So I was a fool, neighbors dogs got into a fight, not abnormal, but never had it been more than a growl and a nip and the dogs know oops they aren't playing, stop. Well the larger dog has been sick, (princess). So when playing the smaller dog apparently (new to the family ~6 months, maybe 3 years old) saw it as an opportunity apparently. When playing (German shepherd next door to them on the other side, so they run and play with a 4' fence between them. The shepherd can jump the fence if he wants, but doesn't except few occasions whole bored. (He came to visit me on Oct. 31 while I sat outside, put him back, jumped over and came back to hang out). I have no issues with the shepherd as he gets aroundy chickens, and does not hurt them. Today my neighbor heard his dogs fighting and tried to break them up. He tried putting a rope around princesses neck to pull them apart, but the smaller dog had her by the underside of the throat and would not let go. I heard it from next door and ran over. There had never been blood spilt before In their playing, but there was blood clearly now from biting around the throat and I couldn't tell who. I assume princess. He was throwing a 5 gallon bucket of water (near 30F 0C here) at the dogs to see if they would sperate. I hopped the fence and took the smaller dog who had the latched jaw by the scruff and pulled her off. Then got him to take princess to another small gated area. The smaller dog was fine with me, but when she realized playtime was over (tail wagging, madman of a young lady) she grabbed my forearm, I told her no, and pushed her off and she immediately stopped. (Yes she's dangerous and I was dumb). But her entire canine tooth went through my forearm and I had a hole near a centimeter round.). My fiance doesn't do well with wounds. She immediately started telling me I need to go to the emergency room, but honestly I'm poor, and I wasn't bleeding much at all. (I'm stubborn yes, but she missed anything important, I mean not bleeding like... 1/60 of a ketchup packet and no bandages.). Pure luck. So I cleaned it with cold water doused it on hydrogen peroxide and made sure it was covered. But now my fiance keeps acting like she's the victim, and it's an act of me against her. It's been near 10 hours, I have full feeling in the hand, no puss or heat, nothing other than mild swelling. I traced it with a pen just to make sure the bruise doesn't expand and I don't know. But Im just tired of getting told I don't care about her, because I won't spend money we don't have to make sure I'm okay when I got bit.
Edit: also I should say he's a great neighbor, he will come feed the chickens and give them attention for fun, if he has nothing to do , he will mow our lawn and help out with ever being asked. So ~300 worth of medical assistance, though he offered, I'd never allow him to pay. I've never asked him for anything, but he has been helpful for more than 4 years I've lived here. If anything I would swear I owe him money for his hospitality
Sounds like bad dog ownership overall tbh, and definitely the kind of wound worth checking out for possible infection
Yeah the shepherd though has been good, only coming by to say hello when he's real lonely. It's the ~35-40lb mix bread that bit me. Princess is a mix too that she had by the throat. The shepherd is the one I've had come by my place and while I got worried once he may hurt my chickens, he didn't. He let them go with no wounds and it's been 8 months with him never trying to break into their pen since I told them no. Now they just stop by every few months to say hello and get pets. Honestly, her/him being able to jump the fence makes the neighborhood feel safer as I know they won't let others mess with my property. Not every dog is bad like not every person is bad. The pitbulls that attacked my chickens, are afraid to mess with the shepherd.. . So I kind of like the shepherd knowing they can hop the fence and come defend them if I am at work or asleep and can't hear.
That you were lucky in the temperament of your neighbor's dog doesn't change the reality that having a pet that can and does regularly escape enclosure is bad pet ownership. You could have just have likely lost that draw and ended up with a problematic animal that wasn't properly secured, but thankfully you didn't. It sounds like the shepherd is a great animal; my condemnation was not direct at all towards the dog, just the dog owner.
The fight was in their enclosed back yard. I jumped the fence to help him. The shepherd is 2 doors down and is the only one that can leap the fences, but he stayed out of this mess as he knew it was upsetting people. (Probably an error of my story telling while not paying attention enough)
I got that, your story-telling was fine, no worries. I'll admit, I was sort of just making a non-sequitur based on your aside in my commentary there. ✌
Although I did also mean to suggest that if they're comfortable with this kind of oversight you can't know what other oversights they're comfortable with, and thus you really should get checked for infection.