Jane: They say owning a pet keeps you healthy. But recently I'm starting to wonder. First I read a WebMD article suggesting dogs might be hazardous to your health. Then Daisy gave a dear friend a shiner.
It was purely accidental. Friends visited last Saturday to "see the baby," and as soon as Tom and Sue arrived, Daisy and Boomer transformed into whirling fur dervishes, moaning and groaning with excitement. They affectionately leaped up to greet our guests just as Tom bent down to pet Daisy. She bumped hard into his eyeglasses, socking him right in the eye.
Here's the truth about dog ownership: Love hurts.
I think Roy Orbison got it right when he sang the lyrics, "Love hurts, love scars, love wounds and mars." That pretty much captures what can happen when we love our dogs--and our dogs love us.
Our first dog, Bo, a lusty young fellow who never quite got the hang of the leash, one time yanked me--hard--off a curb, fracturing one of my metatarsal bones.
Then Buddy, our mild-mannered Lab, once cut Rich off in a race back to the house. Before Rich realized what had happened, he was tumbling over on the driveway with a broken wrist.
And thanks to a lovely little walk with Boomer two weeks before our daughter's wedding, I ended up having to wear a Velcro "moon boot" on my right foot for four weeks.
It seems as though all our dogs have done bodily harm. But would we give up having them in our lives simply to avoid black eyes, fractured bones, stubbed toes, and stumbles in the night? Not for a single moment.
In the end, the lyrics of this rock-band take on "Love Hurts" more closely resembles our relationship with WoofGang members:
Love hurts,
but sometimes it's a good hurt
and I feel like I'm alive.
Love sings
when it transcends the bad things.
Have a heart and try me,
'cause without love I won't survive.
Now, isn't there a J. Geils Band song out there titled "Love Stinks"? That's a whole other blog post!
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I know what you mean! I had the leash wrapped around my wrist, when my 120-pound Giant Schnauzer saw a rabbit and decided to take off. I took off too. Literally. Like a tail on a kite! I had bruises that were picture worthy--but no broken bones. He seemed sorry and I love him still:)But I could hardly walk for a week!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 6 months pregnant, my 85 pound Golden came bounding toward me and took me out at the knees. I hit the ground hard. No broken bones, but it's amazing how strong dogs are!
ReplyDeleteWe had a short-lived "foster home" experience with a black lab/German shepherd mix named Chloe (a.k.a. Spawn of Satan). She wrapped her leash around my legs on in our backyard one morning, and I went down hard. When I got myself up, I noticed a bad pain in my right index finger. When I looked at it, I saw that it was bent...the wrong way. I grabbed it, yanked on it, and popped it back into joint in a move that would have made Rambo proud. I went to the doctor and had to splint it for a while. I still can't fully bend that finger. Was it worth it? Well, we ended up giving Chloe back--there were issues! But our labradoodle Bonnie is well worth every fat lip and scratch!
ReplyDeleteKate
I feel your pain!Our Lab, Jedha, went to chase after a ball that my husband threw up the driveway with me in the way!I think I literally was airborne. I ended up with a severly sprained knee and wrist.My knee took 6 months to heal and even today is not quite the same.But of course as I lay sobbing in agony on the driveway, Jedha came to me mortfied he had hurt Mom, so my focus then became consoling Jedha!Gotta love a Lab!
ReplyDeleteHeh, we saw Tom the next morning, and it looked like a bad Hollywood make-up job! When he told us the story, we couldn't stop giggling.
ReplyDeleteOK, Basil has never knocked me down and he sure hasn't broken any of my bones. Should I assume my lab doesn't love me?
ReplyDeleteNo, anonymous, Woofie just thinks Basil is biding his time for just the right opportunity . . . when you least expect it! And when it happens, let us know.
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