Posted on 01/29/2008 1:43:21 PM PST by Lucky9teen
A little Australian boy's face was horribly scarred by the family dog - but his mother vowed to keep the pet, blaming the attack on her son.
Two-year-old Noah Newbold is lucky to have the sight in his left eye after being mauled by his family's mastiff-staffordshire cross.
Deep cuts and scratches cover the left side of his face.
But, the toddler's mother, Alicia Cottier, said she was keeping the dog despite the attack because it had been provoked by her son pulling the dog's ears.
"People are telling me I should shoot the dog, and as much as I love my son to death, I believe Noah was annoying her. I love the dog and she's part of the family," Cottier said.
Noah is nursing a range of painful injuries after being bitten on Monday night at his home at Booral in the Hunter Valley.
Police attended the scene but said there no charges would be laid because the attack had occurred at the home of the dog's owner.
With a large cut on his eyelid, and puncture marks on his cheeks and chin, the toddler told The Daily Telegraph his pet dog "bited me."
As the child hugged and kissed the dog yesterday, Ms Cottier said the attack was not the dog's fault.
"It's not like the dog picked him up and shook him or anything, she just snapped at him for pulling on her ears," she said.
"She's a good dog, I've never had any problems with her before and I don't think it's her fault."
Young Noah agreed.
"I love Cassey," Noah said.
Paramedics who dressed the boy's wounds said he was lucky to escape with so few injuries, given his size compared with the dog.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
This is why I own cats, all they can do is scratch and their bites aren't as ferocious, imo. And my cats are so used to my kids pulling on them and playing with them, that one stays away from the kids and the other just lets them.
A dingo ate her baby!
At my house that dog would be gone and would be alive only if it were very, very lucky.
Man, I have seen video of pissed off cats who bite and do not let go. Those little teeth are frickin’ sharp!!!
Look, she knows her dog’s temperament better than any of us. People are notorious for not teaching kids to respect the dog and how to treat the thing. It is not a stuffed toy dog you can whip around by the ears. They don’t bite. Real ones might, especially if they don’t see it coming or are sleeping.
She did the right thing. If it was a dog that had a history of it, whatever, I believe she would have gotten rid of the dog. The kid learned a valuable lesson and I am very glad he did not suffer serious, permanent injury from it. But at the same time I don’t believe the dog desired to inflict serious damage to the child, and I think the mom thought that too. In this kind of thing, it is not always a black or white decision.
I play with one of my dogs, teasing her, by pulling on her ears and tail. Not too hard, mind you, just enough to irritate her. LOL
But, once in a while I get too rough or take her by surprise, and she’ll snap at me, breaking the skin on occasion.
I would never put her down for that. Ever.
Lots of dogs don’t react that aggressively when having their ears pulled. What’s going to *annoy* the dog next. The kid’s only two. He doesn’t understand.
Not only would that dog be gone, I’d do it myself. Nothing hurts my kids.
doggie ping
Generally, two year olds understand what “NO!” means. You don’t have to read them a damn manual. They aren’t idiots. Most can be taught NOT to do something.
That was the exact clip I was thinking about. LOL
I’m with you. And I own (and love) a house mastiff.
Well, I wouldn’t say the kid was ‘harming’ the dog. It may have hurt like a pinch or slightly worse, but a pinch doesn’t ‘harm’ the way an injury does.
The way you teach a young kid not to do this is the first time you see them do it, you stop them and say “NO!” and “Hurts doggy!” or “Doggy owwie”. You don’t have to get detailed because they don’t process complex explanations. But by two they know what “No”, “Hurts” (or “Owwie”), and “doggy” mean. You can get them to figure it out before it gets to this, if the dog’s temperament is good.
Thanks for the ping. HairOfTheDog handles the Doggie Ping List; I’m the kitty specialist.
Good grief. He’s just 2 years old - if a dog is going to be that aggressive against a tiny child, it doesn’t belong anywhere around children
-Next time, and there will be a next time, I hope the dog gets irritated at mama -
Sure two year olds know what *No* means and they know how to use it. So when a two year old decides to assert his little independence, he gets mauled by a dog.
It’s not worth the risk that it will happen again. That dog does not have a good temperament .
That poor precious puppy! I think they should get rid of two-year-old Noah. A two-year-old that is so aggressive towards a vulnerable, innocent puppy that he would pull it’s ears should be put down.
there you go.....
I suppose if a person is a gambler than go ahead, take chances on your children....
leave the doors unlocked and have the creepy but "nice" man down the street babysit your kids...../sarcasm/
Thank for that demonstration of the difference between a mother and a Mom.
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