Hi, I'm new to this forum, first post. Re. the Hairdresser Husky ... :D
I'm posting now coz I feel really sad if the people in charge of decision-making re. this matter decide the dog is to be killed. I know that it is awful that the poor child was injured, and of course she must have all medical care to heal her.
But what is she when older, and even the young father also - going to get from this episode in her life? That you kill something automatically that harms you? Even if, additionally, the circumstances may have conspired to make that dog feel provoked if it was eating, and the child was perhaps wandering around unsupervised?
I have briefly 'met' this dog, and I feel so sad for him, I can't help it. He is quite calm in manner and vocally quiet, but obviously sad and confused re. why he is in a pen and not his usual person and lifestyle. He is a well cared for husky I noted clean teeth, microchipped, friendly enquiring manner and body language, licked my hand thru cage as he pawed at it hoping for release .... his owner I don't think can be a 'bad' owner, obviously, as the dog is not neglected ... just caught out perhaps, by taking his dog for granted? Unaware of potential for other behaviours to surface given certain 'stimuli'? Hasn't the dog been a fixture in that salon for some years now? Maybe it was even a bit of a 'showpiece' to customers to have a handsome husky greeting you?!
I suspect that this owner would be prob. be one of those that would undertake required lifestyle changes to enable the dog's needs to be met, and the public to be kept safe too, of course. Huskies can be challenging in some respects, and rather 'alpha' types espec. if underexercised and bored etc... And the food guarding aspect perhaps? Having briefly seen this dog and having also seen at shelters badly neglected dogs including huskies that end up there via inspectors, I would feel very sad indeed, for this dog, & the owner too, if a basically cared for and seemingly loved dog is not given the opportunity to live out a good life. Huskies amazed me sometimes with their capacity to tolerate so much awfulness from humans, and not be aggressive back.... lovely dogs, idiosycratic, stubborn, adorable and good natured working dogs, as a breed.
This dog is not, in my own small non-professional opinion, a 'bad' dog at all, or beyond some kind and appropriate rehabilitation ... with owners understanding and participation, of course. Having read what happened with the Michael Vicks dogs, and others, NO dog is beyond the capacity to change, given the right circumstances, human care, and lifestyle ....
So I can but wish for the kindest, best and more humane outcome for all concerned, including the child and her father.
Why would a parent let their small child approach a dog who is eating? Both the owner and the parent are in the wrong in this situation IMO.
That doesn't mean that it was ok that the parent let their child approach a strange dog when it was eating. Just because some people think the dog should not have been there does not make it ok for the parents to be lax when it comes to allowing their kids to approach dogs they don't know ESPECIALLY ones who are eating.
I agree with Ash - both the parent and the salon owner are in the wrong here. This accident was entirely preventable and now that poor little girl and the dog will have to pay the price for peoples sheer irresponsibility and stupidity
ETA: We had people with two small children over to our house a while ago. My dogs are not resource guarders in any way shape or form and anyone could take food off them if they needed to. However, I gave them both a bone and put Daisy away in her crate and locked Micha on the back deck so they could eat in peace, where no one could disturb them. One of the kids snuck inside our house (we were all out in the yard), unlocked our back door, walked on to the back deck and over to Micha who was eating his bone. The parents actually WATCHED him doing it and said and did NOTHING. As soon as I saw the kid out there I ran inside and bought him back in, explaining to him and his parents that you never approach a dog who is eating. They didn't get the big deal because Mish is such a friendly dog Even though Micha is great with kids and fine with people near him when he's eating, no parent should be so relaxed about letting their kid approach a dog when it's eating.
