Bad Dogs and Stupid People

Tonight was the annual neighborhood cookie party.  A great time was had by all.  Toddlers ran around, clothes covered with frosting, a small child and I decorated about 25 cookies, mostly me watching and him asking if he could eat them all.  Adults mingled, drank wine and beer, and discussed which high schools or colleges their respective children were thinking of going to.  And as is common at one of these functions, someone thought I was still in high school.  Must remember to wear make-up more often. 

And this was the first year that the hosting neighbors had a dog.  An adorable 9 month old puppy named Ruby.  Exhibit A (not really her, but a close-looking internet dog):

This puppy is a complete sweetheart, tail wagging low all the time, slightly timid with strangers, great with the babies pulling at her fur, a great family dog.  Except for the fact that she loved cookies!  Well any food that was around.  So at one point, everyone had left the dining room and Ruby thought this was a great time to put her paws on the dinner table and see what all the fuss had been about.  I spotted this mischief, and being the great vet student I am, ran to the rescue.  I swiftly approached the pup, grabbed the plate she had knocked on the floor, and courageously reached into her mouth to try to extract the poor gingerbread man that was being inhaled.  During this time other humans had come to help, and also around this time, as my hand was in her mouth, I realized, crunch.  She didn't stop chewing!  Instead she chewed my finger along with the cookie!

I slunk off to the sink to investigate my throbbing finger, only to realize, yes, there blood and all, was my stupidity flowing into the water.  Of course my mother told everyone about this and the owners were embarrased and apologetic, but I don't think they were embarrased as me.  Aren't us vet students supposed to be smarter?  Shouldn't I know better than to stick my hand into a strange dogs mouth?  But she was so sweet and cute before!  Well I guess usually the dogs I have to stick my hand into are either too sweet (my roommates puppy who has been trained well and has an oh so gentle mouth) or don't have enough teeth (Marge, who will just gum you to death) to do any harm.  Well, I like to think of this as a learning experience, one I will not repeat again.  Plus, since my cat attack, I am now well equipped to clean out animal bites.  Silver lining?

Now, there was another bad dog, stupid human scenario this evening.  We leave the cookie party, me embarassed and needing some betadine and neosporin, parents in tow, and head up the street.  We come home to exhibit B (viscious guard dog and apparently pissed off dog of the house):

Marge.  Well, stupid humans that we are, we left a bag of chocolate in my parents bedroom, and as my Dad put it, the scent from the bag must have been too overwhelming, because we found little bits of foil wrapper leading to the bag.  Crafty Marge had taken one chocolate bar out and unwrapped it and ate it!  Well, now she has done this kind of thing in the past, so I guess that makes us the stupid humans, but come on now, Marge, you should know better than to eat POISON!  They never learn, do they? 

But of course Marge then was apparently so mad we left her to have a cookie party with another dog, she not only got herself some dessert, but left us a little suprise to clean up too, geez.  As such, knowing she was bad, she is now hiding in a plush blanket on the bed.  Hard life. 

But all in all, it was a nice night.  Lessons learned.  No hands in dog mouths, and chocolate must be kept at higher levels.  Duly noted.