George had a triumphant return to daycare and adventures in the forest this week, and is now settling in the house much better.
His annual vaccinations were due so we had to conquer a vet visit. We've recently switched so his vet behaviourist is also his regular vet. A bit of a drive but very much worth it.
Despite the higher than normal dose of medication and seeming sleepy at home, as soon as we left the house, he seemed to burn through the medication and be on high alert.
When we arrived, we did the usual calling ahead to see if the coast was clear. Miraculously, he managed to get weighed in reception despite a lot of barking.
Once in the room, and after a nervous poo on the floor, he calmed more. He was pretty relaxed with the vet - it was clear he remembered her and she is so patient and good with him.
He adored the treats. His focus on the peanut butter spoon was so intense, he didn't look around or even flinch when the vaccines went in. He let the vet examine him and look inside his mouth.
Huge progress from where we were. The vet said it was the calmest she had seen him.
Unfortunately that evening was a bit of a nightmare. George was so unsettled, constantly pacing and barking. Nothing worked and nothing distracted him. I suspect he was feeling unwell from the vaccines, not to mention the stress of a vet visit. He finally wore himself out at around 12:45am.
It was the first time in a while I had a cry, and thought that maybe I'm not cut out for this. We had of course spent 2 weeks in quarantine, and a further week without seeing others due to the daycare renovations.
After some sleep, I was feeling a little more resilient and positive.
On the plus side, our neighbours are being very accommodating in giving us space. When we came back from the vet, one of our elderly neighbours was coming out of his house. When he saw us pull up, he went back inside and waited until we were gone.
I'm not sure whether it is because he is scared of/annoyed by George, or whether he is giving us space, but I am very appreciative nonetheless!
I somehow managed to avoid 4 sets of neighbours coming outside at the same time by distracting George with a peanut butter spoon. He was quite sleepy at the time which helped!
Getting through the vet visit fairly successfully was a huge win. I need to remember and appreciate these during the hard times.