With apologies to Britney Spears, “DRAT!..I did it again”!!

I was trying to cut Darling Doggie’s toenails this afternoon when I accidentally got too close to the quick and made him bleed.

I HATE that!!

The breeder who sold him to me claims a dog’s paws are a long way from its heart, and it won’t bleed to death.

But I’d rather cut myself — any day — than hurt him!

So I tried to stop the blood by putting a paper towel around his paw.

Didn’t work.

Then I wet one of those styptic pencils and gently applied it to the bleeding nail (which happened to be his dew claw, or thumbnail).

It slowed a bit, thank heaven.

I think what helped the most was letting him lick his own wound.

There’s “magic” in a dog’s saliva, you know.

Kind of like when a little kid gets a “boo-boo” and Mom kisses it away.

I didn’t have the heart to nip the rest of his nails.

Not after that.

So I put the grooming bucket away for another day.

And gave him an especially nice treat for being such a good boy and putting up with me.

He’s trying to nap now, but my heart is still aching.

Isn’t it amazing dogs can forgive us so readily when we humans get all bent out of shape at the slightest slights and hold grudges, sometimes for years, at those around us??

By the way, if anybody has a suggestion for making this toenail-cutting job “friendlier” for me and Darling Doggie, we’d BOTH thank you!!