Husband on the phone with the vet: “We are bringing home a puppy in just about two weeks, and our breeder recommended we set up a vet appointment as soon as we can.”
Receptionist (in a sunshine-y sing-song voice): “Okay, let me just get some information from you and we’ll see what’s available.”
Receptionist (typing feverishly): “Dog’s date of birth.”
The Husband: “January 3rd.”
Receptionist: “Excellent.” (Continued typing.) “What kind of dog?”
The Husband: “A Sheepadoodle.”
Receptionist (still typing away): “Okay…s-h-e-e-p-….here it is, Shetland Sheep Dog.”
The Husband: “No – a Sheepadoodle.”
Receptionist: “Sheep-uh….Sheep-uh-what?”
The Husband: “Sheepadoodle.”
Receptionist (mouse scrolling-wheel noises): “Yes, I see it right here, got it, a Shetland Sheep Dog.”
The Husband: “No no no, it’s a Sheepadoodle. Not a Shetland Sheep Dog.”
Receptionist (mouse clicking in the background): “Ah, I see. My apologies. Here we go. A sheepdog you say – did you mean a Border Collie? How about a Bearded Collie? Belgian Malinois? Old English Sheepdog? German Shepard? …”
The Husband (politely cutting off the receptionist): “No – it’s a mixed breed dog – a cross between an Old English Sheepdog and a Poodle – a Sheepadoodle.”
Receptionist (typing paused, clearly exasperated): “I’m not finding a Sheep-uh…Sheepdoodle in the system? Oh wait, here it is. Are you sure it’s not a Shetland Sheep Dog?”
The Husband (losing patience): “You might not find it in a database of dog breeds because it is a mixed-breed dog. A cross between an Old English Sheepdog father and a Poodle mother – a Sheep-a-doodle. Don’t forget the ‘a.'”
Receptionist: “Hmm. Well then. Fair enough, I will put you into the system as you describe it. Sheepdoodle it is! Now let’s set up this puppy appointment!”
The Husband (exasperated himself – with a few choice words under his breath): “Excellent, thank you.”
(After the appointment gets confirmed, and into the system)
Receptionist (all sunshine and rainbows again): “Don’t forget to bring in a stool sample when you come! Just be sure to keep it in the fridge until your appointment!”
Well…at least she got that last rehearsed part right…
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When the above interaction was relayed to me I had to laugh (and be glad I wasn’t the one dealing with it!). But because part of the conversation was relayed via text, I completely misinterpreted the stool sample request, and thought that he (as in, The Husband) needed to provide his own stool sample (that was going to go in our fridge!)…for an upcoming doctor’s appointment that he has on the calendar…Wow. Wouldn’t that have been interesting?
