mother left me her precious pooch ...but it bit my son........ I inherited my Mothers 5 yrs old Bull terrier named Adam. I promised to care for him ,just as well as she had.That was three and a half years ago.
The problem is that my son is three and a half years old and he got ruff with Adam (pulled hard on his ears)Adam responded by nipping and my three and a half year old son pulled away (i think)and it tore his skin (no stitches need)
MY question is ......will this reck their relatonship?if it did ,what would i do?I promised my late mother i would look after Adam for his remaining years..IS there any danger to my son ?or the dog?
Note:I DONTleave them alone together,but my husband forgets sometimes........................
My mother only trusted me to give Adam the way she had.....And she never asked anything of me BeforeI dont Know what to do.
2006-08-03 00:30:56 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
That is a very tough question.
Only you can really judge how bad the incident was in that was the dog vicious when it nipped your son or was it just surprised? Has the dog ever exhibited the same behavior before or since? Does the dog have a history of being vicious or a biter?
I don't think your mother would want you to keep your promise to her if it meant putting your son in danger. If you truly think that the dog is a threat, then find him a good home. That way you actually are taking care of the dog rather than putting it down and you are removing a threat to your son.
But, I would only do that if the dog is truly a threat and you aren't overreacting as a mom.
2006-08-03 00:43:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
If your son is not afraid of the pooch there shouldn't be a problem. The dog doesn't remember the incident. I don't think you should do away with the pooch because you may be "humanizing" his actions. The dog probably likes your son. Your son probably likes the dog. Just didn't know the boundaries to keep himself safe. If someone was pulling on your ears you probably would have reached out and smacked them. The dog only had his mouth.
My parents bred doberman pinchers and my nephew (who was 3 years old) was playing rough with them. The dobie snapped at the child and the child bit him on the tail. The dog never went near my nephew again.
Let the dog and the child play and interact together and pay attention to the way they react to each other. If your son seems to be afraid you will tell. And if your son is afraid, the dog will be able to tell. If that happens you may want to consider putting Adam up for adoption---(the dog---not your son.) ;-)
Good luck.
2006-08-03 07:43:15 · answer #2 · answered by oph_chad 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Must admit that I agree with the others, the dog was just teaching him not to do it, as he would with a puppy. What sort of Bull terrier is he? If he's a Staffordshire Bull terrier they normally adore kids.
As long as normally they are fine together there shouldn't be a problem. I've got scratches, cuts, bruises etc from playing rough with dogs as a child and as an adult. The only reason a dog has ever gone for me has been when it's frightened and backed into a corner, otherwise the bumps and scrapes have been from playing rough.
If you are really worried and the dog is obviously uncomfortable see if you can rehome him. But having grown up with dogs, it's fantastic to have them as a member of the family, they are pretty much always there when you need someone, petting them is good for you and having Adam will help to teach your son about responsibility and care for others.
2006-08-03 12:20:46 · answer #3 · answered by CATHERINE W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a dog and a little boy too.
If I was in your situation, whatever promises were made about the dog, it is an animal and my son's safety would come top of the list any day.
If you are unsure how the dog will react to the baby now that it has bitten him it may be time to look for another owner to take care of it.
Your child's safety is far more important and I'm sure your mother would have agreed in an instant.
2006-08-03 07:42:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dog was probably just letting your son know he has bounderies. And finding the bounderies starts the old respect thing going too. Your son is very young and as such is testing his enviroment every day. Its a natural reaction to be worried but if the dog is nice and the son is nice, let them be mates together. If you seperate them, your son will probably end up with a bit of a bad impression of dogs and as the saying goes, they really are a mans best freind. Remember this too. Its not just humans that we learn our social skills from.
Good luck.
2006-08-03 07:42:04 · answer #5 · answered by andy2kbaker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a dilemma but the way I see it you have 2 choices.... 1) has your son now learnt not to be rough with the dog? If so, and the dog is not vicious other than the snapping at that time. Then carry on..........2) if there is any danger to your son, would your mum have wanted you to risk injury to your son for the sake of her dog.
Whichever way you choose good luck.
2006-08-03 07:38:46 · answer #6 · answered by BackMan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
But the dog hadnt done that when she asked you to care for him, your mother is probably looking down on you now and would rather you did whatever is best for her grandson, if she was alive and this happened what would she want?
2006-08-03 08:20:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Backman. I had to take this decision once after the dog, a Ridgeback, attacked my daughter. It turned out that he disliked children and I had to have him put down. I just realised that my Dad would not want me to endanger my kids.
2006-08-03 07:44:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anro 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Teach your son the proper way to treat animals.
2006-08-03 07:37:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get the dog castrated that should cool its heels
2006-08-03 07:48:16 · answer #10 · answered by nuclear farter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋