Brother’s dog attacked my 2 year old

[ADR25]

Hi,
Looking for some advice. Me,my husband and our 2 year old were at my mum’s house for a family lunch yesterday. My brother has recently moved back in with my mum with his dog (a British bulldog). The dog has always been boisterous but yesterday my son was standing quietly in the garden holding hands with my husband about 6 feet from the dog and she just went for him and had her mouth around his leg. Fortunately she did not puncture the skin but he was obviously very scared and upset. Me and my husband are very shaken up too (particularly my husband who witnessed it and was in floods of tears) and he is saying he doesn’t want him in the same house as the dog ever again. According to gov.uk aggressive behaviour is against the law.
My mum supports us and says the dog needs to go to kennels when she has my son overnight and needs to be elsewhere when she has him on Fridays, although we’ve said she could just have him at our house. Yesterday my brother was very remorseful and talked about rehoming her as her behaviour in general has been concerning. But today he is adamant that he’s not rehoming her and my stepdad says my mum should just see our son at our house.
So my son is not welcome at his grandparent’s house because we’re afraid he might be mauled to death?
It would be another story if it had happened to my stepdad’s precious daughter or granddaughter.

I also feel for your mum as it sounds like she has two arsehole men living with her. Doesn’t sound like a great set up for her or her poor elderly dog.

She should move out with her dog!

Yep my stepdad is very manipulative.

@MtClair no - a dog on dog attack and a human one are in no way linked, so not relevant from a behaviour perspective. Therefore 2 incidents may prove there are multiple problems, but nothing more

IF this was indeed an attack (ie aggressive intent) then absolutely there is a major and potentially unsolvable issue with this dog. In that case I would personally suggest PTS not rehome, although others will advocate managing the dog away from potential triggers
I will once again fall short of calling it out and out aggression. Without having a full history and observing the dog as a professional, it could be a multitude of things and to diagnose by internet would be unprofessional

Also, the garden was covered in dog poo which wasn’t safe for a toddler to be running around in.

I’m annoyed today that it seems to have been forgotten by my family and my brother a) hasn’t contacted us to ask whether we’re all ok or b) hasn’t thanked us for not reporting it. My husband has read that he could get up to 6 months in prison and the dog PTS for an attack which doesn’t puncture the skin.

Is there any marking on the skin at all? I really would report this and the nonchalant behaviour afterwards inc having more children around the dog and unleashed walk etc. Any consequences are on the dog owners, no one else

That’s awful.
If your brother is not prepared to engage and try to fix the issues, I would report it and force him to accept the problem
At the very least, the police we will interview him and he will have the seriousness of the situation rammed home.
If he’s not prepared to do what it takes to keep his nephew safe, then there isn’t much of a relationship to lose by going nuclear imo

You’re right. My husband has asked him
to phone him to discuss it and wants to spell out what the consequences could easily be if we choose to report it. I can’t believe he hasn’t checked how my husband is after he explained on the phone to my mum last night that he (my OH) was really shaken up and crying on the drive home,

So you're not going to report it then? I hope that dog doesn't attack another child 😳

We can’t see any markings and his crying at the time was his terrified cry rather than his pain cry.

We haven’t yet but the longer they show no remorse the more inclined I am to report it.

This comes across as being more bothered about them acknowledging the seriousness of the incident and your reactions rather than getting anything sorted. From the sounds of db, nothing will change despite having phone calls, so I'm not sure why you're delaying reporting?

For chuff sake, there should be no if about it. You should just be reporting it. Let the police deal with it.

Why are you apprehensive about sabotaging family ties when they haven't given a second thought to you or your child?

Do you feel some sort of guilt towards the potential outcomes for the dog? There are worse fates than being put to sleep humanely, or being ordered to wear a muzzle, or lord forbid your parents actually have to spell it out to your brother that he has to grow up and move out if he wants to keep his dog.

Yes, I want him to understand the seriousness of what’s happened and assure us that he has a plan to deal with the dog’s behaviour. I’m not even aware of him contacting the vet for advice. If, after speaking to him he is pigheaded and says he’s not doing anything we will report it.

The dog needs to be put down. Not rehomed. Put down straight away before it mauls another child. Report it straight away

He's had four years to deal with its behaviour and has done nothing. Report it and if it ends up with the dog being destroyed, good. Maybe your feckless brother will learn that dogs aren't toys and are actually a responsibility, and never get one again.

My mum has given a second thought and would be devastated if my brother were to be sent to prison, as would I.
And because I was expecting that the event alone would be enough for him to take the dog to the vets himself out of guilt towards our son, but it appears I was wrong.

Not a hope in hell my child would ever be around that dog or back in that house while brother lived there. He and stepfather sound totally irresponsible. Sorry but who cares about Christmas, I wouldn’t see any of them if they wouldn’t choose your son over a dog anyway. A family members dog which is about 8 recently had a few incidents of biting adults (its owner and my grandad). The dog is often at my grandads house and me and my 2 year old often visit him. Owner notified the whole family of what the dog did and that the dog is not to be near any children. If me and 2yo visit my DGF if dog is there DGF shuts it in another room and we use another entrance. If we’re invited to visit auntie and uncles house they will put dog to my grandads while we visit. As it was a change in behaviour they took the dog to the vet for a full check given his age we thought he might be in pain and dog is constantly supervised and controlled now.

Sadly it sounds possible that due to her situation with your stepdad and brother, your mother is not reliable to look after your DS. It sounds like she will just bow to what they want to do, whether she's doing childcare at hers or yours. If you do have her caring at your house I would want to have a very clear conversation with her about scenarios. If your brother turned up at yours or wanted her to walk his dog when she was caring for your son, what wouid happen? it sounds like she is just coerced into doing what one or the other of them wants. That may be some distance from what is best for your son. Accepting but not liking her own dog being bullied by this... accepting but not liking that this dog craps in her home etc.

my mum doesn’t like the soiling in the house and my brother’s girlfriend has been complaining to him for ages about the soiling

This alone would make me not want my child in this house. It's a health hazard.

Completely agree. How revolting.

He wouldn’t turn up at my house as he knows he can’t bring his dog round due to the cats. My son is perfectly fine being looked after by mum. The only problem we’ve had is due to this dog. The times he’s been in the house with the dog before my mum has reported that he’s scared of her as she’s very boisterous and she’s had to lock her outside.
The problem is the dog and it’s a problem for everyone as she is not safe.

Thank you for explaining. That’s very helpful to know an attack on another dog and on a human are two different behaviours.

Thanks.

The dog needs to be destroyed. I’d go nowhere near the house again until the dog was gone. I never take my toddler to houses with dogs. It’s just not worth the risk.

So there's an incontinent dog that attacks your mothers dog and a child. It also runs off so untrained. Jakers that's my line in the sand drawn. You can't re-home a dog like that. PTS wouldn't be unreasonable.