Kennel Attendant

Lucy the new Kennel Attendant started work today and I am wondering if she is the third stooge after Mabeline and Dora.

She has seven years experience as a kennel person helping with surgeries, pet exams, cleaning/disinfecting clinic areas. Lucy should already know all the basics and just has to learn how our particular hospital does them. After spending a few hours training her and often times it was not easy, I now keep telling myself to give her the benefit of doubt but I wonder if she is a stooge.

During her hiring interview, Lucy talked a lot and I often had to interrupt her to get back to the specific topic. While giving her a tour of the clinic it was difficult to explain things because she kept talking. I actually felt I was being rude when I ignored her chatter and focused on the tour.

Today it was difficult to train her because I was the only Vet. Assistant and needed to focus on assisting the Drs. and Technicians while trying to show Lucy the basics of our clinic. I give her the benefit of doubt because I was busy, but when I did have one on one time with Lucy, she frustrated me numerous times.

It seemed like each time I was showing her how to do something Lucy wandered off to coo at the animals. A couple of times she started a conversation with other employees in the middle of my explanations. Yes, while I was talking to her!

Today I give her the benefit of doubt. Tomorrow I give her hardcore. I'm hoping she is not another stooge because I am dead tired with all the hours I am working.

Did I mention Lucy talks a lot? And she does a tongue clucking thing to calm animals, but it is actually very irritating to the animals and to us humans. While holding an animal for the exam or treatment, she keeps cooing and clucking and talking.

Criminies. Just one day of six hours with Lucy and I am already going batty. That is not good.