Mishaps with the new dog cable

[Lyric]

We have a 2 year old Golden Retriever who is an "inside" dog. He only goes outside to relieve himself, and for exercise/playtime. Usually our routine is to attach a 15 foot "run" cable to his collar, which is in turn attached to one of the posts on our deck, so he can get down into the grass and frolic a bit and do his business. In our neighborhood, all dogs weighing over 60 lbs *must* be restrained at all times while outside. Toby weighs nearly 100lbs, so when we can't physically go walk him, this is our solution.

He managed to break the connector for his cable the day before yesterday, so ThinkBlue1966 went to go buy him another one. She was lucky and found a very nice dog cable on clearance for $5.00--and this one is 30 feet long, TWICE as long as his former cable, so he has even more leeway to frolic in the grass. I was outside on the deck yesterday morning, tossing one of his chew bones and playing fetch. I didn't have shoes on because I wasn't planning on leaving the front deck. And I did something *extremely* stupid.

After Toby brought his bone back for the fifth or sixth time, I picked it up and prepared to throw it again. I completely failed to notice that his brand-new, extra-long cable was loosely wrapped around my left foot. I threw the bone, the 100lb dog took off down the steps like a rocket...and I got knocked off of my feet when the cord pulled tight around my poor exposed ankle, then ripped off. I got up and stumbled into the house, literally crying, because it hurt so much.

Thd end result is that the cord basically flayed the skin off of my Achilles tendon in a semi-circle pattern around the back, and the force of a 100lb dog yanking at full force on the other end bruised that tendon pretty badly. It is *extremely* painful, and I had an awful time last night trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in that didn't put any pressure on the back of my left lower leg. I didn't go to the hospital or anything, because I didn't consider it to be a hospital-worthy injury, but man oh man...I can hardly walk this morning. I also have some assorted scrapes and cuts on my foot and toes, from where the cord pulled free so violently.

It's awful, but in a way it's funny--like something from a cartoon. I feel extremely stupid, though. Has anyone else ever had something like this happen?

(hugs and soothing murmurs of sympathy greatly appreciated here)

[undeterred]

1. I've seen it happen to other people

as dogs are seemingly unaware. :hug:

It would probably be funny on America's Funniest home Videos, in about a year, provided you won the $10K prize. ;)

(I have a 30ft lightweight cable outside but my dog is old and arthritic so its mostly him that does weird things like wrap himself around a tree so he only has two ft to move.)

[Lyric]

2. Toby really was completely oblivious.

He didn't notice what happened at all! He came back up onto the deck and trotted into the living room, bone in his mouth, looking at me like: "What gives? Is the game over ALREADY?" :rofl:

[undeterred]

3. Yeah, I know the feeling

I was walking my dog in the woods with a friend and her 3 dogs a few weeks ago when it was still snowy and icy. I slipped on a patch of ice and went horizontal, my coffee went flying. Suddenly I was flat on my back and surrounded by large poodles. But, I don't have a poodle. My dog was at the head of the pack and he never noticed I was flat on my back, out of the game for a couple of minutes. Never even missed me!

[Lyric]

4. Oh boy.

I know that feeling.

My dog doesn't seem to have an ounce of owner-protectiveness or concern in his overly-fuzzy body. I'm pretty sure that he'd hand over the family silver (assuming we actually HAD some) to any would-be robber in exchange for a Slim Jim jerky stick and a pat on the head. :rofl:

[undeterred]

5. Well...he's a golden retriever...

a dog trainer I knew described them as "attention-sluts"

[Roon]

6. When I was five my foot got cut on a dog chain

I don't remember if the dog had anything to do with it, but I do remember the cut being so deep that I could see white tissue. Stitches for me that day!

[skygazer]

7. Ouch! I'm so sorry - that must hurt

Have you put ice on it? I would definitely do that, and take it easy. You might consider calling your doc if only for some pain meds.

I've done too many stupid things to count. Probably the last really, really stupid thing was when I had my horse on a halter and lead just letting him eat some grass around the barn. I thought I'd sit on him bareback while he ate - I do that a lot - so I stepped onto the bench by the barn and slid my leg across his back.

And then he stepped away from me.

I was on far enough that I couldn't just step down but I wasn't on far enough to stay there and I slipped off, landed on my butt and broke a vertabra in my back.

I've ridden horses for 30 years, fallen off hundreds of times, sometimes at amazing speed. I've been cut, bruised, kicked, stepped on but NEVER broken anything. Until that day, in a stupid, freak accident. :dunce: