Well done Naomi - but can't help thinking they must be useless parents if they can't train their own kid!! I hope you do get him back. I took back a dog at 4 yrs because the owners couldn't commit the time to him - 2 young kids which they didn't have when they bought him & working full time. This dog had been teased by children ( not theirs) & I ended up having him put to sleep after he made an unprovoked attack (fortunately not serious because he was on the lead) on a young girl. It broke my heart because he was a lovely dog in every other way. Don't let it happen to your boy.

I am so glad that you have reached this super compromise.I would hate the poor little pup to got through any more abuse.By coincidence ,my friends step daughter had most of her ear ripped off on friday night, by a male staffy that had been constantly tormented by kids all its life until it finally snapped.Of course the dog will be  blamed and put down but it was apparently giving warning growls and snaps before it attacked her, but the owner didn't take any notice.Now we have the scenario of a dead dog and a 15 year old girl who will have to have plastic surgery to fix back her ear.Also i'm upset because my friends partner has banned her from visiting my house because i have a staffy which in his eyes in now a "killer dog!" even though shes a four month old darling girl!!
This is a long winded way of saying i'm glad you will be hopefully getting your pup back as owners like these have no right to have a dog....If the parents can't control their child it isn't an appropriate home for any animal to be in!! 

I've just read all these messages with such interest. I'm worried about a similar situation and I really don't know what to do. My next door neighbours, a really nice couple and I'm quite friendly with them, have a 5 year old daughter. Over the last couple of years she has become a little monster, and as much as I love children, I am finding her difficult to like. She just behaves so badly and I see her parents taking no action. She was always such a sweet little thing but has now found her feet (and her voice !). Well, last week her Mum told me they were going to get her a pet because 'she wants one'. She was asking for my advice on what to get - a kitten or a puppy. I explained that I felt that as they didn't have experience of either, then I didn't think she was old enough. Usually I'm the opposite, I feel that children learn so much love and respect from animals. But I just know what will happen to a young pet in her hands. My dog is terrified of her - he loves everybody else. She is so loud, squeals at him, chases him which panics him so much. I've tried time and time again to explain that he's not a toy, but she is an ignorant little girl. Her new trick is to knock on the door to make him bark. Last week she posted bits of hard plastic through the letterbox which of course he picked up to chew. I was furious and told her how dangerous it was and that it could hurt him. She ignores me. Mum just waves from her front door !. We had to put a lock on our gate to stop her coming in th garden. We often came home to find stones in the rabbit hutch and occasionally, the hutch door open. I just don't want her having pets until she can appreciate and understand their needs. What more can I say to her Mum without offending her ?. One thing amazed me though - when I had one of my rabbits pts last October she (the Mum) saw me in the garden, preparing a little grave. She told me she thought it was disgusting, burying a pet in a garden. I wonder what she thought I should have done !.

Val

well done naomi

I hope you feel relieved now.  that ssounds like a great idea.  Fingers crossed it works.

xx

Hey, why don't you complain annonymously about its howling ;) - If they get a complaint it may just be another reason to send him back?
Sarah

Well done Naomi.  Glad you handled it so well.  Here's hoping you have your baby home soon so that he can start enjoying life.

well done thats a positive way forward, at least this way whatever happens The pup will be ok and at least the parents are understanding and realise that what their child is doing is wrong (!) and you won't lose a friend over all this!

Rox

Somehow I don't think this suggestion is going to work as when I went there yesterday I found they were smacking the pup for the smallest of things.  I took my two with me and they just got up and moved away from the pup.  Their kid just sat there and when the pup nipped him on the ear he cried and the parents told the pup off and the kids dad had him by the scruff of the neck and walloped him on the nose.  The poor pup was about 4ft in the air only being held by his collar and he was squeeling like a little pig  I did sugest that maybe that wasn't quite the way to discipline the pup.

I have suggested that maybe they should return him to me and maybe go for an older animal and maybe a bitch as they tend to be a bit more patient with kids.  Let's just see how we go and the time has now droped from 3 weeks to 2 weeks.  The poor thing STILL hasn't had his injections and they want to take him for a walk.

Well that would explain the childs behaviour towards the pup then :(  I hope you can get the pup away and I think you are wrong about them needing an older dog.  They shouldn't have responsibility for any living creature.
Sally

>> They shouldn't have responsibility for any living creature <<

Well not till they learn to control the kids anyway.

Oops sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Do they discipline their child by hanging up by his dungaree straps and hitting him? As for not having done his injections thats just awful. Its an awful thing to say but I hope a crisis develops so you get him back sooner than 2 weeks. I dont think these people can learn to treat animals properly and Id be warning every rescue in the area about them.

Oh goodness - sorry, but i agree, they may be your friends but i feel (IMHO) you  need to somehow take control and get your pup back or he will be spoilt forever :(

What he is expected to put up with is unfair and the parents sound overeactive and have no control over their child's actions from what you have said. I am so sorry for this pup :(

I agree too, they should not have control over any dog. Mind you, is there a chance they mistook what you were saying on a previous visit - and took too much to heart what you meant about making sure they stopped the nipping etc? How are they house training him - i would guess he gets a wallop fo mistakes there too.......

He has only you to rely on. Get him back for his sake and the child's, or he may bite harder and do some damage when he is older and fed up with it all.

Lindsay
X

O Naomi
I originally posted that you couldnt just "take" pup back legally but now i think you have too.
I know these people are your friends but their actions are really worrying me. You dont need to "Smack" a puppy and should never pick him up by the scruff of the neck! And as for the child - well I think i would be past the niceties stage by now.
Tell them the child is going to be hurt if this carries on and ask them to give you the pup back so you can rehome him without children.
Get them to think its their idea that he would be better off elsewhere.
Have they had experience of a Staffy before anyway ? Mind you from the sounds of things I wouldnt give them a stuffed dog to play with :(
Take the dog and give the child a swift slap on the way out with him :)
Sounds a horrid little brat

>Take the dog and give the child a swift slap on the way out with him
>Sounds a horrid little brat

It isn't the child's fault anymore than it will be the dog's fault when he becomes aggressive. 

Sally
It was meant tongue in cheek and not literally :)

It is both parents fault not just the fathers.
What worries me is if they are like that when Naomi is there - what are they like when she isnt ??? :( :( :(

Oh what a time you're having with this Naomi.  I think your main concern now has to be getting your pup back, as no matter what you seem to do to help, they just won't listen.  Or else, they appear to listen when you're there, and obviously the minute you leave they continue the way they were.  This poor little pup is having a miserable time.  :(  I don't think I could wait the two weeks, who knows what physical and / or psychological damage they could do to the little mite in this time.

I think a slap for the whole family is defnitely in order and a very hard one at that! :D

Thought you probably did Lel, not getting at you - just wanted to make that point. :)  I actually said in a much earlier post to knock the little b******s head off. 

And thats the sad thing about this ......
we all know what children can be like but I would be HORRIFIED if mine treated an animal like this and for sure they would be told . If they arent teaching this child at three then god help them when hes older .... :rolleyes:

They have had one before.  I have had three different stories from her about what actually happened.

Originally she told me that she had been too boisterous, then that she had to be put down and now that they had had her a year, had her spayed and she couldn't come into the house because she would wee and poo everywhere and they had even tied her up outside all day on a long rope so she had the run of the garden but as soon as she was let in in the evening she would make a mess.

I was also told that her hubby's nephew bred Irish Staffords so they said they knew what they were letting themselves in for.

The more I think about what I have done to the poor chap the worse I feel then I think,
No i shouldn't feel bad it is them that should feel bad.

poor you naomi :( i would be just as worried as you are, and probably spending all my time there until the day came when I could take him back.
I am going to make sure that all my future owners are thoroughly vetted!!(not suggesting of course that you didn't, it's just made me worry more about where I will place mine when we eventually have them!) it seems you can't even trust friends these days never mind strangers!!! :(

Hi Naomi
I think the real problem here is the husband (not the child).  Kids learn more by example and however much you try to tell the child (at 3 years he's hardly more than a baby himself) you don't know how the husband will behave at home when you are not there.  I agree with Sally they shouldn't have responsibility for any living creature (and I'd include a 3 year old child in that!)  Hope you manage to get him back soon.
Best wishes, Jenny

Thanks guys.

I already have a home wiling to take him IF I get him back.  I have explained, sort of, what is happening and they have had a lot of experience with staffords.  I have met them, spoken to them, spoken to their family and friends and they have a wonderful manner.  They seem extremely genuine and because they are friends of the couple who have the bitch, who is doing wonderfully by the way, she has had all her jabs, is fully house trained and they have only one problem with her, seperation anxiety (sp?) because they take her everywhere they go apart from when they go to work and she is a little confused even though the girl's mum looks after her when they are both in work.  She weighs 1/2 stone and is really well looked after.

As for house training the dog pup, no he doesn't get a wallop for accidents in the house and they take him to bed with them so that if he wakes in the night they can feel him moving around and take him out.  However, the kid also sleeps in the bed and even in his sleep is 'accidentally' hitting out at the pup.

I think that they are only taking notice of me when I am there and I also dread to think what is happening to the poor mite when I am not around.  When I am there they take no notice of what the pup is doing and they are expecting me to keep a constant eye on him.  I had to go and rescue him after he chewed one of their cube chairs and was eating the fluff out of it.  I took him into them and showed them his face.  He had grey fluff stuck in his teeth and he looked like he had a beared.  They just laughed and thought he looked so cute.

Sorry if I am sounding like I am moaning but I feel just so bad knowing that he is in this position and there is not a lot I can do about it.  If I didn't have you lot I think I would have ended up in a mental home by now.

Whatever the outcome Naomi, just remember that it's not your failure.  It's theirs as owner AND parents!

Earl I completely agree with you.  At least you can do something about the situation as for some people they are failures and there is nothing that they can do to change that,  no matter how hard (or not in my case) they try.

This afternoon when I suggested that we have our first little training session I was fobbed off. They can't remeber ever agreeing to such a thing.

They even told me that they were never going to give him back as they love him too much and they would rather he pts if he attacks any kid than give him back to me :(

Needless to say I was ready to grab him and run for my life but I had my two kiddies with me.

I have lost this pup to them and now there is absolutely nothing I can do :(

Oh Naomi, I really don't know what to suggest. I feel a bit lost. Ille send you a ((((((((hug)))))))).  What dreafull people.

Naomi, contact the RSPCA asap and see what they can do, tell them everything, including history with other dogs, you have to get him back.

People like them make my blood boil!!!

Emma

This is a really terrible suggestion and I apologise if it upsets anybody ......

What happens if he were to go missing from the garden ?? :rolleyes:

if they treat it that badly they may not notice for hours ~ great suggestion Lel !!!

something has to be done.

They love him to much!!!!  Yeah, right!  I'd hate to see how they'd treat something they didn't like!!!  :(

Please don't give up Naomi (I know it's easy for me to say sitting here in cyberspace), but this little pup is going to end up being pts if he's left with this family.

I'm not so sure about stealing him from the garden, you might just end up with the police at your door and being charged.  The suggestion doesn't upset me at all, just the outcome and they'd be sure to point the finger at you!  Maybe someone else could steal him though!  :)

Earl - I'm shocked :(
STEALING ? Did I suggest that ?
Pups sometimes have a habit of escaping ;)

That's very true.  How far away do you live from the family from hell?  Wouldn't be your fault if he wandered back to the safety of your house!!!  :D