My friend’s GSD mix just attacked her 1 y/o son. She sees nothing wrong with this. Help?

[childman]

@anadascal I have zero children and still enough sense to keep my reactive dog away from kids, and also to be completely aware and monitor situations between all dogs and children just in case one party takes things too far or is getting too stressed.

I'd say that my hypervigilance is owed to the fact that I've seen my dog be aggressive before (to other dogs, not children or people) but I really don't know what can be said if someone watches their dog attack their child and does absolutely nothing to prevent it from happening again.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@childman My 3yo niece would love to meet my dog, but he has some resource guarding issues so that won't happen until she's older and he's been successfully trained. There is no way I could live with her being hurt. So for now, we just send pictures

 

[angel_sword]

@childman My dog is 25 lbs, has never actually been abused (with me from 6 weeks old) has never actually bitten anyone, and STILL is not given free access to my 13 year old's friends! I cannot imagine being in this situation and not euthanizing. It's heartbreaking, but what an enormously unacceptable risk

 

[joerogan311]

@angel_sword They might not need euthanasia, just keep the separated at all times. Get a pen for the dog and he or she stays there. No exceptions at all.

 

[joerogan311]

@childman Same for me, I never let my reactive dog close to kids. They need to be physically separated at all times. Like 100% of the time not 99%. My opinion this is true with a mellow golden retriever as well, but absolutely no question for a reactive German Shepherd.

 

[cheyann]

@anadascal It isn’t and the dog sounds dangerous to me around to me.

 

[makio9]

@anadascal I was wondering if this was the case, that it’s her first child. I wonder if she also hasn’t spent much time around small children interacting with dogs. A one-year-old does not get it. They are too little to be taught how to respect dog’s boundaries, especially when they’re on the smaller side of one. Chasing after the dog while giggling/screaming excitedly, pulling tails, stepping on them, grabbing fistfuls of fur, etc. are all common. Her son is going to keep being a toddler around this reactionary dog. And that’s scary.

 

[anadascal]

Unfortunately CPS is well aware, but they’re not doing anything right now. (They’re not the best in my country)
The hospital and police have also been involved, but again, they’re not doing much…

 

[nofy]

@anadascal Call animal control then and tell them what you told us.

 

[shaun2021]

@anadascal notify the police, animal control, and cps that she is still allowing the dog around the child. The child's safety is more important than your friendship with the mother,

 

[christiandylan]

@anadascal Would you feel comfortable saying what country? Perhaps then others here would have local knowledge and know what the best next step is.

 

[kaylafaith77]

@anadascal What the hell is wrong with your friend ? She would put the life of her dog in front of her own child? I honestly cannot comprehend what she is doing.

 

[aryianna]

@anadascal This is sad and the friend sounds like one of the WORST types of dog owners. Minimizing the injuries itself is bad, but victim blaming (dog was in her own space) a baby for being a baby just toddling around. Don't even get me started on the "warning bite" nonsense. A bite is a bite and the friend needs to figure out whats more important to have around. Her baby or an aggressive and deeply traumatized dog.

 

[sparagmos]

@anadascal My 29 year old daughter accidentally stepped on my Cane Corso’s tail yesterday and the only thing he did was lift his head to look at her. She obviously weighs much more than a 1 year old child, so he must have felt some pain. So no, l don’t think the stepping on the tail by a small child really counts as a provoked attack. The fact that it was a level 4 bite is a disproportionate reaction to a minimal discomfort and it really demonstrates that Jennie is feeling utterly stressed by the presence of a child.

There are some really awesome comments here and l hope that Sarah is willing to read them, for the sake of her son and her dog. Please updateme

 

[aleon1220]

@sparagmos "My Cane Corso is embarrassed for your awful management of your dog" is legit my favorite... trope? of this sub.

 

[theflagen430297]

@sparagmos My toddler stepped on my dog's tail today she received a warning lick.

 

[monk58]

@anadascal Hmm high risk this one. Do you know the contacts for other family members of Sarahs?

Phoning them and setting the family on her might back fire but maybe it will help

An alternative ... do you have children or do you have a home where you could offer to foster the dog for now to reduce the risk to the child and allow you time to get through to Sarah?

 

[anadascal]

@monk58 She’s NC with all but two family members (one in jail, another is a minor).
I don’t have my own children, nor pets due to my current living situation. I wish I could help more, but I’m in a one-bed shared flat (and disabled)

 

[monk58]

@anadascal Oh dear that is hard!

Could you maybe suggest she baby gate an area off for the dog?

It's own space and she muzzle when the dog and child are together ... just to be safe? Present it like that to her! You can get baby gates free and or cheap often given away

I am trying to buy you all time because hard decisions will need to be made on this and if your cps is not good etc

Anyone else in your circle of aquaintance that might foster the dog?

 

[skycentrism]

@anadascal Share some resources with her about aggressive behavior in dogs. I'd start her with Michael Shikashio's podcast.