I messed up bad and now I'm not sure what to do or how to act.

Last night Bear got 1/3 of a carrot and he ran off to the couch. I made the stupid stupid mistake of reaching down to move the carrot (and by result move Bear) and with no warning (no bitty face, no growl, nothing) he grabbed by hand, sliced open my finger then went back to the carrot. It happened lightening quick and I didn't realize what had happened for a second or two. Then came the blood and the pain.

I didn't do any correction or punishment because I was crying and running for the kitchen sink. It was a bad cut. My husband freaked out because I was hurt and picked up the puppy (not rough or harsh or mean) and put him in his crate while he tended to me. I bleed for about 30 mins with constant pressure. We cleaned me up and bandaged my finger and sat down so I could calm down. I was pretty hysterical throughout the process, crying from the pain.

I realize this was MY MISTAKE. But I want to make sure this NEVER happens again.

This morning, I'm hesitant around him with toys in his mouth and around food.

I hand fed him this morning w/o incident.

What should I do from here on out?

How do I make sure he understands that the food comes from me?

Thanks for listening and I appreciate your advice.

Ps this was the first and only time I've ever messed with his food. I normally train him with it or leave him alone to eat. And yes I accept full responsibility for what happened. It was my fault.


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How old is Bear? What was his body language like during this incident?

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-Valerie

I have no info for you, but will check back because we have issues with Tayla over guarding certain objects. We work all the time with out, but if she thinks it's high value she will not give it back no matter how many times we practice and if you go for it she will give me a face and growl.

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Barb, Rick and Tayla (STAR Puppy)



Cheyenne (CGC) and Jesse (CGC) who will be always loved and never forgotten.

Is it possible he was just trying to snatch back the carrot and got you by mistake? Puppy teeth are so sharp, it doesn't take much to break skin.

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Jodie

AJ's Maiden By the Sea CDX RE (Annabel - retired)
Mud E Paws UDX OM2 RE OBHF (Conner - retired with 28 OTCH points)
Sunfire's Flying Head Over Heels UD BN RA (Flip)
And the odd one of the family - Colby Jack Teeter Smack CDX GO RA (Colby - Lhasa Apso)

This is what I was thinking, that's why I asked about age and body language. Food aggression would definitely be associated with body language such as freezing, averting the eyes, anxious behaviors, etc. It's hard to imagine that there would be absolutely no warning signs.

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-Valerie

He is a young pup, and most likely was acting on instinct - reflex. Teach him to trade, and teach yourself to trade with him - no matter what he has. Teach 'drop it' and 'leave it', practice, practice, practice and reward, reward, reward, so that he knows he can drop and leave things and get something better and get the item back, most often. Even after he has 'learned' it, continue to reinforce it. It is a process.

He turned 3 months old today.

His body language before it happened was normal, but afterwards he had shaky eyes. Where his eyes darted back and forth, back and forth. He seemed to have hidden the carrot close to his chest afterwards but I don't know if that was a deliberate act or a result of the commotion.

We just went on a long walk and he crawled up on my chest to "bathe" me and is sleeping on my chest.

We're working on "give" and trading it for a treat.


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I would bet that your reaction scared the crap out of him - which is not a criticism, you should have seen me the day I sliced my finger on the dog food can and it bled for about half my life, it seemed! I'm betting with the others, it was an accident - puppy teeth are very sharp, Max sliced my husband's finger one day while they were playing and it was almost as bad as your cut.

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Thanks guys!

I was beating myself up last night and felt super guilty, like I'm that bad mom who doesn't realize she's the bad mom until something tragic happens. I was worried that Bear didn't trust me or didn't want me to be around, which broke my heart.

This morning everything seemed great and normal. I'm having a knee jerk reaction around his mouth and I'm trying to get my emotions under control so he doesn't pick up on my anxiety.

The finger is an absolute mess. And won't stop bleeding (slow, ooze - not gushing). It doesn't help that I get to use it non-stop during the day at work. I think I might have needed stitches, but since more than 12 hours have passed, I doubt they'll stitch me up. Justing giving myself some tender loving care and I know for next time, we'll work better on his trade and off command.

I appreciate all of your advice. It really touches my heart to know each and everyone of you took the time to help me out here.

Big hugs all around!

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I cut my finger pretty badly last week, and it just wouldn't stop bleeding. Had to go to UrgentCare. They put a tiny piece of "gelfoam" on it since I had sliced off the top layer of skin and there was nothing to stitch up. The gelfoam apparently soaks up the blood. You keep it on the wound for @5-7 days covered only by a bandage that doesn't stick to the wound. The gelfoam basically acts like a scab protecting the wound. I was able to take off the gelfoam in @6 days, and only had to use a bandaid to protect the area.

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Wendy

Now the proud Mom of Renny, gotcha-day 10/19/2012.



My beautiful Lacey, always loved, never forgotten.
- Gotcha Day April 28, 2008 at @3 years old
- Crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, at the age of @8 years old, on Sunday, August 5, 2012