Don’t bite the face of the neighbor of the hand that feeds you

Shortly following our arrival to Virginia, I went over to pet the neighbor's rambunctious but seemingly good-willed black lab, as I’d done a few times before. Joe soon joined me to pet Cody on the back while I patted his head. Next thing you know, he’s snarling and does an airborne 180 to snap at Joe, leaving a gash just below his lip. Plenty of blood and a wide-open wound meant he needed stitches. And so we visited the Mary Washington Hospital’s ER that Sunday afternoon rather than finishing up on the plans to landscape the backyard. Fortunately, Cody is updated on his shots and not rabid (which his 10-day quarantine proved). He will be leaving his backyard post sometime soon, although the date is yet to be determined.