When there's a miscommunication between man and dog over who is going to grab which part of a toy, the man usually wins on principle just due to species superiority. The dog however, usually wins on points, specifically the points on his sharp canine teeth.
Murphy and I had such a miscommunication a few hours ago, with both of us grabbing the same part of one of his flat basketballs. I know that he meant no harm, but I'd be willing to bet that his teeth don't hurt anything like my thumb does right about now.
So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch my thumb nail turn blacker.
Ow.
You've heard the old expression "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" ?
ReplyDeleteWell, with most dog bites, "It's not the laceration, it's the compression". Aside from an infection from a deep bite once, most of the misery I've had with bites in the past have been because of the "crush". German Shepherds exert typically around 150 to 250 lbs pressure per square inch... even with "oops" bites.
But you're thumb already knows that, doesn't it? :) Feel better soon. Ice pack will help.
My wife had the same sort of encounter with our dog a few years back. We spent a good part of the night in the emergency room getting the skin between her hand stitched up. It was a night full of questions and reports when the subject of "dog bite" came up, even if it was a playful accident.
ReplyDeleteYeah - that crush hurts. Got nailed on the calf once when I didn't take an aggressive beagle seriously. Crunched the muscle good - it took months before it was right again.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 60's and early 70's, my dad was a dog handler for the Michigan State Police, and I remember putting on the "padded arm" that they used for training and having the dog go after it, and I was amazed at the pressure he exerted. It gave me a great respect for the business end of GSD's.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he 'almost' got me the other day with that little dumb-bell toy... hope it's not serious and you don't lose the nail!
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