Cocoa's first ever visit to the petrinarian.

(Mike Tolbert wrote this story for his grandchildren, 4 year old Bret and 6 year old Mack in the summer of 2007. Remember this: little Bret has told her mother that when she grows up, Bret wants to be a petrinarian—known to most folks as a vet).

We live on a small farm with a little red barn and lots of animals.

We have 18 horses. One of them is a three month old filly (girl) named Sugah. Another is a six month old colt (boy) named Spirit. And a third is a one year old filly (girl) named Rosie.

Then, we have two tiny miniature horses named Savannah and Butter Cup, along with some very nice horses that we ride in the forest behind our farm.

My favorite horse is Rebel. He is big, and he’s black and white.

Nana’s favorite horse is Fancy. She has a flowing white mane and white tail and she’s brown and white.

We also have one cat and four dogs.

It was time for all of our dogs to get their annual shots.

For some of them, like one year old Cocoa, who is a lanky and loose limbed clown-like canine, this was their first trip off the farm. It was also their first visit to see the petrinarian.

Now, let me tell you about our dogs.

First, there is our old yellow dog named Hammie, who is almost 16 years old. If she was human, we would say that Hammie is 112 years old because one dog year equals seven human years.

Can you imagine that? Who is the oldest person you know? (Probably granddaddy, huh?) And he is nowhere close to 112 years old.

Of course, we have always kind of thought Hammie was human. She understands everything you say…and she talks to me, I swear.

Hammie still moves around well for her age. She is alert and active. Hammie eats her dinner every night and she has two favorite places to rest: in the barn tack room beneath the saddles, and behind the hay in the hay barn.

Our other three dogs play with Hammie. But they are respectful of her age and they don’t play too rough.

Since the petrinarian has recently visited our farm and given Hammie her shots, we did not plan to take her with us on this trip with the other dogs, but Hammie had other ideas. She loves to ride in the truck.

Our youngest dog is Oprah. We just got her about a month ago.

Oprah is a tiny little Jack Russell. She has a black face, white body, long nose and a short black tail that is constantly wiggling.

Oprah is quick. She can jump high, and she loves playing games with our cat, whose name is Kitty.

This was to be Oprah’s first shots because she is so young.

Oprah’s best buddy is Cocoa, that lanky chocolate colored cut up who is half bird dog and half lab. Cocoa’s long tongue hangs out most of the time. Cocoa has sad looking eyes…but she is always happy.

We got Cocoa when she was just a puppy. What a funny dog. Cocoa is always playing and she loves to run and jump into the water troughs where the horses on our farm drink.

Big Cocoa watches after little Oprah. She is kind of like Oprah’s baby sitter. And they play together all of the time, chasing each other and wrestling all around the farm.

Then there is our black dog. Her name is Chloe. She is a sweetie. Chloe is a quiet dog. She listens closely when you talk to her and she just loves to be rubbed and petted.

We adopted Chloe when she was about nine months old. Her owner had to move all the way to Michigan and could not take Chloe with her, so we brought her to live on our farm. We are so glad we got her.

Chloe loves our horses and she is always checking on them. Her favorite is our 5 month old colt named Spirit. Chloe and Spirit play together, and believe it or not, they chase each other around the paddock.

So, those are our dogs.

Now, let me tell you about the morning we tried to load them all up and take them to see the petrinarian to get their shots.

Chloe, the sweet black dog, was pretty easy to get loaded into the truck. We showed her where we wanted her to go and she jumped into the back seat and found a place to sit.

Oprah was easy, too, because Nana was holding her. That meant Oprah had nothing to do except get in the truck with Nana when Nana decided it was time.

But, before Nana and Oprah could get into the truck in their front passenger seat, old Hammie decided she was going, too, and she jumped up into the truck and had a seat. It surprised us because we did not know Hammie could still jump that high.

I tried to coax Hammie out of the truck. But, Hammie would not move. She sat perfectly still and looked straight ahead. No matter how much I begged her to get out, she just sat.

And sat.

And sat.

And, so, we decided to let Hammie just sit and go with us.

The only dog left outside the truck was Cocoa. Now, remember. Cocoa is long and lanky. Her paws are as big as a catcher’s mitt. She weighs almost 80 pounds. And, she is very strong.

Cocoa had decided she was not going anywhere. Not to the petrinarian’s. Not even to the end of the drive way.

Cocoa was not getting into the truck. It did not matter if her other dog friends were already inside there in the back seat and ready to go. No way am I getting in the truck, Cocoa said.

I plead and beg.

I yell and scream.

I try to lift Cocoa up.

I try to pull her in.

I try to push her up and in.

Nothing works.

I offer her treats, but the other dogs eat them first.

I am thinking of leaving Cocoa behind and only taking the other dogs.

Then, I try once more.

I lift and push. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

This dog is not going to win, I thought. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Cocoa’s in the truck.

Let’s go, Nana.

When we arrived at the petrinarian’s office for this very first visit, the waiting room was already filled with other dogs and cats waiting for their shots.

So, we decided to let our dogs stay in the truck with Nana until we knew it was time for them to see the petrinarian. When he is ready to see us, we thought we’d bring the dogs in, one at a time, until they were all there.

“Mr. Tolbert,” the petrinarian’s assistant said, “We are ready for your dogs.”

Great, I thought, and went to the truck, which was parked just by the front door.

Okay, I told Nana. Here is the plan. You carry Oprah inside. I will bring in Chloe, and then I will go back and get Cocoa.

So, that is what we did, and it worked. It was perfect.

I left Nana, Oprah and Chloe there inside with the petrinarian and his assistant, and I returned to the truck to get Cocoa.

But, Cocoa had other ideas about getting out of the truck.

“No way,” she said.

“I am not getting out of this truck. Not for any thing. And, certainly not to go in there with all those other dogs and cats. And, I am not dumb enough to go in there and get stuck with a needle for shots.”

Cocoa braced herself on the back seat and said, “Are you kidding? Get out of here because you are not getting me out,” Cocoa exclaimed.

Whoa, I thought. Cocoa, you are the dog. I am the master. You are my best friend, but I am in charge here.

Do you remember the lead ropes we use when we walk the horses? They are strong and long. Well, that is what I had attached to Cocoa’s collar. Something that I thought would be sturdy and help me get her moving.

So, I tried to pull her out. I pulled. I pullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllled.

I begged her to come out. I beggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggged.

But Cocoa planted her big paws firmly into the seat, stiffened her body and said, “NO WAY. “

I pulled. And Cocoa pulled back.

And, the people sitting inside the petrinarian’s office with their dogs and cats watched it all through the big glass windows. And, they laughed and laughed.

Then, I put the lead rope around Cocoa’s body so that it was around her bottom. I pulled. I pullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllled.

She moved, but she stiffened even more.

I pullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllled.

She moved some more and I got her just to the edge of the back seat, right there at the door.

I am winning, I thought.

Wrong.

That’s when Cocoa stiffened even more and put her big paws on the car door and pushed back. She pushhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhed.

And I pullllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllled.

Finally, I won. She rolled out onto the ground.

I wonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

I felt so good. Man, I wonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

But, as I was walking Cocoa into the petrinarian’s office where all of the people were sitting, laughing at us, with their dogs and cats, Cocoa looked up at me with those lazy eyes, her tongue hanging out and a smile on her face.

“Wait until next time,” she said.

POST SCRIPT: We’ve not ventured again to the petrinarian, but Cocoa has a new attitude about riding in my truck, especially if she is allowed to sit up front with me. We do have another dog now, Buddy, who is my constant traveling companion. Buddy is a big black dog with a softness in both her eyes and her spirit that is wonderful. Chloe is no longer at our farm. We have loaned her out to a good friend who badly wanted a very nice dog to care for at his home.