Kids Are Never Too Young To Learn

Sometimes your best laid plans fly right out the window, not that they were that exciting in the first place.  We had an incident ... a bad one ... that has taken up the last two days.  A dog bite.

You know I'm a BIG lover of dogs ... all dogs, big or small.  I'm NOT a fan of really big dogs being around really small children.  I hear people say "not my dog" all the time, but I know better ... and they should too.

My friend, who shall remain nameless, was visiting with her daughter, her grandson, her daughter's adult friend and his dog.  Unfortunately, no one ever taught the 3 year old not to go near the doggy when he was eating or chewing on a bone.  That was their first mistake.  Not that you need to scare them to death like my mother did me, but they are never too young to learn how to act around animals ... all animals, not just dogs.

Their second mistake was not noticing the signs the dog was presenting.  Ears back, stiffened posture, you can tell they are not happy.  Unfortunately for the little boy, he reached out and took the bone from the dog, who immediately attacked.  The sweetest dog in the world who loves everyone, went after his bone.

The little boy ended up at Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno because the ambulance attendants thought he might lose his eye.  The deep gash just below his eyebrow and the second deep gash below his eye, gushed blood so badly, it scared them enough to rush him 60 miles to the hospital with sirens screaming.  You can imagine how everyone else felt.

After 2-1/2 hours of emergency plastic surgery, there's no permanent damage and he will be just fine. That's dodging a bullet if I ever saw one.  We are all so thankful he's going to be okay.  He's already running around the hospital room being his sweet charming self with the nurses, who wait on him hand and foot.  In a week or so when the swelling goes down, they will recheck his eyesight.

PLEASE PLEASE teach your children and grandchildren (no matter what their age) not to go near a dog who is eating or chewing a bone.  Remind them constantly so they don't forget.  It's a lesson that will suit them well their entire life.  No matter how much you love your dogs, or how much you know they would never do that ..... they CAN and often DO!!   Trust me, you don't want to go through what this family did.