Saw a dog attack my grandchild!

[jefmcg]

[QUOTE 4624923, member: 76"]But if one is with the baby, and one is somewhere else with the dog, then I guess they have a bit of a point.[/QUOTE]
I would think that would be ok for an occasional visit, but as has been pointed out they only have to let their guard down once for it to go bad. And that's not leaving the dog alone with the child, but having them in the same room. Do you really believe that the two will keep to separate rooms and never interact together with their grandchild every wednesday for the next 3 years? Especially as they don't seem to appreciate the danger.

Oh believe me, we've done this repeatedly but all to no avail!

Still, it's good you did it. It's one less regret you will have if something bad befalls their kid.

 

[Bazzer]

Yes, it has been neutered. It was also rehomed previously which leads me to think it may have baby-attacking form.

My sister and B-i-L had a Scotty dog previously and it was a lovely animal but succumbed to a disease which does affect this breed and died at two years old. They wanted to replace him with a similar one and found the same breed which was 18 months-2 years old and took him in. The story was that he'd lived with a family in Scotland but the family's mother died and the husband couldn't look after the dog and his two children. The actions of this dog make me suspicious of this story now.

I mIght have missed it, but I don't recall this having been mentioned previously.

I think @ColinJ 's earlier comments summed up your BiL's attitude.

If the relevant authorities have been informed and have, for whatever reason chosen not to act and your BiL chooses not to act in spite of what he is told about the incident, then other than your own actions regarding visiting, with or without children, I am not sure what else you can do. I appreciate easier said than done, but try to move on, as best you can and how you see fit.

 

[Reynard]

Yes, it has been neutered. It was also rehomed previously which leads me to think it may have baby-attacking form.

My sister and B-i-L had a Scotty dog previously and it was a lovely animal but succumbed to a disease which does affect this breed and died at two years old. They wanted to replace him with a similar one and found the same breed which was 18 months-2 years old and took him in. The story was that he'd lived with a family in Scotland but the family's mother died and the husband couldn't look after the dog and his two children. The actions of this dog make me suspicious of this story now.

Fair enough if the dog's already neutered. It does sound like he's been passed from pillar to post though, which would certainly explain much.

Did the dog come from a rescue or did he get rehomed by word of mouth? If it's the latter, then as above. Reputable rescues will temperament test and home according to suitability.

 

[pubrunner]

[QUOTE 4626063, member: 76"]

It's what the owners do that is important, if they say they will always be seperate then I guess they have it on their heads if it goes bad.

[/QUOTE]

Never mind their heads; if 'it goes bad', what about the little boy ?

And, in view of the prior evidence, what about @PaulB , who has cited his concerns 'if it all goes bad' ?


[QUOTE 4626063, member: 76"]

But if they don't slip up and keep everyone safe then that's fine isn't it?

[/QUOTE]

It's a big 'if'.

Just this afternoon, my better half was out walking our Ridgeback, when she happened to meet a friend of hers who owns an Alsatian - which is a big friend of our dog. Strictly playing, the dogs took great enjoyment in running around (in a large field with no livestock), when they carelessly 'crashed' into each other. The Ridgeback gave a 'yelp' and the reason why can be seen in the photo below. There was no aggression from either dog - it was a genuine accident. My dog wasn't bitten, had it been, there would have been 'puncture' marks; this was 'only' a case of the Alsatian's teeth, catching her side . . . and creating over £200 over Vets bill (I'm glad the dog is insured).

What should be noted are two things; first, the damage that a dog can do - even unintentionally. Secondly, it all happened in a split second - a very serious injury, can happen in a very short time frame. In this case, there were two dogs, each of about 40kg, running into each other; but if it had been one aggressive 40kg dog and a small child (or even an adult) and you could be looking at a terrible scenario.

I've the utmost sympathy for @PaulB , the dog attacked the little boy in a split second - over any distance, a dog can move quicker than a person. It would have been hugely upsetting for the little lad - he was bitten and he would have been shrieking; understandably, it would have been very stressful for Paul too. It is unreasonable, that others within his wider family, deem it reasonable to gloss over the clear and undeniable evidence.

It is too much of a risk, to say - 'If they don't slip up', look at the photo (the injury is about 4 inches long) - a split second is all it takes . . . . . . .

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]
I was bitten badly by a dog when I was 8, it's name was Dino and was my neighbours dog, at one point it was hanging of my arm with me trying to shake it off. The dog lived (different times mind) and I have no lasting damage despite remembering the event clearly.[/QUOTE]
On the other hand ...

My ex had a similar thing happen to her. She was playing in a park as a child when an Alsation (German Shepherd dog/whatever) ran up and attacked her. She is still extremely scared of big dogs nearly 50 years later!

I imagine though that Paul's grandson will not remember the attack that he suffered.

 

[PaulB]

I mIght have missed it, but I don't recall this having been mentioned previously.

I think @ColinJ 's earlier comments summed up your BiL's attitude.

If the relevant authorities have been informed and have, for whatever reason chosen not to act and your BiL chooses not to act in spite of what he is told about the incident, then other than your own actions regarding visiting, with or without children, I am not sure what else you can do. I appreciate easier said than done, but try to move on, as best you can and how you see fit.

Well it's very annoying as they are probably our closest friends and so to put their dog's interests before ours is a right slap in the face for us. Our Liam has already told them they won't be seeing him or his children while the dog's alive and while I saw it AFTER the attack, as I walked it out of the house and give it to my B-i-L's father, my wife says she could never lay eyes on it again so we won't be going there while it's still living with them - which is certainly going to make birthdays and next Christmas awkward. She still has nightmares about it now and the noise it made and the speed of the attack still shocks her when she thinks about it.

 

[PaulB]

On the other hand ...

I imagine though that Paul's grandson will not remember the attack that he suffered.

Well he does because we replay it every time he comes using a mop died black and some imitation chompers we bought off eBay and surprise him by launching an attack when he least expects it! We're teaching him to always be aware, which we think is important in a child's development.

 

[oldfatfool]

. . . and creating over £200 over Vets bill (I'm glad the dog is insured).

.

View attachment 156345

Whilst it is academic as you are insured, salt water, wound powder and Manuka honey would do an equally good job of that as a vet for most injuries like that , though it would be worth calling for AB's, and 4" might be pushing it.

 

[Stephenite]

Families go through difficult times like this all the time. Nobody here can tell you what to do. I might be inclined towards making, and acting upon, an unpopular decision having experienced what you did. The dogs owners obviously love the animal and they have a different bias. It's a grey area. We, in my family, have a situation where the (childless) brother-in-law's dog is not allowed in the same house/garden as any children. His dog hasn't attacked anyone, but it can't be trusted. The very least, in your situation @PaulB, you ought to insist on the same. No shared space for dog and any children. This is a minimum requirement.

 

[pubrunner]

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

Do you think the Alsation should be put down?

[/QUOTE]

The other dog is an Alsatian . . . the answer is still no.

It was an accident; the two dogs were playing - there was no aggression on either side. At no time, did our dog seek to bite the Alsatian. Did you never play with other kids when you were young and get the odd graze or scuff ?

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

In fact if both dogs ran into each other, then they should both be put down as neither you nor your friend can control your animals closely enough, just in case they run into a small child and squish it.

[/QUOTE]

The field in which the accident occurred, is privately owned - by the owner of the Alsatian. Small children don't go into the field, but if they did, both dogs would be kept on their leads - as they are in public places.

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

Or are you both willing to carry on taking such severe risks with other peoples children?

[/QUOTE]

You seem to be struggling, though I'm reasonably sure, that you are just engaging in (poor quality) trolling.

There weren't any children present - mine, or anyone else's, so there were no 'severe risks'.

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

To bring in a hypothetic "Well what if they mess up", then we are in to a risk assessment nightmare, what if they walk out in the road, what if they crash the car, what if the car seat isn't in right and the baby falls out?

[/QUOTE]

Now I know that you are trolling; your entire post has been based on various hypotheses.

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

All of those three would be statistically way more likely than a dog attack, especially a dog who isn't in the same room ever!

[/QUOTE]

Even less likely, is an attack on an imaginary child, in a privately-owned field.

Lol, you've been on the Buckie or the Sanatogen . . . or perhaps, you've been smoking something . . . . . . .

[QUOTE 4627549, member: 76"]

A split second is all it takes.

[/QUOTE]

By law of averages, you had to get something right . . . but I can't even give you credit for that, as you've simply copied (verbatim) my final comment in my post #200.

. . . - a split second is all it takes . . . . . . .

 

[pubrunner]

Whilst it is academic as you are insured, salt water, wound powder and Manuka honey would do an equally good job of that as a vet for most injuries like that , though it would be worth calling for AB's, and 4" might be pushing it.

Excellent point; I'm a big fan of honey, especially for medicinal reasons and Manuka honey is top of the list (IMO) for such purposes.

As you've mentioned, a wound of 4" was simply too long to be treated in such a fashion - so she had to have stitches.

 

[pubrunner]

[QUOTE 4627934, member: 76"]

If you are saying that there is always a chance there may be an issue, then you have to accept that your dog or the Alsatian could also potentially cause a problem and should therefore be destroyed as a precaution. Simple.

[/QUOTE]

Using the same 'logic', perhaps we should ban all cars because they could 'potentially cause a problem and should therefore be destroyed as a precaution' ?.

Will you be sending your car to the crusher, because you could 'potentially' have an accidental blackout or have a tyre blowout, following which, the car could swerve onto the pavement and kill someone ?

No ? I thought not.

 

[pubrunner]

[QUOTE 4627934, member: 76"]

Lucky that there is never ever chance ever that either of the dogs involved could never under any circumstances ever bump into a toddler.

[/QUOTE]

Significantly less chance, than a toddler kept in the same house (albeit different room) as a (known) dangerous dog.

[QUOTE 4627934, member: 76"]

. . . a dog always kept in a seperate room. can do no harm,. . .

[/QUOTE]

If the dog remains in the room and if the child doesn't enter. (As a minimum requirement, the dog should be kept in a cage . . . in a different room).

The dog attacked the little lad - that was a fault of the dog; if a subsequent attack on anyone should occur, that is the fault of the owner. (Actually, any attacks are the fault of the owner - IMO).

[QUOTE 4627934, member: 76"]

a dog always kept in a seperate room. can do no harm, and Pauls sister and her husband have said that it is the situation.

[/QUOTE]

I don't share your confidence, in the ability of Paul's sister and her husband to control their dog.

 

[Pale Rider]

I was reluctantly reminded of this thread twice on today's short ride.

Up ahead, a large dog on a lead attempted to attack a postie's van.

The owner kept control, but I could see he was struggling.

What happened next was almost inevitable, the dog went for me as I cycled past.

The owner kept hold of the lead, but there was a nervous moment as I saw him stumble forward and nearly dragged over by the power of the dog.

Next canines in to bat were a Rottweiler and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, the latter being the size of a small horse.

Both were on leads and both looked well-behaved.

However as I approached, both dogs were let off their leads as the path was becoming more rural.

Again, the dogs were trotting to and fro, looking innocuous enough.

Call me a wuss, but I decided against cycling past them and nipped onto the road.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Call me a wuss,

You're a wuss, now do you feel better