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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Okay, it’s official. Raising puppies hurts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Being a good daddy to the new puppy, I take him out in the middle of the night (since I’m up once or twice anyway!) <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Well, last night, a little after 1:00 AM, I open up his crate and point him out the door. The weather has turned. It’s about 23 degrees out – that’s no joke. Silly boy says – “Well, are you coming or not?” and stands at the top of the ramp. I step out, hoping he’ll turn and go and I can duck back in. No joy. So I head out the door to walk down the ramp and get Dexter out to the grass. Well, the cold weather frosted the ramp. It’s dark – I don’t see that. Halfway down the ramp in my bath robe and Birkenstocks…well, you guessed it. Great big “FFWUMMMPP” as I go down flat on my back. And of course, certain noises are rapidly expelled from my mouth. Loudly. And not the prettiest words either. So the little boy goes all “panic attack” on me and cowers and hides and tries to go hide back in the house. So I spent the next 10 minutes comforting the pup, on my butt, in the freezing cold, until I can get him to come down and piddle. Then of course I couldn’t get back to sleep. I was in so much pain I could hardly lay down. Or sit. Or stand up. All day long I’ve hurt from me teeth to me toes!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But that’s not all! Dexter is in pain too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today started off bad for him. No breakfast. Trip to the vet first thing in the morning. He’s freaked out. Whimpers and shakes and submissive cowering. Boy, he doesn’t even know the worst of it yet!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Anyway he’s home and stretched on the old comforter on the living room floor, wearing a funny plastic thing around his head. He is NOT a happy camper though. But thankfully he came through without any issues, and made everyone in the office fall madly in love with him. When I picked him up, he wasn’t flinching or shaking or submissive at all – he wanted to meet everyone and all the dogs and especially the fuzzy wittle wabbit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today’s vet visit: neutering ($47.50, includes surgery, meds and full day in the hospital), microchip ($35), heartworm test – negative ($12.00). Did I mention I love my vet? <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Just another day in the life of Dexter and his daddy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tim and the White City Hound Pack<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Maggie d’Earest, Leia Round and Dexter “Snip ‘n Chip”<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>