I almost hate to have to contradict Beth (who is usually on the mark),
but as someone who was bitten by a Great Dane, I am compelled to say...
Avoid absolutes with people and animals.
And, perhaps even avoid strange Great Danes, despite their reputation as
a gentle breed.
Be aware that my insurer has Great Danes on their list of prohibited
dogs.
While they don't bite as often as other breeds, when they do bite, the
costs to repair damage can be profound.
My bite seemed to be the stupid reflex of a dog who was used to having
his own way.
It was not a vicious attack.
But, that one Great Dane bite did an enormous amount of damage.
I suffered extreme pain, lost the use of my right arm for several weeks,
spent huge amounts of time getting physical therapy. It was almost two
years before I could open jars with the damaged hand.
Psychologically, I was left with a much more cynical view of fate and
dogs, even though I consider myself a "dog person" who loves my own dogs
and those of my friends who are known to me.
One example, I have become fairly rabid towards people (including my own
husband) who think it is okay to walk dogs without leash control. (This
includes off leash and walking of a dog by someone with insufficient mass
or control to stop the dog in a timely manner.) And I get especially
miffed at those who are absolutely certain that their dogs, would never
bite anyone.
While I was still bleeding (and because of the depth of my punctures the
bleeding lasted for almost two weeks) I had to deal with a dog owner who
was trying to prove that I had somehow disturbed their dog into making
the attack (I hadn't). When confronted with the evidence that their 210#
dog had caused injuries that could have led to the amputation of my hand,
they continued to make me the "bad" guy and for ten days, refused to give
me information on their vet or any documentation that the dog had proper
shots. One more day and the city would have forced me to undergo Rabies
treatments. Finally, I learned that the city had a "Free Bite" rule.
Unless and until I could prove that the dog had bitten someone else, the
only compensation to which I was entitled was for health care, an expense
already covered under my own policy. So lost work, lost fun, pain,
suffering, diminished appearance were all suffered without any
compensation.
The good news, is that because it was a "Snap & Hold" and because I was
(until than) fairly comfortable with dogs and their not uncommon habit of
"holding" a limb I did not pull away. So I was not torn or shredded and
ultimately the punctures healed completely and the surface scars are just
small pok marks. The subsurface scars can be felt as tubes or straws in
the meat near my wrist and in my arm. The biggest damage and greatest
worries were from the damage caused by compression. Note: Great Danes
can clamp all the way down to the jaw, unlike labs who can hold a limb in
a safe area behind the teeth.
Bottom line, when choosing a pet (or protector), choose wisely.
Best!
Liz
On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 14:19:03 EST [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> Great Danes are Cat and people/children friendly. there is not a
> "mean" bone
> in their body. The myth about "fighting like cats and dogs" does not
> apply to
> The Great Danes, or a lot of other breeds for that matter. I have
> raised both
> dogs and cats, together. In fact our last dog had a "pet cat".
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