Z'ev no longer tries to jump up on our bed but clearly wants to be up there in the morning. So hubby brought a sturdy, large, plastic 2 step stepstool down from the garage to see if he could use that.

Welp. I tried to shape his behavior to climb up the stepstool using a chicken treat he particularly loves. I got his attention alright but he wasn't going up that step. As I was patting the bed with the chicken treat in my hand, little guy decides "f#$k it" and leaps up. Mostly makes it but grabs with his front paws to pull himself the last few inches.

And shreds my right hand in the process. I just took off steri strips on that hand 3 days ago from catching the corner of a bureau.. And 2 days ago removed steri strips from the left hand from Z'ev stepping on my hands on the car as I reached for his leash. Still have another one on my left forearm from an outside corner on chair molding.

The difference is, this one, about the size of a quarter, left some of the wound exposed. I tried to clean it but hurt immensely. So hubby adjusted water temperature and force. Nope I was a screaming, shrieking, foot stomping toddler. So he used some nasal saline to rinse the wound and that was that. Then the steri strips to hold it all together. I gave it a good washing today on the shower. Hopefully, it won't get infected.

But now I cringe when the dogs get within 3 feet

Yikes

Well, Amy, the way I see it - if someone's abusing you you either put them out of the house or you leave for a safe house.

Yeh, well, that's the reaction I expected, *I can't just leave*; who's gonna take care of them all if I leave?  Okay, the other option is that you put them out ... What'd'ya mean you can't do that?  If you're going to protect yourself you gotta do one or the other ---- or just continue putting up with it.

Okay, I'll stop!  My biggest offender is Sky who'll paw anytime she wants something.  Not a light paw but she's left some really good, deep gouges in my arm and my legs.  Thankfully she's gotten better about it - she'll reach out and I'll "Uh Uh" so she thinks about it...
Sasha got me the other day, remember me talking about the handkerchief - well the trade worked, but she got my fingers (really only the fingernails, but that hurts like blazes for a while!) in the process; she really doesn't like being "teased"

You my thin skinned friend (look who's talking) have my heartfelt sympathy ...

Welp. I got these so I could tackle the blackberries and multiflora rose invading my vegetable garden. They seem to offer more protection than the Geri sleeves I got a few years ago. Those were like thick compression stockings and hot. But not necessarily cut proof. Guess the cut proof are now indoor sleeves as well as in my gardening kit.

Expound on those a little bit. From what I see it looks like a sweater sleeve ... I want to do some more trimming on a mesquite bush out back - trying to train it into more of a tree - and that thing has two inch + spines on it!

Look here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08NT28K8G?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

But there are also some kevlar ones if you search.

What about something like soft paws but for dogs. We used them on our cats, i dont know if they come in dog sizes. They fall off about every 2 weeks.

@Amymeme Everything I've seen keeps referring to cuts / scratches. How well do they work on things that poke? Will they stop a thorn? (Mesquite = BIG thorn!)

Al - last week I had to re-string some fence wire for the dog fence. In an area that went through dense thicket. Included multiflora rose and buckthorn. Buckthorn has 1 to 1.25 inch stiff thorns. Now, my sleeves are loose from the wrist to the elbow, I'm short and these sleeves are one size fits all. So they sort of accordian up to my elbow. This, I think, gives them extra protection as stuff can catch the folds of the fabric without reaching my skin. For the nasty thicket, I wore my garden gloves which are leather and canvas with cuffs that are multiple layers and a bit stiff as well as standing away from my skin. I did not get poked with any thorns. But. I was also extremely careful and deliberate in my moves.

Take a look at these Kevlar sleeves:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KHP988M?pf_rd_r=9ACDAE3S12BECZMWMK1T&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=020d5832-8e76-4c22-97d1-cdd9500d100c&pd_rd_w=2q0Sj&pd_rd_wg=ZyOXF&ref_=pd_gw_unk

Here's one of the reviews:

"I’ve been clearing some really nasty buck brush and my arms were constantly bruised and bleeding. I searched Amazon in hopes that some kind of arm protection might be available and found these. They are truly amazing. Wearing these kevlar sleeves, a face mask and protective gloves, I cleared a sizeable patch of brush in a short time without injury. I came out feeling fairly indestructible and unstoppable! I highly recommend them to anyone who has to work in tough, thorny brush"

My gloves:



And - I'm stopping now. My keyboard is acting really, really strange. Inserting long strings of random 3's everywhere!

The day has not begun auspiciously. Doing some weeding before hubby gets up. Pulling grass with the left hand, using hand pruners with the right. Fully protected! Sleeves and gloves. Pulled hard with the left, slipped off the grass and wham into the pruners on the right hand. Right through the gloves and sliced my thumb.

Sigh wine up hubby with a cup of coffee on the right hand. And bloody paper towel wrapped around the left thumb. All tendons work, thankfully.

Now up to 4 sets of steri strips on various degrees of healing. Hubby is not laughing. Talking something about "Bubble Boy" becoming girl...

Oh, I'm sorry ... and sorry that I can relate.

I'm one of those people who carry a pocketknife because they're just one handy tool. The oddest thing I've ever done was to use a pocket knife to open a tincan, works well if you know what you're doing - and have a sharpening stone handy after you're done. But, the number of times I've cut myself doing "normal" stuff is beyond mention.

Like your comment, I'm lucky to have all appendages working more or less right.

So. One tetanus shot later, a Tylenol, too and I'm good to go. But, damn, I liked those gloves. I wonder if I'll have to duct tape that slice?

If you promise not to stick anything else in there, it might be nice to just leave it for ventilation ...