Sunday, October 3, 2010

How Idiots Get Kids Bitten

Check this dog out - is he super scary or what? I mean, he's already inhaled that dude's fingers, I'm sure he's going for the throat next!!

So the weekend of September 25th, a woman went out and got this dog. He's like a 100 lbs of mush.

Now, what we are taught at Fostering For Dummies school is to leash yourself to the dog for about 2-weeks so you can get to know the dog, he's stuck getting to know you and also? You're 6-yr-old kid doesn't start tugging on the dog's face.

But no one educated this woman and so she let her young child - who stands at face level to this 100 lb dog - play really roughly with the dog...who AGAIN, he had only known a few days. When the dog tired of the whole "tugging my face off" bit, he nailed the child in the face.

One bite. Now, a bite to the face can be wicked deadly, no matter the size of the dog. But obviously, a comparable bite from a 100 lb dog versus a 10 lb dog is going to do a bit more damage. The child needed 28 stitches to close the bite wound. This was not a dedicated attack, it was not a "I'm going to rip your throat out" attack. It was one bite that, yes, did damage to a 6-yr-old's face.

Thankfully, the dog will not be returned to the previous owner (who I doubt wants the dog back). Setting your dog up to fail is awful enough, but to set up your child to fail is, in this situation, potentially deadly. Sure, some dogs will tolerate being manhandled from day one, but most have limits and you should probably find those limits out BEFORE your kid does.

I wish the child a speedy recovery, and I hope he is taught by someone more responsible how to appropriately interact with doggies (I also hope he isn't petrified of all dogs from now on). I hope the woman chooses not to get a dog until she can handle the responsibilities inherent to dog guardianship. And I hope the dog is given a second chance in an appropriate, responsible setting.

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