Red’s third visit was curious, it was tougher than the first two. Dr. Flaherty noticed right away that he was tense, he seemed more aware of the needles, was concerned about sounds outside of the examining room, had a hard time setting in. When he did lie down, his ears were up, he never seemed to quite relax the way he did in the previous two visits. At home, he seemed calm and at ease. Dogs are mysterious creatures, I couldn’t begin to explain why he might have felt tense today, not on previous times.

We’ll go back next week. I am hoping he will internalize this treatment, find it easier to relax on  his own. He rarely relaxes, the calmest he ever is when he is riding in the car.