Boundaries

Why is it that some clients, on the strength of a single 15 minute appointment, suddenly consider you their BFF? I just want to treat your pet; I don't want to hear about your marital troubles, your STDs, or your jailed relatives. When you phone for an appointment, don't insist on speaking to me immediately, referring to me by my first name, asserting that we've known each other for years and that I frequently stay at your hunting cabin. WTF? I don't even remember who you are without pulling your chart. And BTW, that sign on the door that says "Staff Only Beyond This Point" most certainly applies to you. If you walk into the treatment area with your flea-ridden hound while I'm in the middle of a procedure, you'll find our "friendship" ending with a few well-chosen words and a swift boot up the arse. Boundaries. They're good for both of us (but mostly for me).