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Great Dane Discussions / Help me! What do I do?
« on: September 03, 2007, 09:44:37 pm »
It has been awhile, I know. So much has been going on. We have been moving, Macey has been getting ready for and starting first grade, Sam has had appts and ECI for his visual impairment, DH has been home from and back to Iraq....there just hasnt been a lot of time, lately.
Today has been, undoubtedly, one of the toughest days of my life. It is all my fault and I feel like I have failed miserably at parenting and dog ownership. My son, 20 months, was watching TV and Tonka was asleep. I wasn't paying attention, I wasn't watching Sam, I was mopping the floor. I heard a loud growl, an aggressive and angry growl, it happened in a second. Sam had gone to pet Tonka, I guess (God, he loves that dog...he doesn't say dog, all dogs are "konka"), and I don't know exactly what happened. I heard the growl, by the time I turned around Tonka had retreated to a corner and was laying down, tail tucked, head, ears and eyes down and Sam was curled on the floor crying. I snatched him up and his face was covered in blood. I grabbed my purse and took him to the ER. There was a nick on his eyebrow, his eyelid, just under the eye and under his chin. They cleaned him up and, thankfully, it was mostly superficial but he did require 3 stitches in his chin and 3 stitches under his eye. He is doing fine, thank GOD, and when we came home he wanted to go see "Konka".
My heart is breaking right now, I am so confused. I KNOW, I KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is my fault. I cannot keep Tonka, though, I can't live in fear wondering if it was a fluke or if it will happen again. He has always been so loving with my children, though a recent event has made him nervous and fearful of other children. What do I do? I won't take him to the shelter, I don't want him to be stuck there, I don't want him to not get adopted and then be put to sleep surrounded by strangers and fearful. I also can't take the chance that he will end up with a home with children and his next victim won't be as lucky as Sam.
Part of me says I need to take him and have him euthanized, and be there with him while he goes to sleep so he sleeps feeling loved and comforted. The only other option I have is a rescue organization, and I don't even know if he would be a candidate. I don't know what my options are.
I have become everything that I hate. I have preached to people about being responsible and supervising children with dogs. I have preached about not dumping your pets into rescues and shelters when they are no longer a convenience. Here I am, though! My baby has 6 stitches because I suck as a parent and can't do that job and I am trying to decide my dog's fate because I suck as a pet owner and can't do that job. I have failed both of them in this situation and I don't know how to remedy this.
If anyone can help me or offer suggestions, I would appreciate it.
Today has been, undoubtedly, one of the toughest days of my life. It is all my fault and I feel like I have failed miserably at parenting and dog ownership. My son, 20 months, was watching TV and Tonka was asleep. I wasn't paying attention, I wasn't watching Sam, I was mopping the floor. I heard a loud growl, an aggressive and angry growl, it happened in a second. Sam had gone to pet Tonka, I guess (God, he loves that dog...he doesn't say dog, all dogs are "konka"), and I don't know exactly what happened. I heard the growl, by the time I turned around Tonka had retreated to a corner and was laying down, tail tucked, head, ears and eyes down and Sam was curled on the floor crying. I snatched him up and his face was covered in blood. I grabbed my purse and took him to the ER. There was a nick on his eyebrow, his eyelid, just under the eye and under his chin. They cleaned him up and, thankfully, it was mostly superficial but he did require 3 stitches in his chin and 3 stitches under his eye. He is doing fine, thank GOD, and when we came home he wanted to go see "Konka".
My heart is breaking right now, I am so confused. I KNOW, I KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is my fault. I cannot keep Tonka, though, I can't live in fear wondering if it was a fluke or if it will happen again. He has always been so loving with my children, though a recent event has made him nervous and fearful of other children. What do I do? I won't take him to the shelter, I don't want him to be stuck there, I don't want him to not get adopted and then be put to sleep surrounded by strangers and fearful. I also can't take the chance that he will end up with a home with children and his next victim won't be as lucky as Sam.
Part of me says I need to take him and have him euthanized, and be there with him while he goes to sleep so he sleeps feeling loved and comforted. The only other option I have is a rescue organization, and I don't even know if he would be a candidate. I don't know what my options are.
I have become everything that I hate. I have preached to people about being responsible and supervising children with dogs. I have preached about not dumping your pets into rescues and shelters when they are no longer a convenience. Here I am, though! My baby has 6 stitches because I suck as a parent and can't do that job and I am trying to decide my dog's fate because I suck as a pet owner and can't do that job. I have failed both of them in this situation and I don't know how to remedy this.
If anyone can help me or offer suggestions, I would appreciate it.