Help -- he's abusing my dog!!!

Okay... maybe I should put this on the parenting board but what they hey.... I want people's opinions who don't have kids also.

My Dad's live-in GF babysits children. My small pomeranian is old and ailing. All the children she has ever sat for have always been good to the dog except for this one new kid. He's about 3 yrs old and he is pure evil incarnate. He lives for torturing my poor dog who would not hurt a fly.

Now let me tell you, I see this kid for a total of 15 mins a day and he makes me so angry. He throws his shoes at her, he takes her leash and whips her with it, he hits her in the back when she is walking away, he even tells the other kids to KICK her!!! This is a TINY 10lbs OLD dog who wouldn't hurt a fly and doesn't even bark to defend herself!!!

Every morning I hear the poor thing yelp at least once because this little monster is torturing her the MINUTE someone turns their back. She has tried yelling at him, talking to him, explaining to him that you don't treat animals this way, etc etc.

NOTHING WORKS. He waits until no one is looking, abuses the dog and then laughs!!! I am soooo upset for my poor dog. I haven't said anything to the kid because he is not my responsibility. I don't feel I have right to reprimand him either -- I am not his sitter.

What would you do? Speak to the parents? Tell Dad's GF not to sit for this kid anymore?

Has the GF given this child reprimands or time outs for bad behavior? If that isn't working -- I would speak to the GF and insist SHE speak to the parents. She is responsible for the child. If the GF has already spoken to the boy and it has not worked then you need to bring in the parents.

Isn't there some way you can keep your dog away from the children during the day?

I'd definitely have a talk with Dad and his girlfriend. It's your dogs home and the girlfriend is inviting this little monster into your home to abuse your animals?!? I know she's 'babysitting' but this little delinquint is showing sociopathic tendencies and will graduate to more serious acts of violence (even towards the other children)- TRUST me on this. If you don't get satisfaction from them, I would approach this little ba$tards parents and explain the situation. Why should your dog be tortured that way and made to feel frightened in HIS own home? Not to mention, he will turn to defend himself at some point and then you'll have a bite issue on your hands. Little Johnny's parents will be all over it when that happens so I would settle this situation ASAP. It's obvious this child has more than one serious issue.

Maybe he's not your responsibility but he's hurting YOUR dog!!! Yes you have every right to protect your property and that means telling the kid to cut it out!

I definitely think you should tell your dad's GF. And if that doesn't work, get the kid's parent's number and call them. However, if this 3 year old treats a dog like this - you can bet anything he learned it from someone at home and my guess is the parents won't give a flying fig. But perhaps the child didn't learn it from the parents...either way I think you should do something about it.
One day your dog may just bite him - even though you say he doesn't do that you never know when he'll (the dog) will have had enough.

Good luck - is there any place else you can keep the dog while the boy is in your house??

I would be whipping the kid with my dogs leash!

Where exactly would I put my dog?? I can't very well lock her in my bedroom for the entire day. It's her house too... she's used to roaming it freely and that shouldn't stop. She can't be kept outside either. She would be very unhappy with that. I had a talk about it with Dad's GF and she basically told me that she pretty much spends the entire day chasing after the kid to stop him from abusing her. She DOES yell at him and give him time outs, etc. My Dad does too. We've all discussed how evil this child is. We just haven't involved HIS parents yet.

I can't bring her to FH's house because he's got a HUGE bull mastiff and they can't be left alone together yet either. When I move in with FH my dog will probably come with me but that's when I can watch the situation with the two dogs and introduce them gradually and properly. Plus, I haven't even decided for sure that I CAN take her with me when I move because I don't know if she can handle such a huge disruption in her old age.

Anyway, someone brought up a good point about the biting to defend herself and the kid's parents being all over that... that might be what we can use to tell his parents.

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Posted by wc0143

I would be whipping the kid with my dogs leash!

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Believe me -- it's crossed my mind!

Being tortured by this brat is better than keeping her in a room for the day?


I would just do it to keep him away.

I can't believe your Dad's girlfriend (knowing this little POS abuses the dog and she can't control him) still insists on babysitting him. Why should you have to limit your dog to only one room? She should be kicking this little demon seed to the curb! And you can't leave a pomeranian outside. They are delicate little doggies. My mom has one and she's a little princess.

Please let us know how this turns out. I'd be ready to take the little creeps head off!

Your Dad's GF should definitely report the kid's behavior to his parents. Torturing animals is one of the behavioral warning signs that a child is (or will become) psychotic. No kidding. This isn't something to keep quiet about. I don't mean to scare you but the kid's parents need to know about this.

What a terrible story. I'm sorry!

I would keep the dog in another room the entire day...it's better than the dog being abused...and your dog may defend itself one day by biting..possible law suit, euthanasia because 'dangerous dog'....and your dog shouldn't be put through all this abuse, even if he never does retaliate.

I would also scare the heck out of this BRAT and SCREAM at him along with telling his parents in a stern voice. I've done it...this guy who knows my DH brought his monster daughter over, and she ran up to the bird cages and started hitting them, scaring the birds, screaming at them to sing...I yelled at her immediately in front of her parents...if they don't stop her, I'll certainly do it!

I was also at a friend's house (she was having a party), and these two bratty boys thought it was funny to kick my friend's elderly dog...I immediately yelled at these two and embarresed them in front of everyone. Those kids never looked at that dog again.

I really don't care if I 'step over the line', I'd rather be pushy or alienate a few parents and save an animal from abuse than be quite.

Good luck and I hope the brat stops.

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Posted by ambersmom

I can't believe your Dad's girlfriend (knowing this little POS abuses the dog and she can't control him) still insists on babysitting him. Why should you have to limit your dog to only one room? She should be kicking this little demon seed to the curb! And you can't leave a pomeranian outside. They are delicate little doggies. My mom has one and she's a little princess.

Please let us know how this turns out. I'd be ready to take the little creeps head off!

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I was just about to post the same thing! Who knows what this kid is going to start doing to the other kids. I'm surprised your dad's GF hasn't booted this kid out the door!

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Posted by sweetadeline

Your Dad's GF should definitely report the kid's behavior to his parents. Torturing animals is one of the behavioral warning signs that a child is (or will become) psychotic. No kidding. This isn't something to keep quiet about. I don't mean to scare you but the kid's parents need to know about this.

What a terrible story. I'm sorry!

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ditto...there is something wrong here and as a guardian, your dad's gf has a responsibilty.