My Best friend wants me to MURDER the dog she gave to me yesterday HELP?

Question

My best friend adopted a very cute 3 yrs golden lab male named Henry. The problem is after 4 months Henry attacked my best friends 4 year old daughter severely but not life threatening....Thank god....... It all happened when the 4 yr old slapped Henry and my best friend told her daughter to stop hitting the dog but a couple of days later she unfortunately didn't listen and hit Henry again. and Henry finally Snapped .I believe this poor dog needs a real chance since he never had one to begin with .So i asked my friend to give Henry to me instead of murdering the dog.she said yes....But the next day she came to my house demanding the dog back ....to murder the poor dog.I said........ NO NEVER...... now she will not talk to me.HELP...What should i do?

Answer 1

Don't give her the dog back!!! SHE oviously didn't bother to train the pup or her child. She deserves neither. Do you really want people like her in your life, I hope not. The poor dog would die at her hand and her child would continue to abuse animal's. That child needs professional help before she starts to abuse people. Get away from that woman and stay away, you don't want her to talk to you. Tell her she and her child need counceling. Good luck, I so hope you listen.

Answer 2

First, can I clarify whether she wants to take the dog back to have it put down, or to kill it herself?

I think your friend was stupid to leave her child alone with the dog. All animals can be unpredictable and are not able to reason the way humans do. A dog that is being slapped WILL eventually give in to it's natural urges. I think it is even more stupid considering it was a rescue dog and she didn't know how it was raised.
However, I can understand her anger and fear towards the dog which 'severely attacked' her daughter. As the dog is now away from her home, I think she may be being a bit unreasonable to insist that it is put down. On the other hand, her daughter will never be able to visit your house whilst the dog is there.
Also, are you able to completely trust this dog never to do it again? It's place in it's own heirarchy has changed since the attack. Whereas any domestic dog should know that it is at the very bottom of the pecking order, it now knows that it is more powerful than young children.
I think you are completely within your rights to refuse to hand the dog over, and I certainly do not blame the dog for what happened. But would it not be easier, for the sake of your best friendship, to agree to at least have the dog rehomed in a different area of the country.
People are surely more important than animals.

Answer 3

This is something that continually annoys me, that people get pets when they have children, the children (not all I know) continually harrass the animal, to the point the dog will bite, or any other animal for that matter, I do know some dogs just bite for the sake of it, and yes maybe these should be put down. But I think it is unfair for the dog to be put down, when it has reacted in a natural defense mode.

I think if someone child or not, continued to hit me, I would slap back, a dog can only bite, the dog can have behavioural classes, and in future not have it around children.

My son was bit by a neighbours dog, and when I found out it was because him and a friend had been teasing it, they finally owned up to it, he was sat down and told that this will happen if you annoy dogs, and he was grounded for a week. He has never tormented or teased a dog again.

Answer 4

Keep the dog and stay away from her...you say she came round so she could take it away and murder the dog...she sounds a right nut job who should never have had the dog in the first place and she should have kept an eye on her 4 yr old kid....while i am glad her daughter is ok you cant really blame the dog for Finally snapping but it is obvious that the dog should not be around children..just make sure you dont give the dog back because it sounds as if she is looking for revenge and i dread to think what she and whoever else will do to it.

Answer 5

From the sound of it, Henry's temper was pushed to the limit after being slapped by your friends child. Did she expect the dog to just sit there and get hit? Most dogs would have bitten in this case.
If I were you, I would keep Henry and ditch her, if shes the kind of person that lets her child abuse an animal, she is not the type of person I would have as a friend.

Answer 6

Call her, email her, or write her and let her know you reasons for keeping the dog. Let her know you want to give him a chance and put him through some classes. If she still doesn't want to accept that then ditch her. She has every right to be upset but that shouldn't lead to killing a dog that was just trying to protect it's self. She obviously should have kept a better eye on the dog and her child together especially if this was a new dog to the family. Not all dogs like kids and even so some will only take so much abuse. She holds the most blame since she was the adult that should have known better.

Answer 7

If a dog attacked my child I might want it put to sleep as well. Even if a child hits a dog I think children should be protected from animals that attack. Even in your care the dog may attack and then where will that leave you? I say talk to your friend and see if she will let you take it to class for behavior. Please above all understand that your child being bitten in front of you is a horrible thing to try and deal with. Maybe with a little time she will calm down.

Answer 8

i can understand why she wants to hurt the dog if the dog was dangerous then put it down but if it was a one off thing then convince her again to give up the dog but go somewhere really far so she never has to see the dog again. if her daughter has being scared then there is no way your friend will change her mind and you might have to put the dog down. she is your friend and you have to try preserve your friendship if it's a good one. you have to put your self in her shoes what would you do if your child was badly attacked by a dog, i would probable feel the same way.

Answer 9

Let her never talk to you again. She obviously isn't a good enough mother to teach her child not to hit animals, and now she's going to take it out on the poor dog. NO!!! Don't you ever let her have him back. Instead invest some money in him, and take him to obedience school, get him socialized around other animals, people, and especially children. Stay away from your "friend", she sounds like bad news.

Answer 10

Well, the dog has bitten once, so he may bite again, if you are going to keep the dog you should make a point of keeping him away from children, if you take him outside wear a muzzle on him, at least you are taking precautions, maybe if your friend sees that you are being sensible she may come round. She doesn't sound like a very good friend, so no big loss.