Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-03-27
THE DOG DOCTOR.
An Hour with Him while He De-
scribes His Customers

Forming group in room were a
bald headed man wearing horn specta-
cles, with fringe of whiskers about
his face, snarling, shaggy-haired dog
and an elegantly dressed lady. who
looked as if she might cry. On shelves
and tables were stuffed dogs, birds and
queer looking animals. On 81 bench at
the mans side were half dozen pairs
OF forceps and a lot of dental instru-
ments
Please, please, don't hurt Dot any
more than you can help" pleaded the
lady, tearfuliv.
mot for a moment, num-" the old
man SAID as he pressed the dogs body
between his knees and violently vanked
open its mouth. I'm be as GENTLE as
possible with him..
lie picked up one of the forceps and
pulled one of Dots teeth. scrap6d the
other teeth with an instrument that
looked like nut-pick, and lanced the
gums As soon as Dot reached the
floor, he took firm seat on his
launches. braced his feet, raised his
head. and howled dismally. The lady
picked him up in her arms and shed
tears of sympathy.
Hell be all right now. num-" the
dog fancier said as-he pocketed a crisp
SO note, and opened the door for the
lady to pass out His teeth's in GOOD
order now and he won't suffer with his
gums"
Il often pull out dogs teeth" he ex-
planned 10 the reporter who had been
watching the treatment of Dot. land
more often L scrape and clean 'em IN.
do more of it now than l used TO thir-
ty years ago, when | first began doc
doctoring. It's more fashionable for
ladies TO keep dogs than it used to be.
Dogs is like children some-T mean the
little lap dogs. They eat too much
sweets and their teeth oct bad. and
when their teeth gets bad, why. thew
have got to be fixed, so what does / do
a few years ago but print on my cards
dog dentistry" 1t brought me in
lots of customers. You ought to see
the carriages that the ladies often
comes in, and they wears diamonds
that almost blinds me. They don't
seem to care for money so long as their
dogs is fixed all right. And then they
watches me like cat watches a mouse
while I'm at work at the dog S mouth.
and if l amt as gentle as a kitten.
why, they goes for me like awhirl-
wind"
'>Do you ever fill dogs teeth?"
Il never did that, although a lady
once wanted me to fill pet mos
teeth with gold. l told her / couId5't
do it, and, although she was a REGULAR
customer, she went right away and
never came near the shop any more"
''What dogs are generally BROUGHT
to you for treatment?'
''Pugs, spaniels, and Scotch and skye
terriers. Black and tans used TO he
we'll thought of once, but nowadays
ladies don't seem to care for them
much. According to my notions, the
best pet dog is a cross between an Tta1-
ian greyhound and a black and tan.
They are the best watch docs. too.
That reminds me of something which
happened when | first began doc doc
toring. Somebody brought me a doc
of that breed to treat. | concluded
that it needed a dose of medicine. and
tried to force some down its throat. 1t
was no 90. The dog bit me half a
dozen times, and upset seven doses of
medicine. l prepared another dose,
put it on the floor, and sat down TO oet
wind for another attempt. just think
how surprised / was when the doc
walks up to where l had left the medi2
cine and licks it up as if it was fond of
it,
"Do you set dogs broken bones?'
'Often. I've done lots of queer
things with animals. Once | put a
glass eye in dog"
How did you happen to do thatP'
"a lady customer had dog and a
cat which didn't agree very well, and
one day when she was out they fought
and the dog lost an eye. did you ev-
or put glass eye in dog?" says she
to me one day. mo, num-" says /;
"and I never heard tell of such a
thing" Cant it be done?" says she.
almost anything can be done, says [.
''Well, them" says she, Il want you
to have a glass eye made for Henry
Henry was the name of her dog. Sol
had to take the dog to man who
made glass eyes for one, and when it
was finished [ took it to the lady's
house and put it in. +"
What happened then?"
"Why, Henry wouldn't have it at all.
He scratched it out with his paw. We
tried to make him wear it, but it was
40 use. Henry was a positive dog. -