Man's best friend? French deer hunter has hand amputated after being shot by his 'adorable' dog

A Blue Gascony Basset hound (GETTY IMAGES)

Man's best friend? Well, perhaps not in this particular instance.

A French deer hunter has had his hand amputated after being shot inadvertently by his dog.

The man, who was injured during a hunt in the Dordogne, south-western France, was shot when his dog affectionately leapt at him and accidentally caught the trigger of his shotgun.

The man, who has been named only as 'Rene', was taking part in a deer hunt last Sunday with three of his Blue Gascony Basset hounds, near Saint-Michel-de-Double.

Rene told France Bleu radio that the dog accidentally caught the trigger of his shotgun when he jumped on him. The two other dogs had run off after a deer when the third leapt on him.

"He jumped on me to give me a cuddle, I think," Rene said. "As he jumped, he put a paw on the gun."

Rene, 55, was taken to hospital in Bordeaux by air ambulance where his hand was amputated.

Asked whether he blamed the dog for the incident Rene insisted: "It wasn't the dog's fault, and he's adorable! I should have left the (gun's) safety on, that's all."