| Who is bringing their dogs to the house to trigger this dog? That part is easy to solve. |
| The dog needs to be rehoused. On what planet do you pick a dog over a grandchild? What happens when it bites the child on the face? It the grandparents fault that the dog was never socialized. Poor dog and poor grandkids. |
Your MIL doesn't seem to really understand her dog so maybe don't believe her. As the kids get bigger will the dog continue to give warning bites? So much is unpredictable and if something really bad happens you IL will just blame the child instead of seeing their part in it. I'm on the dog's side. For its protection, it should be kept away when family are visiting. Your in-laws are setting him up for a problem down the road. |
+1 I'm also a dog lover, and the in-laws consistently putting the dog in this situation is bad ownership and it's not fair to the dog. |
| I’d hold events at your house and expectation is dog-free. |
| The in laws don't really care about their dog either given the behavior could very easily result in the dog being put down. Someone who cared about their dog would be seeking behavioral help and keeping the dog away from kids. |
| I am a dog lover and rehab dogs. This dog needs to either be muzzled or crated. Kids are unpredictable, dogs are unpredictable if they have any fears or resource guarding. It doesn’t make this dog bad but it can escalate into tragedy real fast. A responsible dog owner does crate training properly where a dog feels like it’s a bedroom or a cool place to go to chill. Dogs should be fine there for a few hours. If crate training wasn’t done then muzzle training needs to begin. The dog needs to pressure taken off him/her with their need to feel like they have to react. Nips are one thing, what if that dog takes a chunk of skin and now they need to be reported? If it were me, I wouldn’t let my kids in the house until the dog was crated or muzzled. The family can offer to chip in on training if cost is an issue. |
It’s not uncommon. My in laws chose the dog over the grandchild, and I’ve known many people who have dangerous dogs and are in denial about the potential for harm. |
| Dog needs to be crated when kids are over. It’s hiding so it’s likely very anxious about kids. Kids are unpredictable and crazy which an older dog can’t understand. |
No, the dog does not need to be rehoused, that's silly. The dog DOES need to be separated from any small children at all times. Or wear a muzzle. We really should normalize muzzling dogs like they have in some countries. It doesn't hurt the dog at all and keeps everyone safe. The dog can be crated, separated in a room, muzzled. Many options, all of which will keep everyone safe. |
Most kids who are mauled or killed by dogs are by family pets who are "mostly" gentle. |
We should not normalize keeping dogs who bite children alive. |
We should also not normalize allowing children to harass animals that are clearly uncomfortable with their attention. I feel like the situation that the OP describes could have been avoided by the adult humans using some common sense and situational awareness. |
Did you read the OP? The dog is overly protective of MIL, and snarls and snaps even when the kids are several feet away. That's not kids harassing a dog. |
| Is this a joke? My kids would never be in that house. MIL welcome to come dog-free to my house. |