The Native Iowan

8am Sunday morning. Early blood sport on the tube. The morning thus far has been soft, gentle, very pleasant.

I can remember, as a small child, waking and feeling good. Felling happy. Felling content. I can drift back in my memory and relive the feeling.

But I dont have to, not today.

The muted morning sunlight does not offer a lot of warmth. The weather-y past week or two still lingers. The pastel coloured skies offer no indication; rain coming, a blistering hot n humid day… only time will tell.

As I have written, the past couple weeks have been bizzy, frenetic, fun filled. And a bit painful…

10days ago I got my hands, yes plural, stuck in my dog, Bella’s, mouth…

Bella is a 5yr old Maremma. What is a Maremma, I hear you say… The Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog (Italian: Cane da pastore maremmano-abruzzese), also known as the Maremmano, Maremma Sheepdog, or Abruzzese Sheepdog (Italian: pastore abruzzese), among other names, is an Italian breed of livestock guardian dog. It is indigenous to central Italy, especially to the Maremma region of Tuscany and Lazio, and to northern areas of Southern Italy, particularly to Abruzzo. It has been used for centuries by Italian shepherds to guard sheep from wolves.

She weights about 40kg/90lbs. I can attest to the sharpness of her teeth. She is beautiful and very even natured… so how did I get my hands in her mouth?

Folks always and all ways have post-event advice on how to… How to do anything… there is always and all ways cheap, peanut-gallery advice from multiple venues… Before I rant n rave a bit ( I have been given much post event advice here) allow me to explain what I am doing in my kennels…

My kennels are set up for breeding. I have three complete, fully sexed, large females. Each weight about 40kgs, two of these bitches are specially bred for their protective nature, for their defensive instincts. Bella, may be less dangerous, but too has been bred for her defensive instinct.

So how do you get bit by your own dog???

We are heading into breeding season. All three bitches are coming on heat. This makes them all a bit bitchy, hard to get along with, difficult and, yes, dangerous.

I accept the fact that my dogs are dangerous. All dogs are dangerous, no doubt, but my dogs first have not been desexed and second, are exactly what I want for my breeding. And third, Nia and Quel are specially bred mastiffs. When they bite on something, when they latch onto something, they do not let go…

So comments like, “…get a garden hose, they’ll stop when you put the hose on them…”, is false. Sure, your run of the mill dogs in your back yard may not like the hose but its a useless and futile exercise in my kennels. I know, I have tried. Mike’s Matiffs are different. The garden hose dont work.

It was the 11th, I was cleaning the kennels. Preparing to put the bitches in, thinking we’d be on heat soon, and, yes, I didn’t want them fighting. The kennels have been quiet for a few months. No dog in-heat, no puppies, we all live quietly together in the big fenced yard.

As I clean, the bitches are noticeably bitchy with each other.

Important to note that my main “breeding bitches” Nia and Quel are sisters. Its a known “thing” in dog breeding/ raising that pups from the same litter, if raised together, will trigger each other. Will cause trouble by instigating each other. One starts barking, the other joins in. One gets angry… yep…

So Quel and Nia jump on Bella. Both lock onto her. Its noise n gnashing of teeth time… I am not afraid or inexperienced. Been here before. Bella can take a bit of mauling. Nia is the instigator, if I grab her collar, put her in a choke, drag her to her kennel, we will be ok… I grab Nia’s collar, but get my left hand too close to Bella’s mouth. And Bella latches on…

She gets a good bite on my hand. I quickly grab her mouth with my right hand, get my left hand out. There is blood everywhere. Both hands lacerated. Dogs still fighting. Not good.

That lasted maybe 4 seconds… One second we’re ok, the next my hands are tore up.

It took a bit… I had to get inside and stop the blood. I know Im kinda ok, no arterial bleeding, no serious damage but a shit load of blood… I get inside, contain the blood by wrapping a snake bite bandage around the hand. I tie and tape dish-cloths around my fingers… It all took a bit of time, it was a struggle between bouts of nausea and in the throes of shock… but it all came together… I still need to go out to sort the dogs…

They had quit fighting. We’re still testy. I get them each in their kennels.

In between the bite and the return to the kennels I went through various levels of shock. At one point, hands roughly bandaged and blood sorta staunched, I stood in a cold shower. Id gone through feeling sick, shaking and sweating while dressing the wounds. Once the adrenaline slipped I felt very unwell. A cold shower was a winner, kept me from losing control, made me feel “better”.

Gracie had been in town. After I got the blood stopped I called her. She showed up and helped me bandage things up properly.

And here we are, hands healing nicely.

Life is good, interesting, exciting and fun.

More later

Big smiles