My cousin calls her Jack Russell a "terrorist". I had been calling Raina simply a Yorkshire Terror. Today she proved that she is all terrier. For some reason several months ago Raina decided that she no longer wanted the friendship of Kitty one of our Shih Tzus. At first I thought I would let them fight it out and settle who was going to be top dog. When they started to draw blood, I had to break it up. Fortunately I have baby gates all over the house, so it is possible to keep them apart. Today I was shifting them around to let Raina have some time with me. I put Kitty in her room, but forgot to close the gate in the hall to keep Raina as far away as possible. Even though there was a gate between them, they were snarling and snapping at each other. I leaned over the gate to give Kitty some water. I had commanded Raina to back off, but she decided to override that, ducked under my legs, snapped at Kitty and BIT ME! I only have a bruise. I even needed a moment to realized that she really had bit me. My feelings are hurt more than anything.
I know it is not necessary to be bitten to be a pet parent, but I think it does help to at least be nipped so that you can know what it feels like and that it is nothing to fear. A couple of years ago I learned the correct way to break up a dog fight (grab by the rear legs, not the collar). Because I did it the wrong way, I spent New Year's Eve in the ER. The bite was not serious because I remained as calm as I could. I saw my hand in the mouth of a Boston Terrier and thought "don't pull, don't struggle". I went to the ER to get a tetanus shot. The scar barely shows.
My daughter-in-law and I were discussing the housing of our dogs once she and Sean buy a house. She suggested that since Raina and Kitty were getting along better I should keep the Shih Tzus with me. Maybe we need to reconsider.
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