Yesterday in the late afternoon, we were walking along the treeline between the creek and the barn. Probably not 20 yards between them. Copper almost stepped on that chuck as he ran from the wood line to a chain link dog kennel attached to the barn. I don't use it, but the chuck had another "doorway" under the chain link. Copper was on that area in no time, dragging me a long. I figured that the chuck made it through and was in the barn. Nope, the weeds exploded with angry chuck. Copper lit into that chuck with gusto. He was flinging it back in forth in his mouth and I was trying not to let the still attached lease inhibit him. The chuck got loose and was now no where near the "doorway". He was backed up to the fence, Copper was barking and the chuck was hissing. Copper got him and flung him like a ragdoll, but yelped and released him, the chuck had got him. The chuck was on all fours and I pulled Copper back and drew my new sheath knife and plunged it into the chuck. He rolled over and I gave him two more to the chest. Copper was hard to hold off, but that chuck had gotten him and that was enough. I let Copper back at him, but the chuck had nothing left. Copper carted him off and found shade. I got the water pail I put water in that morning for Copper. It was now 95 degrees, the same as the air. I washed Copper's face as best as possible and found where he was injured. After he was done with the carcass, we went inside. Our new vet said put triple antibiotic ointment on any wounds and if I wanted, bring him by in the morning. His wounds were small and stopped bleeding quickly. He was washed off and ointment applied. You would never know he was hurt from then on. This morning he got a rabies booster and the vet gave him antibiotics.
With the heat, I haven't been carrying any type of weapon as I'm wearing running shorts and a tee shirt. I was wearing a pair of plastic croc type shoes. I had been carrying that knife as I got it last week while at camp. I wanted to break the leather sheath in and was carrying it to do that. I will feature the knife in the knife forums. My little Beretta 21a is going each time I walk him now, probably a knife too.
The last few pictures of Copper are him in normal circumstances. He was described as a VERY CHILL dog by his foster caretakers in Texas. I can completely agree. The last photograph is of my new knife. A more complete review is under the knife forum soon.
(Flickr, where I host my photographs, changed how they license our photographs. It protects my photographs better I guess, but I had to learn to jump through new hoops. Photos are now attached.)
