I am now a little over 5 months old.  I weigh 41 lbs. and I am about 24 inches at the withers.  Everyone says I am a big boy.  I don't feel so big though.  When I play with Belle and Halo they still win.  Plus, my teeth have started hurting me something awful.  I am always looking for something to chew on.  Mom is mad at me because I shredded her new chair cover for her nice chairs in the backyard.  I think it was because it was new.  She didn't get as mad when I shredded the old one.  She even said, "No big deal, it was old."  I thought it must be ok to chew on, but it wasn't.  I also put some teething marks in her wood chair on the back porch.  Lets see, I also have gone through about a half dozen of the really big leather chew toys.  I only get those when mom can watch me.  She says that is because she doesn't want me to swallow any of the chew.  I also tried to chew on her slipper, but her foot was in it.  I guess that was a mistake.  She just found her small travel mouse for her laptop this evening.  I didn't do too much damage to it.  After all it still works, sort of. I like to chew on my sisters ears, but they don't like that and try to bite my head off.  I have lost all my front teeth top and bottom and my new big boy teeth are coming in.  I even lost my first fang, a little bit early.

Now that is a story.  It all started innocently enough.  I was playing rough house with Halo in the backyard.  We were really going at it.  She would grab me, then I would chase her.  On and on we went.  Our big sister Belle was just watching and mom was laughing.  Then I finally caught up with Halo and tried to grab her neck and then it happened.  I caught my upper fang (mom says it's a canine) on Halo's collar and snap.  The tooth broke.  No one noticed though, and it didn't really bother me.  After all I am a GSP and everyone knows we are tough dogs.  So, I went on playing with Halo and having fun.  The next day though it started hurting, but I wanted to be a big boy so I didn't complain.  That afternoon mom came out to play with us.  I wasn't really feeling too good though.  Mom was working to get me playing, not knowing I had a broken tooth.  Well she came over and touched my muzzle.  OW!!! That hurt and I jerked away.  Mom got to looking and said, "Ringo let me see your nose.  It looks swollen a bit."  Then she realized that I had a broken tooth.  She said it looked awful as the tooth was turning a grayish black.  She also said my gum was red.  She immediately put me in the GSP mobile (that is mom's minivan) and we went to see Dr. Buell.  Well Dr. Buell had the day off, so we saw Dr. Maltby instead.  I like Dr. Maltby because she says I am one fine bird dog.  Dr. Maltby very carefully looked at my mouth and said that tooth had to come out, and that I should stay with her for the day. 

That is when the adventure began.  First, they gave me some pain medication.  My tooth felt a little better after that.  Then they let me rest in a crate and the assistants took turns keeping me company. Finally, it was my turn to get that nasty tooth out. A little while later I started waking up and it was really cold.  I was shaking really bad. That is when one of the asistants (the one that is my favorite) came and got in the crate with me and we cuddled.  She put her arms around me and loved on me and was keeping me warm.  It was really nice.  Almost as good and when I curl up and snuggle with mom.  Almost, but not quite.  It wasn't too long after that that mom came and picked me up.  I was happy to see her, but I had made some good friends at the doctor's office too. Now for most this would be the end of the story, but not for me.

So, a week went by and then another.  Mom said the big boy fang was coming in where I had had my broken tooth removed. And then, mom got really upset.  She was looking at the lower fang and all she saw was some blood.  Well you see, Halo and I had been playing again, and well that darn fang on the bottom broke. Mom took one look and said, "Ringo if you want to go to the vet I will take you. You don't have to break your teeth to get to go."  This time we had to wait until the next morning because it was too late to go that night.  So, the next morning I got to go visit my friends at the doctor's office.  Both Dr. Buell and Dr. Maltby were there and Dr. Kelly too.  They tried to take this one out without surgery, but all they could get out was one of the pieces as I had really done a job on this tooth.  It was shattered.  So, I got to visit with the assistants again, and Dr. Kelly did my tooth this time.  Well this time when I woke up I wasn't cold, but all my friends came and loved on me any way.  Dr. Kelly just laughed and said he had fixed me up this time so hopefully I wouldn't be coming back with broken puppy teeth. My mouth was kind of sore on both sides too. 

Mom finally got there to pick me up.  I could hear her talking out front, but she took awhile paying and talking to Dr. Kelly.  I also heard Dr. Maltby talking about what a fine bird dog I was and that I must have awesome parents.  I think Dr. Maltby likes me.  Anyway, when they finally brought me out to mom she was laughing with Dr. Kelly.  She said, Dr. Kelly had fixed me up good and that Belle and Halo would be very happy about all the work that Dr. Kelly had done.  You see, Dr. Kelly had not only taken out my broken fang, but he had also taken out my other two puppy fangs that weren't broken.  He had told my mom he didn't want her bringing my back again in a few days with another broken fang.  I think Belle and Halo are happy too, because every time I try to grab their ears or neck, well there are no fangs to catch on with.  Mom says, "Ringo, don't worry you will have your big boy fangs soon enough."