We’re back from the lake, with a few more days in my hometown before we fly home to Boston. The lake was great in a lot of ways. Until yesterday.
Becca is a dog lover, and was in dog heaven up at the lake. There were three or four dogs there at all times, and she hugged them all. My mom’s dog, in particular, is a long-time favorite whom she always asks to see when we call Grandma on Skype. They were back to being BFFs.
Then, I’m not sure what happened. Maybe she wiggled the wrong way, but this 120+ pound dog barked like he was in a dog fight and bit my daughter on the face.
To jump to the “end” of the story, she’s OK.
But, not surprisingly, she was hysterical. I was hysterical. My child was bit by a dog, how could I not be beside myself?
My mom said almost nothing.
A minute or so later, she did bring the dog into another room. But there was no consequence. No reaction to the dog’s behavior. Yes, I know that dogs are animals and you always have to be careful. And yes, I know my mom is really into her positive training methods. But are you kidding me? Nothing? As you might imagine, I’m livid. I barely spoke to my mom the rest of the day, and not much at all today before we left.
She did make a concerted effort to keep the dog away from the kids for the rest of our time there. And I know she was upset and felt badly. And I know she’s under a lot of other stress at the moment. But I’m pretty darn furious. And I get even more mad every time I look at my sweet girl and the red cut on her ear.
Or when I looked over at the carseat on the drive home today and saw that deceptively deep bruise in the middle of her cheek.
Thankfully, she’s just fine. It could have been much, much worse. It doesn’t seem to be bothering her in terms of pain. And much to my relief, she did not display any fear around any of the dogs after it happened, even wanting to give more hugs to the offender himself. The last thing I want is for my little animal-lover to be afraid of dogs.
But, yeah. This mama bear is pretty damn pissed right now.
As a true dog lover who has volunteered at local shelters over the last 15 years, I am too angry about that bruise and the cut on Rebecca’s ear to say anything right now. Your mom’s behavior is, to say the least, inexcusable.
Oh my goodness. Poor baby girl! Poor Mama. Just come home – okay? We’re ready to have you guys back!
.-= jane´s last blog .. =-.
Thank goodness she’s okay and will hopefully not feel any ill effects toward dogs after the incident. I hear you though – especially after all that news in MA over the years about forcing owners to PUT DOWN dogs who bit kids. I think you should talk to your mom about it now that you are back home. So says Mommy, Esq. who is very passive aggressive and never confronted HER MOM for not driving back from Maine vacation home when Penny was in the hospital.
.-= Mommy, Esq.´s last blog ..Returning Home After Vacation =-.
Oh Liz! That is so scary. I am so glad that Becca escaped (relatively) unscathed. I would be pretty pissed too. I hope things get worked out with your mom very soon.
Very scary! I’m all for positive reinforcement training but am also a big believer in the Dog Whisperer methods – he would definitely have “corrected” that dog’s behavior beyond just removing the dog to another room. It shows a disrespect to you and Rebecca not to properly correct the dog.
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Too many cooks? =-.
I saw your tweets about this but had no idea it was THIS BAD. What a sticky situation to be in as well. We are in the same boat with my SIL’s dog as he was growling at the kids all week, then finally bit another dog. After that, I was able to say I didn’t want the kids around the dog at all, but man YOUR MOM?!
PS. I think I understand why your blog is private now.
.-= LauraC´s last blog ..Nerves of steel =-.
*I*’m angry, and I don’t even know your mom. Okay, so I don’t really know you either, but you know what I mean.
I have no advice. I’ve already pretty much cut my mother out of our lives, and while that works for us, I know that’s soap operatic and not appropriate for most families.
I, for one, totally approve of your being pissed off. For as long as you need to be.
Poor Becca. (Hey, wait, she’s Becca now!)
.-= Sadia´s last blog ..Sleepover =-.
Just a caution that mixing kids and pets does result in this! It’s unfortunate but it happens. My niece was nipped after yanking really, really hard at her dog’s ear. Both were punished. And both are still BFFs
I would be upset(and this is my protectiveness coming out) that the dog wasn’t disciplined, because how else do they really learn?
Poor Becca. I would be pissed too…her poor little face. No doubt, the dog should have been reprimanded. Before we had kids, one of our dogs barked at a friend’s kid and I was livid. He has since been fine with our kiddos, but we definitely let him know that was not acceptable. But, actually biting a child is on a whole other level. I really can’t believe your mom didn’t say ANYTHING. That is just unacceptable.
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Is it hot enough for you? =-.
I am so sorry. This is terrible.
The same thing happened to us last Christmas Eve. My aunt’s German Shepard bit Emery in the face. It did draw blood and she has a small scar, but nothing too noticible. I just kept thinking about how much worse it could’ve been…..if it would’ve been her eye instead of her cheek! I’m glad Rebecca is ok! I am/was a dog lover, but I’m definitely less trusting of dogs than I used to be. Oddly enough, a month before Emery was bit, I made the tough decision to get rid of my dog of 9 years because she was showing some agressive behavior with the kids.
There have been a few incidents since Christmas when people wanted to let the kids pet their dogs and I politely led the kids away. Like with my aunt’s dog, people just never think that their SWEET dog would even turn on a child. You just never know how a sudden move from a kid can startle a dog and cause it to react. Glad she’s ok!
.-= Shelley´s last blog ..When Finger Painting Goes Wrong……. =-.
I am so angry for you and Rebecca. I grew up with dogs. My mom still has dogs and she is so careful about making sure the dogs behave correctly around the girls. She would never have allowed that behavior to go uncorrected. NEVER.
.-= Rhonda´s last blog ..this here’s the Rubber Duck =-.
Oh Goddess! Your poor pumpkin! (and can I EVER understand your justified anger.)
She’ll be okay, and chances are, she’ll NEVER remember…but you’ll never forget. Hang in there Sister.
And TWO?!?! Those sweet puddings are TWO! Squeeze ‘em for us.
(and you too, Mama)
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Makes My Monday: The Blame Game =-.
OH my goodness! Poor sweetie! That looks just awful! You should be livid.
Even though it’s your mom’s dog, it’s also your daughter.
I am so glad she is ok. Thank God!
.-= debi b´s last blog ..Twos-day ~ HERSHEY….YUM! =-.
nightmare. this is exactly why dogs aren’t yet welcome around our little ones.
.-= Boston Twins´s last blog ..Green Beans =-.
I can understand why you are upset, I would be too in the circumstances, but don’t address this with Mom just yet. As you said she has alot on her plate and am sure that had something to do with the no response. She probably was in shock just like you….her baby (aka the dog) bit her grandbaby. Should she have corrected the dog yes, but it has past & thankfully Rebecca is ok in more ways then just physical. My advise is to adress it later when both parties are more calm. Don’t let a perfectly good relationship go to the wayside because of a bit of non communication. Trust me, the relationships we have that are good are worth holding onto! Will pray the Lord guide you as to the right time, as to the right approach and words. Blessings & hugs
When I was a teenager, I was visiting a friend’s house for the first time. Kids came spilling out of the house, one of them a toddler brandishing a stick. A mid-sized mutt came running at me growling, and it didn’t help when the toddler practically shoved a stick up its bum. The dog launched at me, I put up my arm, and he latched onto my wrist. I was screaming for help, the oldest son finally came and took the dog off of my arm, and I walked inside, completely shaken. Would you believe not one person said anything? I finally asked if they minded if I used the sink to wash off my arm (what I really need to do was use peroxide and neosporin). I patted it dry with paper towels, held them on until the puncture wounds stopped bleeding, and that was that.
I never went back to their home, and couldn’t not understand why they kept an aggressive dog around kids.
I have been bitten in the back by a neighbors dog, completely unprovoked, and attacked by a rotweiller, who didn’t bite me because my leashed dog (a german shepherd) quietly kept stepping in his path each time he approached me.
These three incidents left me extreemly fearful of big, barking, unleashed dogs.
I read cesar millans book and watched his show and have tried my darndest not to pass along my fear to F and J. Jonathan has absolutely no fear of dogs, but is extreemly good at only letting them sniff his hand. Faith, on the other hand, is terrified of dogs.
I am so thankful that Rebecca is going to heal and that she will hopefully foget this incident entirely.
I hope the rift with your mom can be repaired. And I hope that dog isn’t allowed to be around children anymore.
Most dog bites seem to be less about the dog and more about what the owner does in response to their animal. In my mind, that dog has lost his right to be around children. People are way more important than pets.
my MIL has 4 dogs, 3 labs all rescue’s whom have not been around little kids. I have a 2yo. This post is like my greatest fear. My mil has been mauled on the arm form getting in between her dogs fighting (they put that dog down, the instigator of the fights) and just this summer she was walking them and they pulled her (walking all 4 untrained dogs at the same time) and she cracked her head open and had to go to the ER and have an MRI. When over our house I was out of the room and our golden retriever (whom she now takes care of) has NO idea about space or how big she is, well she knocked my daughter down. a 70 pound dog needs to learn not to smack into a toddler, and needs to be trained, something I was working on. I came in and said whats wrong “oh they got in the same space at the same time” this showed me how she viewed the dog vs my child, though when I tried to speak to her about it she was all agreeing with what I said about it being a dog and you never know what a dog/animal will do. She doesn’t get it, she adores her dogs. For this reason my daughter has not and will not stay over there house alone until she’s old enough to tell me whats going on. She’s given us loads of books about visiting grandma’s house (a hint I guess) with spending the night etc. It’s not going to happen any time soon. It’s my worst nightmare, seriously. If something happened to my child like happened to yours, or god forbid worse I am not sure what I would do. When visiting her dogs are too wild so I basically would just leave if she brought them out (she has not yet). I hate going over there because of those dogs.
Oh man, so sorry to read your post and to see those pics of your sweet, lil girl nad her bruised face. You have every right to be LIVID at your Mother, who the hell wouldn’t be? Perhaps you can bring it up to her when you come back to Boston and are not face to face. Luckily, Becca won’t remember it and won’t fear dogs in her future. That’s a good thing.
I was pretty badly attacked by our dog 2 days before I went into labor(we had him for 4 months at time–but rescued him at 1 years old) I pet him on the head to give him a love tap prior to crawling back on the couch ( i was on bedrest) and he came up, pined me down and bit my hand and foot–pretty bad scars. Luckily, Karl was there to grab him off me and throw him outside. Needless to say, the dog was gone that night, no way was I going to bring babies into this house with a dog that attacked its nuturing owner. It was a scary moment, but I’m still a dog lover, just a more reserved one. Maeve & Liam love dogs too, but I just make sure I ask the owner if their dogs are friendly before they get too close. But, its one little move or wiggle from a child and a dog feels insecure and attacks. Luckily she is OK. Now, you need to heal too…worry about yourself just as much….
Holy crap. How’d I miss this one? Saw the tweets, missed the post.
Poor Becca
I’m glad I saw the piggy tail pics before the bruise ones to know she’s just fine.
*hugs* hang in there.
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Way Back When-esday =-.
Oh, LORD! I know I’m late to this post, Liz, but I couldn’t help commenting. I cannot believe your mom’s reaction. I would have been livid, too, and probably left that very afternoon. I LOVE dogs, I have a dog, and I hope Jack and Derek also grow up to love animals as much as Johnny and I do. I also believe in positive reinforcement, and in fact that’s how we successfully trained Atari. BUT. There are a few “no-nos” that call for immediate, serious consequences for a dog, even in positive reinforcement training, and biting is at the top of that list! You bet your @$$ that if Atari ever bit ANYONE, he would be punished, AND we would be so mortified and (at the very least) apologize profusely to the person (or parent of the person) who was bitten. I can’t believe your mom didn’t say anything to you. Poor, poor Becca. I’m so glad she’s OK, but it makes my heart hurt to see her bruise and the cut on her ear. My heart leapt into my throat when I read that a dog the size of an adult bit her. I’m glad she’s not traumatized!
.-= Beverly´s last blog ..Haircuts! =-.