In-laws’ dog bites toddlers

[Anonymous]

What’s the best way to handle this situation? Our in-laws have a dog that I think gets jealous or territorial when young children or medium sized dogs come near my mother in law.

The dog goes from zero to 60. He’s fine one second and the next he turns vicious and at this point has bitten 2 different children on 5 different occasions- no serious injuries, but sometimes breaking skin. The attack on another dog was more serious and the other dog was bleeding.

Our in-laws host family gatherings at their house often, so it happens at their house.

What is the best solution? Would a muzzle be appropriate during family gatherings? Or is that overkill? I also don’t think my in-laws would agree to that.

The kids have generally learned to keep their distance, but even being within 5 feet sometimes triggers growling and snapping at them.

[Anonymous]

The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the best way to handle this situation? Our in-laws have a dog that I think gets jealous or territorial when young children or medium sized dogs come near my mother in law.

The dog goes from zero to 60. He’s fine one second and the next he turns vicious and at this point has bitten 2 different children on 5 different occasions- no serious injuries, but sometimes breaking skin. The attack on another dog was more serious and the other dog was bleeding.

Our in-laws host family gatherings at their house often, so it happens at their house.

What is the best solution? Would a muzzle be appropriate during family gatherings? Or is that overkill? I also don’t think my in-laws would agree to that.

The kids have generally learned to keep their distance, but even being within 5 feet sometimes triggers growling and snapping at them.

It’s not our kids. It’s the kids of my sibling and DH’s sibling. Who usually do not attend the same functions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

Sorry meant to respond to you. It’s not our kids. My MIL is kind of in denial about it.either she denies the dog bit the child, or just says how strange it is because it’s never happened before, or blames the kid. FIL just gets really bummed out and upset about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

Sorry meant to respond to you. It’s not our kids. My MIL is kind of in denial about it.either she denies the dog bit the child, or just says how strange it is because it’s never happened before, or blames the kid. FIL just gets really bummed out and upset about it.

In other words, they are either refusing to address the issue, or don’t have the mental bandwidth the handle it.

So I think WE (or DH) needs to strongly recommend some sort of solution FOR them.

[Anonymous]

I love dogs

This dog should not be around children

Your in laws should keep him away from family entirely when they are over especially the kids. They deserve to not be in fear during the visit. Your IL are playing Russian roulette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love dogs

This dog should not be around children

Your in laws should keep him away from family entirely when they are over especially the kids. They deserve to not be in fear during the visit. Your IL are playing Russian roulette

Do you think the dog would seriously hurt them? MIL says he wouldn’t actually hurt them-if he actually wanted to hurt them, he would have. Meaning they were just “warning” bites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

Agree. Except I think text is fine too, then it’s in writing as well.

[Anonymous]

I think it will be challenging because my in laws treat and view their dog as a child. They wouldn’t lock up their child in a room during a family function. Nor muzzle a child. They may be open to medicating a child. In other words, give the dog anxiety meds.

Their dog usually goes somewhere in the house to hide when there are people over, but then my MIL is constantly trying to get him to come out and “be social”. She says he is probably autistic because he really likes a very set and predictable routine. So it may be that the disruption of his space and his normal routines are very stressful for him.

[Anonymous]

Not your problem to solve. It is not your kids, those kids' parents know, they need to address it. Honestly they are more of a problem than the inlaws for not protecting their kids.

[Anonymous]

Why is this your problem to solve? This is for DH to solve. Also, do not allow the in laws to bring this dog to your home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

This. No more taking your kids there. The dog should be put down but they won’t do that until something very bad happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best way to handle the situation is for your husband to sit down with his parents and tell them their dog is unsafe around children and he can no longer bring his kids to their home unless the dog is secured in a part of the home away from them. That’s the way to proceed. Then, stick to it. Leave if the dog is let out. Again, this is for your husband to handle. In person, not over text.

Sorry meant to respond to you. It’s not our kids. My MIL is kind of in denial about it.either she denies the dog bit the child, or just says how strange it is because it’s never happened before, or blames the kid. FIL just gets really bummed out and upset about it.

In other words, they are either refusing to address the issue, or don’t have the mental bandwidth the handle it.

So I think WE (or DH) needs to strongly recommend some sort of solution FOR them.

Why is this on you to solve? It’s on the parents of the kids who we’re bit.

[Anonymous]

You are insane to continuously bring small children into a house with an aggressive dog that his bitten multiple children. Your children come before your in-laws. That house should be a no-go zone until the dog is gone.

[Anonymous]

I understand these are not your children and that you are merely fearful for someone else’s children. Two options: (1) Your DH tells his parents that he and you will no longer be able to attend events where there are children and the dog is not secure. You are fearful and could not live with yourselves if something happened. You hope this pronouncement will result in the dog being secured. (2) You do nothing.

You cannot control or recommend a solution here. You cannot dictate how others behave. Only how you do. The end.