ARE dogs taking over the world? Two men, on opposite sides of the world, have been shot by their alleged best friends.

One man's shooting trip in Utah, US took a surprise turn when he was shot in the buttocks - by his own dog.

Meanwhile in France, a 55-year-oldd hunter had to have his right hand amputated after his dog accidentally shot him has said he doesn't blame the pet, which he still considers "adorable".

The 46-year-old American (naturally) took his best buddy along on a duck hunt in Utah, before his four-legged pal "accidentally" stepped on a shotgun.

The man was rushed to hospital but avoided any serious injuries, the Telegraph (UK) reports.

How did it happen? The man was getting out of his boat when the dog shot across the bow, as it were.

Kevin Potter, the Box Elder County Sheriff's deputy, who wasn't shot, said: "(The dog) did something to make the gun discharge. I don't know if the safety device was on. It's not impossible the dog could have taken it off safety."

It just boils down to this: dog shoots owner. In the butt.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. That felt good.

The French hunter, identified only as Rene, told France Bleu radio the dog accidentally pulled the trigger of his shotgun when he jumped on him while they were hunting on Sunday in the Dordogne region.

Rene said he was hunting with three dogs when two of them ran off after a deer while the youngest stayed behind.

"He jumped on top of me for a cuddle" and accidentally fired the gun, shooting him in the right hand, Rene said.

The hunter was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Bordeaux but the damage was too serious and the hand had to be amputated.

"It wasn't the dog's fault," Rene insisted. "And he's adorable! I should have left the (gun's) safety on, that's all."

PS. Were they really accidents? TRUST NO ONE.

Originally published as Two men shot by their own dogs, 'accidentally'