It was Tuesday, 5/2/06 and Declan, our alpha Sheltie (from whence he earned the nickname The Little King), was scheduled that day to have his teeth cleaned at our Vet's office.

My bride makes a concerted attempt to brush the teeth of all FOUR of our dogs. But Declan always is the most difficult, most irrascible of all of, constantly jerking his head away, growling and altogether making the expeience most unpleasant for all involved. Although at one time this included trying to take out his frustrations on the other dogs by attacking them, my bride very quickly learned to separate the pack. We're adherents to that old tenet "divide and conquer."

And so, Declan's aversion to teeth cleaning earned him the distinction of taking a ride to the beloved Vet's office to have his teeth cleaned. Read on...

The day began at around 5:20 a.m. with everyone rising to breakfast. All, that is, except Declan. Since his teeth cleaning would be performed at the Vet's office under anesthesia, we were cautioned he shouldn'tt eat or drink in the event he aspirated.

So, while all the other dogs were merrily enjoying their meals, Declan and my bride went out for a brief walk. He was confused by the change in the morning's rituals but it was for the best (for us, that is; we're certain he didn't find it too pleasant missing his meal). Upon Declan's return, he was confused and ran around a bit, but soon settled down. I suppose in his mind he knew something was amiss, especially when he listened to his stomach speaking.

But, in a few short hours he was in the Vet's office, walked to the back room where he was induced into a comfortable sleep. And, a few hours after that, he was back home with us! When he entered the door he bolted around, checking to see that everything was O.K. in the den. As his inspection was transpiring, his food was being prepared. When he got a whiff of it, he was off to the kitchen where he sat like a good little boy.

A few short minutes later his little belly was full, contented as all heck, he was whole again and felt like a king...our Little King.