My Poor Boy Going Under the Knife Today

I knew it was going to happen eventually, just not this soon.

My 6 month old Golden Retriever Hagar went to the vet today to get fixed. I was teasing my wife about this when she brought it up. I said, speaking from a man's perspective, why not let him have fun at least once? We can breed him with another Golden Retriever, other people would be able to have an awesome dog, and he would at least be able to see what it's like before it's taken away from him. I proposed we waited a couple of months before having this done. I lost that vote 1 to 1.

Just like when humans have to have surgery, he wasn't able to eat anything after 8 p.m. last night. We fed him at 7:45 and then I took him out to do his business in the yard. After he was done, I came in and I gave him a bunch of treats. I kept telling him I was paying it forward because I wouldn't be able to give him treats after taking him out again last night before we went to bed, and again this morning before I came here to work. I was kind of hoping he understood, but I don't think he did.

This morning after I took him out, he sat on the floor in the kitchen just below his treats on the counter. As I was making my coffee and grabbing my lunch before heading out the door, he kept looking at me like “Dad, you're forgetting something”. Even as I was closing the door behind me he was looking at me with his eyebrows raised like “well, are you going to give me a treat before you leave”?

I will have to make up for lost time, or should I say lost treats with him when he gets home. Maybe I will treat him and take him to one of the Binghamton area ice cream shops and get him a small vanilla Bowl.

I wish Smarty's Icecream in Endicott was open. They haven't opened yet this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only is it within walking distance of my house, Smarty's also has their “doggie Bowl”. It's a small soft serve vanilla in a a bowl with a couple of Milk-Bone dog treats inside.

I'm not sure even that would be enough for Hagar to forgive us for what he's going through today, but I'm sure he would enjoy the ice cream none the less.

Whenever I think of a dog being neutered, I think back to the television show 'Married with Children'. In one episode, the Bundy's have their dog Buck neutered. After he returns home, he lays on the couch and lifts his leg and says to Al Bundy, played by Ed O'Neill, “look what you did to me”.

I have a feeling that right now, Bob Barker is smiling somewhere. As for Hagar, he doesn't seem to happy.