Let Me Get This Right, My Brother’s A Dog?

I recently received one of those emails that leave your heart in your mouth. A dear friend told me about how, some months earlier, her beloved - and previously docile - border collie had attacked her infant son, biting him on the face so severely that she had to rush him to the emergency room. Fast forward to the end of the story and all is well – her son bears no permanent injury and only the faintest of scars beneath his eye and she has found a wonderful alternative home for her pet and this weekend will hand the dog over after extracting a promise from the family that they will return her if things ever don’t work out. M remains, however, wracked by grief, guilt and distress about the whole situation and, as she puts it, is “scarred for life.”

Any friend would have her heart strings tugged to hear of such an ordeal. It was particularly sad for me because I have had my own share of struggles integrating my “blended” family (I have one son, two dogs and two cats) and, as their weekly groomer at the time, M played a key role in helping me keep it all together when I wasn't sure I could.

M with Aspen and Mardi

Having seen all the challenges I faced once Liam was born M was well aware of what to expect once her own son arrived and, as an animal professional, she was as well equipped as anyone could be to manage those challenges. And still it went sour.

The general perception is that kids and dogs go together and there is a long list of positive factors associated with teaching children the responsibility of caring for an animal. But in my experience it is a rocky road when the dogs came before the kids.