Dear Uncle Matty: I have been so interested in reading your columns regarding aggressive behavior in dogs. About five years ago, we got a puppy from the local dog shelter. Our children, then ages 5 and 9, were thrilled. We were told the puppy was a Corgi mix and probably 6 months old, although the veterinarian thought she was maybe older. She was very cute and looked like a small, black German Shepherd. She seemed very friendly when we picked her out.
We soon began having problems with her "wild" behavior. The worst of it was that she would jump and bite at the children, especially my 5-year-old son. (He is a very gentle child and was never rough with the dog.)
Once, the dog left a deep tooth indentation (no blood) in my son's elbow. Another time, he was hanging headfirst off a recliner chair to fix the dog's ball, which she had turned inside out. The dog tried to bite at him and left a long welt under his arm. Considering the position my son was in, this was very close to his face! My husband was in the room when this happened.
Throughout this (we had the dog for six weeks), I tried to get advice many places, including the shelter where we got the dog. No one offered any help, and outside family and friends insisted that this was just "puppy behavior" and nothing to get upset about! I was even afraid to try to pick up this dog because she would try to bite at me. One time, she was jumping and biting at my husband, and he couldn't even control her. She never growled at any of us.
The final straw, however, was the welt under my son's arm, and even though it broke my husband's and children's hearts, we took the dog back to the shelter. I said at the time that I was not willing to wait until my son needed stitches to take action. My extended family and friends thought I was awful and just didn't like dogs. After reading your columns, I realize that we made the right choice.
I am very grateful to you for your columns, which assured me that we did the right thing. Our children must come first, even if we sometimes break their hearts to protect them.
We now have a beautiful Pomeranian who just turned 1 year old. (It took me a long time to consider getting another dog.) She has the sweetest disposition, and we all love her dearly! She follows me around the house like a little furry shadow.
Thank you again for your stand that being a dog lover doesn't mean we should ever put our children in danger. Sometimes, we don't get a second chance when it comes to our children's safety.—S. E.
Dear S.E.: I am grateful to you for taking the time to write and for sharing your experience with an aggressive dog. There is hope in your message that parents need to consider the well-being of their children first — no matter how much they care for their animals. This can be especially difficult when family and friends label the parent a terrible person who doesn't care about animals. I know your decision was difficult.
No one with any kind of sensitivity and love of animals ever wants to give up a family pet, even one that has only been in the house for a short time. Most of us have a basic goodness that makes us assume responsibility for the well-being of all living things, and to have to admit that a dog is not suitable for your family often makes you feel that you have failed.
It is much easier to hope that such a dog will never really hurt a member of the family or that the dog will change with love and affection. Unfortunately, this is frequently not the case.
Why are there approximately 4.7 million dog bites a year in the United States? And why are 60 percent of the victims children? Seventy percent of these children were attacked on the face, neck or head. And what about this? Most of these bites occur in or around the owner's home!
Those who have children and a dog should take an objective look at their situation. If there is an aggression problem, be responsible. Consider the safety of your children first. How do dog bites compare with other statistics? Well, consider that there are 4,000 drownings each year, and fewer than 1,500 of them involve children.
Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate Web site at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazetteunclematty.com or mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619 © Creators Syndicate