Monday, March 23, 2009

Bitten by the dog


Last week by a Schnoodle. She's a rescue dog that was not adopted because they felt that she was too aggressive. Honestly, she had been attacked by a German Shepherd and was very scared. I was trying to groom her a bit and hit a sore spot on her side. She bit my right hand about 8 times. I went to the doctor after a couple of days because the hand was not getting better. He said that I could lose my hand and he was very concerned because of infection. I have been taking the antibiotics and the hand is much better now. I've worked with dogs for decades and this is the very first time I've ever been bitten. The dog is very sweet now and has been quite apologetic for her actions, but the fact remains that biting for dogs is a defense mechanism. Regardless of the breed or the training a dog may bite.

Some may think this makes dogs a dangerous pet, but we should stop and realize that dogs, at least, don't carry guns and do drive by shootings or put bombs on planes. They usually derive much of their temperment from their surroundings and upbringing, much like children.

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