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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We adopted a rescue dog about a year ago. We were told that he was a greyhound mix but according to one of those DNA tests, he is ~ 24% pit and the rest is Golden Retriever, Chow Chow, and Chihuahua.

Anyway, I'm just feeling a little unnerved by him because of the news about that horrible pit attack on the two babies.

He's a sweet dog but can be skittish around strangers. For this reason, we require our kids (youngest is 11 and oldest is 15) to be very careful about how they approach him or pet him. They know to gently put their hand out to allow him to sniff first and not to put their hands on top of his head. We're careful about observing his body language and respecting his boundaries if he seems tense, if he's yawning or licking his lips a lot, if he's giving whale eyes, and especially if his tail is tucked. They know not to approach him on his bed and to never bring friends or strangers around him. He's very open and affectionate with me and DH, probably because we feed him. For exercise and boarding, he goes to a specialty daycare and his file is accompanied by a warning that he might bite so I don't worry about that too much. They know how to handle dogs like him and he has warmed up to the staff considerably. Daycare has definitely been helping his socialization issues. But how do we know if he is a ticking time bomb at home?

He doesn't have the typical pit musculature or jaw, does that matter? He has a long narrow snout and long skinny legs (which may be why the shelter thought he was part greyhound).

I'm just a little unnerved by this idea that a loving family dog who has been nothing but perfect for years can suddenly snap and maul two kids and their mom.[/quote]

I am unnerved about all the considerations and modifications you have had to make. [/quote]

I can’t believe you make your kids live this way in their own house. My God. Way to teach them where they rank to you. [/quote]

OP here. I’m sincerely baffled by this so hopefully someone could explain in a non snarky way? I don’t think the kids are “walking on eggshells” around the dog just because we’ve taught them to note his body language and leave him be when he wants space. Or when he’s in his “safe space” on his bed (we don’t use a crate). I also don’t think it’s a bad thing that they’re not allowed to bring their friends around the dog. Who cares? Why is that a big deal? They are still allowed to pet/cuddle/play with the dog when he wants to and they want to, which is often.

They truly love and enjoy the dog. I don’t understand this idea that you all have that we’re putting the dog before them. He’s a rescue dog, he has “special needs” lol. I’m kidding but also not. We don’t know what his history was but he has scars on his body and he was stray at least for a while. [/quote]

I will try. You are teaching and have taught your children that it is okay to live in a house where they have to alter their behavior to avoid being physically harmed by a dog. They are being taught that it is acceptable and okay to live with a constant threat of harm to their bodies in their own home. You are teaching them that the safety of their friends (who are barred from being near the dog) is more important to you than their own safety. You are teaching them they they do not have the right to expect to be safe in their own homes.

These are harmful lessons. Take these and extrapolate it. Would you be okay with your children remaining in an abusive home because they didn’t walk quietly enough in their own home, to avoid setting off someone with triggers to sound? Would you be okay with them learning to ignore their own safety triggers? Are you okay with them trying hard to please someone who is physically abusive, to protect their own bodies? What lessons do you want them to absorb, exactly, by making them live this way?

Your kids know this dog is not safe. That’s why, heartbreakingly, you kid was so excited the one time the dog put his head on your kid’s lap. Because your child — who already knows where his safety ranks in your home — is desperately hopeful for love from a creature that isn’t treating him well. [/quote]

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