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OP, as hard as it is, i think you’ve done the right thing.
If the lad hasn’t learned from it, it’s not fair on either of them to keep the dog.
Boys will be boys.
You have my sympathy bud, that must have been a horrible decision to make.
Sorry to read you've had to make a painful decision.
Monitored son and dog over the next couple days. Son shows absolutely no signs of having learnt from the whole horrific saga. In fact he’s dancing around in his face etc, you know just annoying him. We explained and threatened to no avail. It’s not that we’re not disciplining him.
Talked it over a lot with wife. We both agree, we can’t rule out the dog snapping at him again. The dog may have learned now, bite as it works with the annoying little one.
Sounds like it was the right one long-term though. It seems like it's a case of Buddy and your son just not being compatible rather than anything else, although your son still taunting Buddy isn't ideal.
Good luck getting used to the situation.
Aaa, how horrible for you all. 🙁 But sounds like the right decision.
Difficult but Dogs need to know who is in charge but also must be given respect.
Not easy with kids.
Feel for you OP, but 100% agree with your decision.
No doubt a difficult decision.
It's the dog that I have most sympathy with in this situation mind you. It's lost all it's ever known because it reacted to being taunted (repeatedly by the sounds of it).
It’s the dog that I have most sympathy with in this situation mind you. It’s lost all it’s ever known because it reacted to being taunted (repeatedly by the sounds of it).
This! Poor thing.
Blimey sounds like your son's bluff has been called big style in losing his dog. Hope he is able to reflect in time.
I'd be in bits too, but I think you've been forced to make the choice and done the right thing.
Not sure how I'd deal with the son, to be honest, if he was refusing to behave responsibly.
really sad, i honestly thought this was going to end with you keeping the dog, although i totally see why youve made this decision. and what a tough one it is, they wont come much harder.
just one question...... with the Dogs Trust, is it an option to get Buddy back at a later date if you change your mind?
Tough choice - but you’d never forgive yourself I suspect if something more serious happened. Not the dogs fault nor is it your sons. He’s 6 years old. Dog will no doubt find a great home. Like it or not kids must always come first in these situations for me, which sometimes seems unfair but is what it is...
I think so too, having not learned the lesson it's easy to say it's the kids fault but that would be no consolation if it happened again or worse.
Not sure how I’d deal with the son, to be honest,
by putting all the money you would've spent on vets bills, food, insurance, etc. into a fund for future counselling.
I had to re-home my dog 4.5 years ago (not due to the same circumstances as you) he was my best friend and I still miss him every single day. Luckily I managed to get him to the person who had two of his brothers, I can go and see him any time I want, but I daren't as it'll break my heart all over again.
Sounds like your son is out of control not the dog...I can understand what you've done but I can't help thinking you could have done more to stop your kid being a little shit..as well as giving the dog a safe space to escape to
Sounds like your son is out of control not the dog…I can understand what you’ve done but I can’t help thinking you could have done more to stop your kid being a little shit..as well as giving the dog a safe space to escape to
This. If me or my sister acted like shits my mum only had to start walking to the kitchen drawer to get the wooden spoon to beat us with to get us to behave.
Probably not allowed to beat kids these days? Dunno, haven't got any fortunately.
It's a shame, but if your son won't stop tormenting the dog, then the dog needs to be rehomed soewhere more suitable. Better that this incident doesn't happen again for both really.
Sounds like your son is out of control not the dog
Less out of control, more a slow learner.
. We explained and threatened to no avail. It’s not that we’re not disciplining him.
I really don't understand this. How could he be in the dog's face if you're disciplining him? Why is he even the same room?
Poor dog 😔 I hope you've made it clear to your son as to why buddy isn't around anymore.
I'm sure there was an earlier post from someone saying they'd take him on if you decided to re home him.
Shame. Your son will learn a harsh lesson when he inevitably realises he loved the dog.
A terrible decision.
I hope you all learn from this.
Really feel for you. Having just returned to dog ownership after 20+ years I can’t imagine a harder decision to make.
Why is he even the same room?
Testing the waters I expect - if they’re going to be forced into living in separate rooms forever what is the point in keeping the dog?
I meant in the sense of "oi..stop teasing the dog or you'll go to your room", followed by "you didn't stop, go to your room"
Sounds like your son is out of control not the dog…I can understand what you’ve done but I can’t help thinking you could have done more to stop your kid being a little shit..as well as giving the dog a safe space to escape to
This for me. Said as someone with two kids and two dogs and the dogs were part of the family when the kids were the same age as the OP's son. If the kids were being too lively or I couldn't be in the same room, the dogs went to a safe place (either the kitchen, the garden or their cage). It wasn't difficult.
It’s a shame you have had to make that decision, but it sounds like your son is out of control, not the dog.
How did you discipline your son? Remove him from the room, take away his favourite toy, refuse any sweets until he stopped doing it, shield the dog from your son?
Ooh, thread taking on a different tone now. Yuk.
Yeah awful tone. Some truly horrible judgemental opinions here.
Sometimes some dogs and children just don’t go together. Child is only 6 for goodness sake. Labradoodles are cross breeds, just because they look like teddy bears doesn’t mean they’re the perfect dog to have with kids necessarily. Poodles are mega intelligent feisty flighty dogs. Labs are ace, just because you have a doodle doesn’t mean it’ll have the best traits from each breed. Also these dogs are bred primarily for money, can you say with any certainty what you’re getting. There is a reason it’s nearly impossible to re home a dog from Dogs Trust if you have a child under 16.
Sad.
What a horrible decision to make but sounds like you made the right choice. Kids are kids and dogs are dogs and if you can’t be sure it won’t happen again (for whatever reason) there’s only one right decision. Still doesn’t make it easy. I’m sure the dog will be matched up and happy in future.
All the best.
TS.
Yeah awful tone. Some truly horrible judgemental opinions here.
I made my comments as a dog owner/lover, a parent and also as I've not alluded to before, someone involved in a rescue/rehoming charity for dogs.
I do feel sympathy for the OP. Having to give up Buddy must have been heartbreaking. But I also think it's a situation which could have entirely been avoided with decent stewardship of the dog, especially with kids in the mix.
I know how hard it can be to re-home a dog with bite history (which this dog now has) and that makes me quite sad knowing the back story as it just seems to me that dog reached the end of its tether. I've fostered a couple of dogs with a bite history and they were cracking dogs, but it took a long time to find them a home just because of their past, which no one knew the true circumstances behind. Just that they had bit.
Hopefully with the current demand for dogs, Buddy finds a more peaceful home.
Ooh, thread taking on a different tone now. Yuk.
I was wrong to describe the child the way I did..I just find it very hard to think of that dog shut in a cage separated from the only people it knows and trusts. However, I did say it was probably the right decision for the OP.
But I just cannot understand how the child can be allowed to be straight back to teasing the dog...that's not right
Yep agreed, but the OP is in a bad place just now and doesn't need grief from us.
Yep agreed, but the OP is in a bad place just now and doesn’t need grief from us
Fair enough point, but it's also worth noting that the dog isn't exactly in a great place either through no fault of its own.
Leaving this thread now.
if they’re going to be forced into living in separate rooms forever what is the point in keeping the dog?
That doesn’t make sense. A child is (ideally) neither six years old or hopelessly undisciplined ‘forever’.
Pretty much all of our friends have dogs and those that have younger children have a big dog crate for ‘time out’/kids being uncontrollable’. It just makes sense until kid/s are more mature/responsible/trustworthy/disciplined. (Dog in the cage, not the kids!)
It’s also risky/dangerous to leave young kids unsupervised together with each other, in much the same way.
Sincerely,
Captain Obvious
In future get a cat instead but watch out some cats bite too as I found out myself. (one of my male cat hates me as I tend to disturb his peace ...)
Best thing to do is Not to have any pets.
In the far east when my niece was about 4 year old, she was bitten in her face by our 18 year old half blind/deaf family dog with her ended up in hospital with few stitches.
No biggie we kept the dog as we could not part with a family member.
Whilst cat's don't bite usually, you can get some nasty wounds from scratches - their claws are far worse than teeth. A guy at work was on drops daily from an accidental scratch on is eyeball. Has to take the drops for 18 months.
Cat's are great, but like any animal, they can also get carried away. Our two 'twin' ragdolls don't get the claws out when you play with them mainly as we got them together. The 'full blown' younger sister (ragdoll) and will sink her claws in without a care, as will our rescue ginga ninja moggie. They can slit skin open, including faces without thinking.
Our ragdolls are supposed to be the ost chilled out cats, they are, but they will still have you if you hiss them off.
Dog are more chilled than cats.
My sister's lab is great, but he's a flipping big strong dog, and even rough playing, tugging stuff, you watch your hands, they forget - he's two.
Hope you are feeling a bit better OP.
Oh mate gutted for you all. He’ll go to a gorgeous new home and be happy youve made a terribly hard decision and done what you think is best for everyone.
Feel sad reading this thread.
No winners here at all...... can't help but feel sad for the dog tbh but if the OP's son can't/won't
change his behavour due to his age or otherwise then for all concerned it was the right decision.