I'm very upset

[Chris W.]

Got a call from my BIL last night, seeing if I wanted to keep their 8/almost 9 Male Rotty that they are getting rid of. I was, at the time of the call, more worried about Sport(the Rotty) finding a good home, but now that I've been thinking more and more about this, the reason WHY they are getting rid of him upsets me even more. Now I'm to the 50/50 point and would not know what to do if I were in their shoes, but I don't think I would be in their shoes. This dog has been such a gentleman his whole life, playing nice with every dog he meets, wonderfull with all the neices and nephews, an all around good natured dog and very obedient. I have noticed he's gotten a little cranky in his old age, like every single dog I've ever met! Now their new baby has started to crawl. The other night, they let the baby crawl up to their dog, SIL was a little leary, so she went and stood by Sport. Baby crawled up to the dog, and the dog snapped at it. First of all, I would never let a baby crawl up to an older dog like that. Second of all, with her standing right there, being uneasy, the dog feels that emotion as well as is probably somewhat jealous and does not want to share her with the baby. They've decided instantly that the dog must not live with them anymore. I do see their point. With a hundred pound dog like Sport, and a tiny baby, if the dog does decide to bite, it Could be fatal for the baby. And that is not a risk anyone should take. I'm just mad that this was even allowed to happen. Had the dog been younger, he could be placed in rescue in a home without small children, because he did NOT bite. But, Jeez! he's almost 9. Rotty's rarely ever go to 12. How horrible for him to be displaced in his senior years.
I guess I'm just venting, I know they should not keep the dog. But it just looks like this was done on purpose, to see if he could pass a test, and he did not, no older dog would in my eyes. What do you think?

 

[kala]

Being a Rottie owner I feel so badly for the dog. It does sound like they were setting up a bad situation. With a Rottie that old he probably has some arthritis and that could be making him cranky. I have two older Rotts in my house and I know they don't feel like being messed with sometimes. It is next to impossible to place a dog that old (as you already probably know). I have no suggestions for you, just that my heart breaks for that dog who has been a good family member for so many years. If I was in your area I would take him in a minute to let him live out his last years in peace.

Good luck to you and the Rottie.
sue

 

[Jennygirl28]

My heart goes out to you as well... it does sound as if it was some sort of test.


Even I know that If I was very tired and cranky and some nervous mother was standing over me watching me hold her baby, I would probably be a little aprehensive too. Much less a senior Rottie who has never had a baby in his life before. Makes me angry.. I'm sure they could have introduced the baby a little better to the poor Rottie
Good luck to both of you.

 

[kjames7148]

Is there any way that they can keep him seperate from the baby? If he's old, he is probably spending most of his time sleeping anyways. Can they crate him until daddy gets home in the afternoons and have daddy spend some time with him in the evenings (monitoring baby to dog behavior). That should make mom more at ease during the day and still keep the dog in his home and not sent to a shelter.

Karen

 

[Chris W.]

thinking more about it

You know? the more I think about this, the more I get mad. I want to call them and ask them what are they going to do when they come to MY house? allow their infant to just crawl all over MY dogs as well, and if it snaps or bites the baby, tough, then I'LL have to get rid of mine too? Why, because they don't feel they should have to watch their baby? Everyone in our family has dogs. I still believe that a baby should not be allowed to crawl on ANY dog, let alone an old one! I don't think they should get rid of the dog. I think if any dog WANTS to bite, it WILL. My old dog BOB used to snap at anyone, including kids, who wanted to lay their whole body accross his, like a body pillow. He never bit anyone for it. But this is something he just did not like being done to him, therefore, the rule was, do NOT do that to Bob.
I'm starting to think, if they go ahead and get rid of their dog after having him so long, for this reason, then the whole family had better get prepared for one absolutely spoiled rotten baby to grow up in our family. I would simply be teaching the baby "NO" and getting up off my BUTT to make sure the baby did not reach the dog.

 

[alaska]

I think this situation could happen in any breed, I don't trust my older boy with small children, not that he is mean, cause he isn't he loves to lick and kiss kids, and play. but if they crawl on him or try to lay on him. He gets upset. So whenever I am around small children, I make sure I tell them not to hang off his neck or crawl on him, cause he doesn't like it. I would never leave him alone in a room with a crawling baby. He just isn't used to that sort of thing, I don't have any skin kids. So to protect him and a child, I just avoid the whole situation. Unfortunately a dog can only communicate displeasure by mouthing or snapping at the problem, I agree just this little message from a large dog, can severely injure a small child. I hope things work out for the old guy.:(

 

[trudy]

Well I feel bad for everyone involved especially the rottie....you hit the nail on the head when you said it was a test he did not pass....

In all fairness he should NEVER have been tested like that, apparently if your sister in law was standing by the dog because she was a bit uneasy about the whole thing, well then she knew in her heart of hearts that the baby and the dog were not ready for this kind of interaction.

When my niece was a toddler she stepped on their family pet a large black lab....he snapped at her, scarred the crap out of her but that was a valuable life lesson for her, that dogs are not to be treated unkindly and do not think you can step all over them, pull their ears, tails and whatever else little kids are known for doing to dogs...

I think they should reconsider giving Sport a second chance. The way they handled the whole situation was just unfair. And your also totally right that instead of teaching baby slowly "Do nice to the doggie" they are just going to get rid of the doggie?? well I wouldn't allow your little niece and or nephew to socialize with your dogs, until YOU can explain to them how the can's and can'ts of your dog...good luck to everyone involved!!

 

[alaska]

I agree with chris and trudy

I agree that kids should be taught how to interact with an animal, not just dogs but cats, hampsters, etc. My nephew when he was small actually killed his pet guinea pig!(drowned it in a cooler of water) And I have seen the way he treated his dog, (lay on her, hit her) he's lucky she didn't maul him. I wouldn't have blamed her. when I saw him doing anything like that to her I would tell him to leave her alone. but I wasn't there all the time. I don't let my nephew or any of my nephews mess around with my dogs. I am almost at the point of not wanting skin kids, I love my dogs too much, but if I do, I will certainly teach them about animals, and to treat something wether it is human or dog ,cat etc. the way that they want to be treated. they have feelings to. old dogs deserve to lead a quite life without having to deal with bratty kids hanging on them.:mad: