Seattle Plastic Surgeon Introduces Her New Puppy!
Meet Stella. She’s 3/4 Australian Shepard and 1/4 Border Collie with a little bit of Snapping Turtle thrown in. Because of her breeding and puppy hood, she is very nippy. I’m taking her to obedience school and she is slowly learning to control her “snippy, snappy snarly snout” as we call it at home.
Two weeks ago, I was at obedience class working with Stella and our trainer on her nipping. Actually, trainers call it “mouthing” when the perp is a puppy. When she’s older, it will be called biting and we do not want to go there – ever. Hence the training. Five minutes before class was out, I got a call on my cell phone from one of the local emergency rooms to come take care of a toddler with a dog bit to the face. Weird timing, huh? I dropped Stella off at home, went to the E.R. and stitched up a darling little girl. The perp was a friend of a friend’s dog at a social gathering. What a lousy way to end a late summer BBQ.
Over the years, I’ve sewn up dozens of little kids with dog bites. Despite having and loving a dog in my youth, I became vocally anti-dog and a proponent of “one bite and you’re out”. And now here I am, in love again with a dog, and a nippy one.
I never ever want Stella to be on the delivery end of a dog bite. My family and I will do everything we can to be responsible owners.
If you have a dog or a child, check out this web site. It has loads of good and very visual information on dog safety. It just may help a child in your life or your “best friend” avoid the pain, suffering and scarring of a dog bite. http://www.doggonesafe.com/
@lisalynnsowder
