too long and I missed her! Because she’s a lovely woman, Abby’s mom took me at my word, and today she dropped my darling off for “day-boarding” (read: couch napping) while she went off to several doctor’s appointments and an afternoon of shopping.

Abby came rushing down the hall and into my office, launched herself into my lap, and we had a perfectly delightful reunion with kisses and ear scratching and belly rubs, and when I put her back onto the floor, she happily trotted around my desk and hopped onto the couch. I went back to dictating my charts, but was interrupted a few moments later by a sound I hardly thought possible from this soul-sweet little girl: a low GROWL!

Shocked, I looked over the top of my monitor, to see Abby on the couch, looking up over her shoulder at the looming figure of Thorin Oakenshield!!!

With her tail tucked, and watching his every move over her shoulder, she continued to growl and crept to the other end of the couch. Then she slid to the floor, never taking her eye off of the menacing dwarf, and skedaddled around the desk and back into the safety of my lap. I reassured her and loved on her, and she relaxed, but every time she would glance back over her shoulder, she’d tense up again, and even bark!

Poor Abby! She could tell he meant business with that sword! Or maybe she’s just no fan of the Denver Broncos! After about the 10th warning bark, I’d had enough, so I took Thorin out of the office and put him in the kennel area, where he then set off all the other dogs into a barking frenzy! They certainly didn’t like his looks either, and though I hoped they’d pipe down after a few minutes, the racket only escalated!

I’m sorry to report that I have banished Thorin to the garage for the day!