I don't know where the original of this photo came from. It was on one of those emails that are supposed to be funny. And when I saw it, it made my heart race. Small child, dog on chain, dog trying to escape - recipe for disaster. Why am I so very bothered by "Hug Your Dog Day"?
It's been many years ago that I received a call from a woman who said they'd taken their dog in to be euthanized. The vet that had taken care of their dog since puppyhood said she would only do it if they called me for a consult and that I agreed that it was the best decision.
The 3-year-old girl had been bitten by the family dog. The bite required reconstructive surgery to re-attach her ear. No one saw what happened (red flag) as the toddler and the dog were alone in the living room.
When I arrived I saw a picture perfect family, two pretty blonde daughters, 6 & 3, and a beautiful 6-year-old Golden retriever. Nothing I did showed me any signs that this dog had a mean bone in its body. No resource guarding. Patient to a fault.
The girl couldn't tell me what happened, so I asked her to show me and I asked the dad if he would be willing to role play the part of the dog. "Where was the dog?" she pointed to a narrow spot between the couch and the coffee table. Dad assumed the position. "Where was her head? Was she lying down?" The girl nodded. "What was she doing?" She ran and got the dog's rawhide bone and giggled as she gave it to her dad who was lying on the floor. "Where were you?" She ran around behind him. "And what happened next?" She belly flopped in a big hug around her dad's neck.
The dad closed his eyes and hugged his daughter. The mom's eyes welled with tears and she apologized to the dog. "It wasn't your fault," she sobbed.
The dog didn't lose her life that day. A hug gone wrong. It could happen to any parent. It could happen to any really nice dog who was "good with kids."
It's not okay to encourage kids to hug dogs. Even really nice dogs who often solicit kid hugs. Because that one time, when all the stars align and that dog who has a mild case of hip dysplasia, has a bone, is trapped in a tight place, with a bone, on a day when she played hard and is tired and a little sore, becomes a target for that wonderful kid hug, and very bad things happen.
It's been many years ago that I received a call from a woman who said they'd taken their dog in to be euthanized. The vet that had taken care of their dog since puppyhood said she would only do it if they called me for a consult and that I agreed that it was the best decision.
The 3-year-old girl had been bitten by the family dog. The bite required reconstructive surgery to re-attach her ear. No one saw what happened (red flag) as the toddler and the dog were alone in the living room.
When I arrived I saw a picture perfect family, two pretty blonde daughters, 6 & 3, and a beautiful 6-year-old Golden retriever. Nothing I did showed me any signs that this dog had a mean bone in its body. No resource guarding. Patient to a fault.
The girl couldn't tell me what happened, so I asked her to show me and I asked the dad if he would be willing to role play the part of the dog. "Where was the dog?" she pointed to a narrow spot between the couch and the coffee table. Dad assumed the position. "Where was her head? Was she lying down?" The girl nodded. "What was she doing?" She ran and got the dog's rawhide bone and giggled as she gave it to her dad who was lying on the floor. "Where were you?" She ran around behind him. "And what happened next?" She belly flopped in a big hug around her dad's neck.
The dad closed his eyes and hugged his daughter. The mom's eyes welled with tears and she apologized to the dog. "It wasn't your fault," she sobbed.
The dog didn't lose her life that day. A hug gone wrong. It could happen to any parent. It could happen to any really nice dog who was "good with kids."
It's not okay to encourage kids to hug dogs. Even really nice dogs who often solicit kid hugs. Because that one time, when all the stars align and that dog who has a mild case of hip dysplasia, has a bone, is trapped in a tight place, with a bone, on a day when she played hard and is tired and a little sore, becomes a target for that wonderful kid hug, and very bad things happen.
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