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.

Jesus it just gets worse. Lazy bastard's not even cleaning up after his dog.

You need to report the dog, imagine if next time it goes for another toddler and actually causes physical harm, you'd never forgive yourself.

There's been new guidance probably about 6 months ago which I'm sure is now national.

In healthcare, if a child comes in having being bitten by a dog, it must be reported to the police. A safeguarding referral may just be local guidance.

OP, what are you hoping will happen?

Yes ideally your brother should take some action.
However, what of there is no underlying issue found at the vet?

A behaviourist can take time to train the dog and what is the long-term outlook if you brother is not consistent? Or just thinks the dogs been sorted by the behaviourist and he doesn't need to do anything? Does a behaviourist actually admit that a dog is unable to be trained in the way is needed?

What happens if your brother did half heartedly do the above but still decided to keep the dog and pretend it never happened.

Your mum is having 2nd thoughts, your brother doesn't seem to care and your stepfather is manipulative.

At the end of the day, you say your child was standing next to your husband, and the dog came over and nipped/bit at him. It's an unprovoked attack that also shocked your husband. Then it was still allowed near other children.

It would be a different story if your child had been bothering the dog and the adults had ignored the warning signs etc. This is the only situation where I could understand people being hesitant about further action or reporting.

I think this is for your mum to put her foot down. You absolutely cannot have your DS round the dog. You mum has to insist the dog is elsewhere.

It's not your mums choice as she still wants to see him. It's the people she loves with.

Well my husband text my brother yesterday asking him to ring and speak to us. My brother hasn’t responded by the end of today I think my husband will be reporting it himself. He’s been telling me not to as he says it will destroy the relationship with my entire family.

You won’t be the ones destroying the relationship OP.
Sadly your brother choosing to prioritise his dog over keeping his nephew safe and the rest of the family falling into line for an easy life are what will cause it. That and the bone idleness of him refusing to take responsibility and try to fix the issues.

Im sorry OP, what an absolutely horrible position to be in

Thank you. This is it, why aren’t they concerned about this dog potentially attacking them or another innocent child? As far as I’m aware, my brother hasn’t even called the vet for advice. I’m considering calling my cats’ vet but not sure they’ll have the time to speak to me as it’s not a dog they have on their system.

In all honesty, the only reason for a vet to be useful is to check to make sure that the dog is not acting out of pain. From the little you’ve said here, that doesn’t strike me as especially likely as it’s not a new behaviour - although it’s still worth checking
Generally if a vet in my area has a case like this, they will simply refer to me and my team. They get next to no training on dog behaviour in their studies so are not generally that clued up in this area

Someone else's dead child or a fallout with relatives who don't seem to give a shit anyway? I know which I'd choose.

I would report this to the police; they are feckless but if another child is hurt then it’s on you too.

I'd report it too.

The dog could attack another child with worse consequences.

My brother has recently moved back in with my mum with his dog
Who makes the rules in the house? FGS, it's not your brother's house, he can't rule the roost.

It's not up to the rest of you to alter your lives to suit your brother and his nasty dog.
If he rehomed it he would have to tell whoever that it has already attacked a small child.

Honestly, it would be totally irresponsible to rehome a dog like that.

Your mum isn't choosing the dog though. She's saying she will come to yours. That seem like the best solution to me

Your Mum to your house only and report the dog, I would risk falling out with family or friends personally because even if your child is never near it again I would feel awful if it attacked another child.

It means that Christmas will be at your house. (My husband was the one absolutely clear that the kids couldn't be near the dogs. I couldn't risk going against his wish as if something did happen it would be on me. My parents didn't like it - but they got used to it. My kids did see less of them because they weren't as prepared to look after them at ours as they would have been at there's. But I didn't trust them to keep the kids and dogs completely separate. They would have let them be together if 'they thought it safe'. We didn't think it safe.

I have no idea if itnis linked or co-incidental but my daughter - who was stood over - was absolutely petrified of dogs for years. She still prefers not to be near them but we can now go to a beach where there are dogs. She is now 14. When she was 10 for example we would have found a dog free beach.

It worries me because we have very little contact with my husband’s family as they are odd and have no interest in spending time with us. My mum is literally our only childcare aside from nursery and my family are the only relationships our son has outside of me and my husband. If we report it because my brother is refusing to engage with us to discuss an appropriate resolution then I’m almost certain my stepdad will ban us from their house. Yet I can’t live with the idea of the dog attacking anyone else. They are being naive as we have read up on it and if someone else (eg my mum) was walking the dog when/if it attacks again then she would be legally liable.
They don’t seem bothered/aware at all

And what happens if whilst you are all faffing about this dog runs off and seriously harms a child in the park? Preserving your family dynamics does not trump the rights of others to be safe. Report.

You only need to do what you need to do to keep yourselves safe. 3 other adults can take the responsibility for this dog. (Sorry that may be an unpopular view but it can't only be your responsibility.)

I would say either the house is made safe so your child can see her grandparents as is her right or you will report the dog as being dangerous.

You seriously think your brother will go to prison for this? 😂

From what we have read the current law classes an out of control dog as:

Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if

• injures someone
• makes someone worried that it might injure them

Punishment against the owner for an attack against a child (even if the child is not injured) would most certainly be that the dog is PTS and the owner does community service, gets a fine, banned from owning a dog or up to 6 months in prison.
if the dog does injure someone it can be up to 5 years in prison,

Please report immediately. This dog could seriously hurt someone next time. And your brother doesn't care. That's not someone I'd want around my children.

Nothing good with come of this situation, a grandma was mauled to death by her sil dog/dogs, she had complained about them. It's usually the owners fault for not training correctly, exercising them etc. Don't risk your child's life by going round.