Cheryl's "Bit by a Dog" Run.

The Event!

The Results!

This morning,  Cheryl got bit by a dog.   I know the dog in question:  a small wire-haired terrier that should be the poster child for the term "ankle biter".   There are three of these little bums ( I'm refraining from using harsher derogatory terms here) that hang out like a gang of thugs waiting to attack unwary travelers.

Three Band-aids!

2 ml of  Neosporin. 

 They hang out in the road,  which is not unusual here in the country, since many of the "yards" cover 80-120 acres!   However,  camping out in the middle of the gravel road is a little rude.   Not only is it dangerous for the dog who could get hit by a half blind farmer on a tractor; but it is dangerous for runners trying to squeak in a training run  on a low traffic road.

The Canine in Question.

So Cheryl saw these ruffians waiting for her as she usually jogs by this house routinely.   She stopped,   and they began jumping on her.   One latched on to her calf as the guy came out to fetch them.   I imagine them barking as if the world were going to end,  since that is their M.O.

A History of Deviancy.

 I have passed by these guys many times on the bike, and they always chase me.    They never take my treats ( a bad sign, in my book) and I'm usually concerned that I might accidentally hit them if I pedal faster.   However,  My opinion has changed... and not in the dog's favor.

A Dramatic Reenactment of the crime 

Cheryl is not as fond of dogs as I am.  This has just made her even more wary.   When she came home this morning,  She told me she had been bitten, and we looked over the wound.    She became HORRIFIED to see that the little bastards had drew blood!    I had to maintain an illusion of control to keep her from freaking out!   When we finally cleaned off the wound,  it looked far less scary.   On par with a midnight stroll into the foot-board of the bed.  ( Personal experience)  Still,  this is not a pleasant experience.

Possible solutions #1

I have never been bit by a dog until I came to Iowa.   An  American Bulldog latched on to my finger as I was giving him a treat.   I blamed his eagerness for the rawhide snack and the fact that they have vice-grip like jaws.   My finger was numb and bleeding for a couple hours, but I recovered.  However,  that was the last treat that dog will ever get from me.

Possible Solutions #2

We have a race coming up this weekend,  so we will have to make sure things don't get infected and Cheryl's performance is not jeopardized.  I'm doing my best to avoid running down there on my bike with a very large stick....not the kind used for fetching...if you know what I mean.  Best to write out the demons on the blog.

So I hope everyone else is having a relatively dog-free day.   At the very least...no biting.  I finally got my ETS SAT welcome invite.   After reading the complicated and often confusing instructions,  I submitted my hours for training.  ( only one shift  per day for two days....24 hours prior to my starting)   See! I think I said that far more clearly than they had it written!     In other words,  I begin training on Thursday, because I need to have 24 hours for them to approve my schedule....meaning today is out.   And Wednesday is the long run on the trail.

  I guess I have a couple of days left to begin work on another short story.   Given the dog incident,  perhaps I will begin working on that one that has been in my head for a while.    I won't say that this incident has not been influential.  On the contrary...  I believe it may have given me an incentive that I had been lacking.   We shall see.