Explore More
The dog got tired of eating homework.
A 224-pound English mastiff named Tatanka gave an Iowa neighborhood quite the shock after it was seen running around the area with a bloodied severed arm — which turned out to be fake.
Tatanka’s owner Debra Ann Ridge was home last week when she saw her furry friend prancing around the garden and throwing the limb into the air.
“He runs around carrying it, and throwing it up in the air,” said Ridge.
According to Ridge, several neighbors also thought the arm was real before they were told it was fake.
The 57-year-old mom rushed outside after realizing the dog had somehow gotten into her Halloween decorations and swiped the bloody arm.
“I was preparing for Halloween. And every year I bring out the ‘infamous arm’, [and] my boy becomes so excited and grabs it and runs off with it,” said Ridge.
“I bought the arm off eBay. It was about $7, and we’ve had about seven or eight over the years.”
Ridge explained that Tatanka loves the arm so much that she just lets him keep it as his own.
Thankfully, the once-scared neighbors are now in on the joke.
“They always make comments like, ‘You certainly have a helping hand,’ ” laughed Ridge, adding, they “make jokes like, ‘I see he’s been digging in the backyard again,’ or ‘Is that the mailman?’ “
“‘Has Tatanka been digging in the yard again?’ and ‘don’t need security cameras with Tatanka.’ “
Ridge also explained that due to her pup’s size, people are initially afraid of him.
“People are unfortunately very afraid until they meet him,” said Ridge.
“Many cross the street when we are walking due to his size alone.”
Ridge said that despite his size and seemingly tough exterior, Tatanka loves to be cuddled, lay on the sofa and play jokes.
“He’s a joker. He jokes around the most [out of three dogs], and he’s very playful.”
ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3N7j3JmaXBfmbyoedOroJyjo2K7prXGoZmoqqNitq%2FAzmaroaGeoLavs4yiq2ajmaG5prCMppiipJ2Wu27DyK2fZqyfrnw%3D