…but not the way it should be. I was on my way out to the shop/wood pile today when I got a call. It was my mom. She wished me a happy birthday and then told me she had some bad news. My brother’s dog tore the chin/face off of my nephew (6 years old). The dog has a history of violence and I had told them to put it down before something like this happened. Unfortunately my brother decided to give the dog another chance and this happened. My nephew is now home from the hospital after having facial reconstruction surgery. He is supposed to be “ok”, if you call disfigured and traumatized ok. This is not the dog’s fault. It was only doing what it was unintentionally and stubbornly taught and allowed to do. The way this dog was raised and disciplined, and the way my brother treats and disciplines the kids, lead to this directly. The dog developed an alpha/behavior complex, not knowing what role he had. He wanted to be alpha because my brother allowed him to act like it in the truck. Unfortunately my brother raises his voice and yells when child or dog need correction, so the dog and kids take the brunt of it, and learning takes a back seat. It’s the way we were raised when we were kids, and he learned “what to do” instead of “what NOT to do” and has so far refused any guidance on the matter. I am hoping that changes, because his entire family is now traumatized after what happened. He had to get rid of his other dog a couple of months ago because it started doing the same thing. I’m not entirely sure why I am posting this on here, maybe I just need to vent. I have been on the verge of tears since I found out. My heart aches for my nephew and the dog. Neither one signed up for this, but they both have to pay the price. One gets to live a disfigured life and the other has to die. It’s not right, and it’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. They live about a half hour away, so we can help out if they need it. They just had a baby last week, and that makes 4 kids in the house and he drives truck all week, so she is there with the kids, and they are a wild bunch. We may end up watching one or two of them if she needs a break. Maybe I can put them to work in the wood yard. This about wraps up my birthday today. My wife fixed up a nice steak and mashed potatoes dinner with asparagus. She also made a nice carrot cake for me. She makes the BEST carrot cake. I got to mess around on my lathe for a while. I also got a refund from Bobcat, so the day wasn’t all bad. If you made it this far, thank you for listening. I don’t have a lot of people to talk to. You guys are kind of an extended family. Happy Birthday!
That’s an ugly mess, man. Very sorry to hear about that situation. I’m in full agreement with you, that the issue should’ve been resolved before things got to this point. It wouldn’t have been ideal or easy but for the best. Best wishes to you, your family and especially your poor nephew.
I am sorry to hear about your nephew I hope he heals with little to no scars I am glad you atleast had a great birthday dinner and I am glad you talked about what’s on your mind instead of holding it in we are always hear for you Happ birthday
Sad news Brother....hope the kid heals well and scarring is minimal. Not the best birthday, but Happy Birthday from Ohio anyway!
Sorry for your nephew, don’t worry too much kids are resilient and tough. Sorry your birthday wasn’t better, I also raised nephew for periods of time in there youth. An example of different behavior could be helpful
Issac, I am glad your mother called with happy wishes but I'm torn about the child. It is sad when we learn about folks like this but I see way too much of it. All one needs to do is be around a parent and children and you can tell where the children have not been taught discipline. Kids won't mind and other times it is either one or both parents who yell at them but don't teach them. Prayers for your nephew.
Scary situation there. My grandson has two pit-bull dogs, the one, his wife's, is very aggressive and cannot be trusted in my opinion, specially with 3 kids under 9 years old in the house. Easter morning they got fighting and grandson stepped in t break them up and got torn up in the process, ended up in Urgent Care with many puncture wounds including one right through fingernail. That is a red flag to me. Good luck to your nephew and Happy Birthday.
As many know here, I have (my wife’s) big powerful dog (s) dogs like children need to be educated, trained! Any animal that threatens a child is dealt with quickly before it gets out of hand
Man, I'm so sorry to hear this! As a Dog lover myself I often ask, "In what direction would I go in this situation"? As Lyle said, "kids are resilient and tough", and "dogs like children need to be educated, trained"! I am so sorry to hear about this... My prayers out to you and your family.
I have NO patience for violent animals. None. Dogs that are supposed to be pets, if they ever offer to hurt someone unprovoked, need to be immediately recycled into something more benign. Human life is infinitely more valuable than a dog’s life. .22 short in the brain stem will humanely dispatch any dog.
I'm very sorry to hear about your nephew. That's a rough situation for all involved, and what makes it even worse is that you had already pointed out the possibility of this happening. But that's all you could do - the situation is largely on your brother and his behavior/training. It's a shame that both the family (kids and wife) and dogs aren't treated better than that. I can imagine how hard this must be for you, all the same. I hope the rest of your birthday was a good one!
A couple resources for anyone who would like more information on dog bite prevention. The Family Dog Liam J Perk Foundation - Cape Coral, Florida
Sorry to hear this. I hope your nephew recovers quickly, especially emotionally. Good that you can help him and your SIL if needed. He may already see it, but you may want to have a discussion with your brother, so he understands his role in this.
This one is a pitbull. The dog he got rid of two months ago was a hound. She tried to do the same thing.
I talked with my brother yesterday for several hours. He understands all of it and feels bad. He knows it is his fault and accepts responsibility. He will be putting the dog down when he gets home tomorrow (today, since it is 3am) or sat. I told him I can be there for him. I have put my own dog down before, so I can help him through it, and after. He knows he has to be more calm as a parent and explain things and is willing to put in the effort to do it. I wasn’t sure if he would step up and accept responsibility like this, but people surprise you. My nephew is doing ok so far from what I have been told. We offered to take one of the (4) kids for a few hours if she needs a small break to take care of the brand new baby. The kids need someone outside the immediate family to talk to and learn from. Thank you for the happy wishes. They are appreciated. Hopefully this can be taken care of quickly and he will make a full recovery. It sounds like my nephew is more upset about his water/drool leaking out his chin than anything else, so he should do pretty well. Dog bites are left loosely stitched to prevent infection, if anyone is wondering why he leaks. My brother is a little nervous about how putting the dog down himself might affect his mental state. I told him it will burn this lesson into his brain so hard he won’t ever forget it. He just has to process the emotions properly so he doesn’t go off the rails. That’s what brothers are for. There are 3 of us. He is the middle one. He thinks he has to look and act tuff in life, but it only gets him in trouble. It’s time for him to slow down, calm down, and just enjoy life before it’s gone.
Tough stuff. It’s good of you to be there to help him through this, and glad he seems willing to learn.
That’s tough to read. Hope typing that out and reading the comments gives you a little solace. Hang in there.
