tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post619841521927237030..comments2023-12-12T08:22:49.015-07:00Comments on navel gazing at its finest: I feel like throwing up right now...TheOneTrueSuehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04756132396031048647noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-3399729159597587442008-07-16T23:05:00.000-06:002008-07-16T23:05:00.000-06:00Wow. I'm kind of shocked this post got so many co...Wow. I'm kind of shocked this post got so many comments. I'm closing comments now because I don't want any fighting to break out. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and support, it helped a lot. <BR/><BR/>I did have Abby's hand looked at and she is fine. There is one puncture that is slightly infected but it should be ok in a day or two if we keep the medication on it. <BR/><BR/>I did plan to have the kids away when they came to get the dog, but they came home early and the animal control officer came too late. <BR/><BR/>The kids are actually doing fine today. They've been in good moods and haven't mentioned him at all. I'm sure we'll have good days and bad, but for now, they are doing fine. I've been surprised by it - I thought they would be more upset, but they're kids and they're pretty resilient.<BR/><BR/>If we ever do get a pet again, it will be when the kids are much older and when we've trained OURSELVES to handle a dog better than we handled Wicket. Honestly though, I doubt we'll ever have a dog again - so the dog lovers out there can breathe easy.TheOneTrueSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756132396031048647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-41636931057251382152008-07-16T22:38:00.000-06:002008-07-16T22:38:00.000-06:00Wow and I am so suprised by what some of these com...Wow and I am so suprised by what some of these comments are saying!! It really worries me how easy it is for people to justify discarding a pet! As the OWNER you need to take the responsibilty to train and take good care of your animals. What kind of lesson do you think (not from the orginal post but from some of the comments I am reading) it is teaching your kids that oh it was peeing and pooping in the house so I gave up and got rid of it?? Give me a break! Some of your shipped your dogs off just because you were brining home kids? Wow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-69798231996204005902008-07-16T22:34:00.000-06:002008-07-16T22:34:00.000-06:00If you are interested in getting your dog back, ke...If you are interested in getting your dog back, keeping it away from your children until you can get him fixed.<BR/><BR/>My husband lives in Utah. Don't know where you live<BR/><BR/>www.communicanine.net<BR/><BR/>I'm not just saying this because he is my husband, but he works wonders, he does a great job.Vanessa Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08182285848556239642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-54606272585262698872008-07-16T22:31:00.000-06:002008-07-16T22:31:00.000-06:00K...hopefully I don't sound like a huge brat here....K...hopefully I don't sound like a huge brat here....I have no idea your past in training your dog. But being married to a sucessful dog trainer, who has been training dogs for 14 years, it is EXTREMLY uncommon to find a dog that cannot be trained to act well around children, be obedient, and to fix the agression problems. Personally I think it is completely unfair to the dogs that get sent away because the family will not take the time/spend the money to give the dog a fair chance. Over half of dogs sent to pounds get put down. I have a 2 yr old and 8 month old around 2 wonderful dogs. Yes the saftey of your children should come first, but to be honest you should have done so much more before sending the dog to the pound!! And again I don't know your past with the dog, maybe you did try everything you could, paid for training, put time into the dog etc. Hopefully he finds a good home and does not get put down :(Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-11746937507062833462008-07-16T22:00:00.000-06:002008-07-16T22:00:00.000-06:00You made the right decision! Any child is more im...You made the right decision! Any child is more important than a dog. Period. But sometimes the right decision just sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-72376343894234913592008-07-16T21:56:00.000-06:002008-07-16T21:56:00.000-06:00is there "Anonymous Controll" I could call for ya?...is there "Anonymous Controll" I could call for ya?? talk about things that need to be taken away!chanelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12518479851706665639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-23665310810477702202008-07-16T21:33:00.000-06:002008-07-16T21:33:00.000-06:00I feel sorry for the dog.I feel sorry for the dog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-19920858834848532732008-07-16T21:18:00.000-06:002008-07-16T21:18:00.000-06:00It may or may not have been better to send the kid...It may or may not have been better to send the kids off to the movie while the dog was taken away. I'll note if I had a weapon on hand I would have shot the dog. (Ok, maybe I wouldn't be able to do it, but I'd come close. I'd also have few qualms in putting the dog down.) As I am not their parent I do trust that you made the best decision in the removal methodology that you could.<BR/><BR/>As for the decision to send the dog away, you did exactly the right thing. The dog harmed a person - a child, at that. And the dog is not worth the worry, time, or financial investment to attempt to ensure that it wouldn't happen again let alone the legal and financial consequences if it - or worse - were to happen again. You made the best decision to ensure your children's safety. <BR/><BR/>You made the right decisions.Janellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11092893864737058248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-8626140174874251422008-07-16T19:46:00.000-06:002008-07-16T19:46:00.000-06:00Late to the game here, but no. You did the right t...Late to the game here, but no. You did the right thing. I don't think I would have been able to control myself enough to call animal control. We have a gun in the house and I've never used it, but I think I would have been able to...<BR/><BR/>You definitely did the right thing.Robynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15676098515413550062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-39136557116436138372008-07-16T18:33:00.000-06:002008-07-16T18:33:00.000-06:00So sad. That picture broke my heart.So sad. That picture broke my heart.Jason & Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00995301136181702869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-50498764548771560312008-07-16T16:15:00.000-06:002008-07-16T16:15:00.000-06:00My aunt and uncle had a Great Dane once. He bit my...My aunt and uncle had a Great Dane once. He bit my sister twice, and they would not get rid of him, then he bit my uncle on the hand down to the bone, and they would not get rid of him. Then he bit my 87 year old grandfather on the head and they would not get rid of him. Then he took down a cyclist and the state got rid of him. This was by far the most humane, this way he has a chance at another life with a family that he won't endanger. A lot of times when a pet is acting like that, like a cat that my husband got rid of when I was pregnant with our son who was peeing and pooping all over the house, this cat went to a new family who has never had any problems with him and loves him dearly. Sometimes it's just best to let go.Kelseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920201742700993811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-3368608170651661082008-07-16T15:43:00.000-06:002008-07-16T15:43:00.000-06:00I think you did the right thing... if the dog is g...I think you did the right thing... if the dog is getting old this can be a common thing (not that that would change the decision, nor should it) he won't "out grow" probably only get worse.<BR/><BR/>I am sure it broke your heart...hugs, I hope that each day gets easier on the kids!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327991964710241536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-3759494967840933102008-07-16T15:30:00.000-06:002008-07-16T15:30:00.000-06:00Oh man, buddy. I'm sorry you have to watch your k...Oh man, buddy. I'm sorry you have to watch your kiddos go through this. <BR/><BR/>I was a dog groomer while I was in college and I've seen some nasty bites (and been bitten a LOT). In my experience the dogs that bite once normally bite every time they're under pressure. I once saw a lady get bit that needed almost 50 stitches in her face. It's just not something you mess around with, especially with little ones around.tricki_nickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09498830892805025194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-90810652218834658542008-07-16T15:10:00.000-06:002008-07-16T15:10:00.000-06:00I would have done the same thing. Sometimes the r...I would have done the same thing. Sometimes the right decision isn't the popular decision. HUGS to you and your children. I know that wasn't easy, but our job as mothers is to do what we think is best for our children.<BR/><BR/>*ps that post should have come with a "grab a tissue" warning!*Leahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160551209809872319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-58397922488490702392008-07-16T14:24:00.000-06:002008-07-16T14:24:00.000-06:00my mom had to do this when i was a kid. i eventua...my mom had to do this when i was a kid. i eventually got over it, but be prepared to get little guilt trips thrown at you when they want something else. it worked for years afterwards. years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-3760917382326377692008-07-16T12:14:00.000-06:002008-07-16T12:14:00.000-06:00After the 88th comment saying you made a good choi...After the 88th comment saying you made a good choice, does it get old?<BR/><BR/>But you did make a good choice. And your children will get over it and life will be good again. Soon.<BR/><BR/>I will keep you and your family in my prayers.Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17254208744417742746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-47920941229196150612008-07-16T10:21:00.000-06:002008-07-16T10:21:00.000-06:00Here's an anonymous comment for the other anonymou...Here's an anonymous comment for the other anonymous commenters.<BR/><BR/>A "strong possibility that the dog won't bite again" is not 100%. Even a small possibility is too great of a risk, and as others have pointed out, this is also a liability issue. The dog is now a known biter. This was an unprovoked attack. It could very well happen again. <BR/>I was bitten by a German Shepherd when I was five. It was also an "unprovoked attack" If my dad hadn't been right there to scare the dog away, there's no telling what might have happened. The police were called, but nothing happened because the owners swore up and down that he was a kind and gentle dog, and wouldn't hurt anyone. I had bite marks in my hip to prove otherwise.<BR/>Also this was said.......<BR/> "If a child had a behavior problem, ie hit other kids, would you send him off? "<BR/>No, however, there is a difference between a child and a dog. I get so tired of people acting like a dog is equal to a human child.<BR/>However, if someone in society does hurt someone else, deliberately and unprovoked, chances are that they will be "sent off" The jails and prisons are full of these people.<BR/>Sue, I know this was a hard decision for you to make. You need to take care of your kids first. There will always be times when we need to make decisions for our children that we know are the best for them, and even though they don't understand now, eventually they will.<BR/>I know your kids loved this dog, and will miss him, but as it was pointed out earlier, HE was the one that did something wrong. <BR/>Your kids and their safety come first.<BR/><BR/>You did the right thing.<BR/>You are a good mom!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-36592612831115424832008-07-16T09:36:00.000-06:002008-07-16T09:36:00.000-06:00Sue - Hope you read this!! My husband is a dog tr...Sue - Hope you read this!! My husband is a dog trainer. I don't know if you can even get your dog back at this point, but he would be totally willing to help Wicket. He would come to your home, and he's pretty good at what he does. (I realize I'm biased, but he really is pretty good.) Even if you decide you want another dog, he helps people pick out dogs and aids in the transition bringing them home. (I told him I didn't think you really liked dogs and didn't know if you'd be getting another. Especially after this.)<BR/><BR/>His site is <A>http://www.k9housecall.com</A><BR/><BR/>We have dogs, and I don't like having dogs. They're pretty good, and they stay outside all day. But if one of them bit.....I would want to get rid of them, too. Obviously I'd have DH really work with them before making a permanent decision, but I'd be afraid for my kids. <BR/><BR/>Tough situation for you. Hope everything works out.Wonder Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286006629537084653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-81095860501059068912008-07-16T08:29:00.000-06:002008-07-16T08:29:00.000-06:00You are a good mother. You did the right thing. Un...You are a good mother. You did the right thing. Unfortunately the right decision is often the difficult one and the hardest to explain to children.<BR/><BR/>We recently had to get rid of a dog. She had gotten into the duck pen and killed everything in it. She was very proud of herself for this, poor thing. The children were really attached to both dog and ducks, so the trauma was several-fold for them. While I was knee-deep in dealing with this, my husband calmly made a phone call and got the dog adopted out to a non-duck, non-small-child household. <BR/><BR/>Our dog wasn't a bad dog but she hadn't been a good fit for the family in a long time. It might have been possible, at ruinous cost, to have dog-proofed the duck pens. On the other hand, the dog had been looking at my youngest child the same way she'd been looking at those ducks. The only way of protecting everybody would have meant totally isolating the dog. Now she's in a home where she's given all of the attention she deserves with none of the temptations she had to endure here. We were lucky and she was lucky, because the other choice was putting her down and I would not have hesitated. I would have felt guilty, I would have felt awful, and I still would have done it because it would have been the safest action to take.<BR/><BR/>You did everything you <I>could</I> do. Anything else would have been taking unreasonable chances. <I>((((hugs))))</I> from the Southern Cali High Desert Rat.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15453067117817002744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-7795620987607732582008-07-16T07:09:00.000-06:002008-07-16T07:09:00.000-06:00I'm so sorry. Best--I'm so sorry. <BR/><BR/>Best--Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-69228222075098417162008-07-16T02:16:00.000-06:002008-07-16T02:16:00.000-06:00Oh and I had Bambi torn from my loving arms when I...Oh and I had Bambi torn from my loving arms when I was six. I sobbed and sobbed as she was stolen from me. I know how traumatic it is to lose a dog you love. I still remember it; I still feel that pain. <BR/><BR/>But if a dog bites a person, that is that. They go. They are animals that have the capacity to take human life. Have a little sense, Anonymi.Jamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049138813340800745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-8147363444853572632008-07-16T01:39:00.000-06:002008-07-16T01:39:00.000-06:00Debbie said... Maybe you should publish the IP ...Debbie said...<BR/><BR/> Maybe you should publish the IP addresses of the anonymous commenters, see if they will stand behind their cheap shots once everyone knows who they are.<BR/><BR/><BR/>I posted anonymously bc I didnt want to get hate mail just bc I said I didnt agree w/ her decision. I didnt call her a bad mother. I didnt pull any CHEAP SHOTS!<BR/>I had my dog taken as a child and I didnt get over it. I still think about Faith all the time. <BR/>People need to realize if you take a pet into your home you are responsible for their care forever. If a child had a behavior problem, ie hit other kids, would you send him off? <BR/>And it seems this dogs home life was stressful bc of some recent moves? <BR/>If you know anything about behavior problems in animals they stem from stress, commonly related to moves, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-76610054685557077002008-07-16T01:24:00.000-06:002008-07-16T01:24:00.000-06:00You did the right thing. Very mercifully too. I am...You did the right thing. Very mercifully too. I am so sorry for your kids' pain. And yours. You'll all be in my prayers.<BR/><BR/>I've loved many, many dogs. If any of them bit a child, I'd have had them put down. Period. And I LOVE dogs. <BR/><BR/>In the dog world (pack mentality and all that), the alpha dog would have taken him out. You are alpha. All people are alpha. Biting alpha means you leave the pack. Them's the rules.Jamihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11049138813340800745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-1226590112801253862008-07-15T23:44:00.000-06:002008-07-15T23:44:00.000-06:00Wow, um, some people really need to check their pr...Wow, um, some people really need to check their priorities, wouldn't you say? You didn't take Wicket outside and shoot him (and I know a few people who would've gone that route), you called Animal Control. BECAUSE HE'S AN ANIMAL WHO NEEDED CONTROLLING. You did the right thing by your kids, the neighbor kids, your own sanity AND the dog. And anyone who says otherwise... well, I hope they don't have kids.Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06537531293532622145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18394742.post-8028945662529146332008-07-15T23:37:00.000-06:002008-07-15T23:37:00.000-06:00I think you did the right thing, but I'm sorry! W...I think you did the right thing, but I'm sorry! We babysat my sister's dog last summer and my children got this docile animal to bite 3 times, and one time required stitches, so we had to find him a new sitter. It was very sad, they all cried. I can just imagine if it had been their own dog for a long time. Oh, except I can, because if I reach farther into history I can remember when my husband gave the dog away without telling us. No goodbyes! I can't believe I'm still married to the guy.Shelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12851446861098955538noreply@blogger.com