In-law's mean dog, part deaux
Well, I felt I owed a follow-up to those who responded to In-law’s mean dog (http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=106851). For those who recommended a complete veterinarian check-up, you were right on the money. This is something we had been urging them to do for quite some time. Unfortunately, they waited way too long to do so. It wasn’t until the dog was unable to walk up the stairs any longer, that they finally realized there might be a physical problem. FYI, his mean temperament was apparent to me for the last eight years (Refusing to move, growling and snapping at anyone who would try to move him, especially out of the dining area). After a work-up, it was discovered that the dog was diabetic (among other things). There also seemed to be a large tumor near his hind leg. He was immediately put on insulin, and appeared to improve. My mother-in-law had all sorts of unrealistic expectations, like his behavior would change. It did not. Fortunately, I took care not to be in a situation where I could be bitten again.
He initially lost weight, but after a week, regained it. Then his health deteriorated rapidly. Once again, he had difficulty walking. They took him into the pet hospital, and the following day his condition had dramatically worsened. The decision was made…he was put to sleep. He had lived to the ripe old age of twelve.
I did felt and expressed my sadness for my in-laws loss, but I inwardly rejoiced at the demise of this ill-tempered creature (sorry, but that’s how I feel). I have always been a loving pet owner. I have raised and nurtured countless dogs, cats, birds, and even a wayward squirrel. In my life, I have never had a dog growl and snap at me (or others), let alone bite me in my home.
Now, here’s a side-note:
My 14 year-old nephew (their grandson) has been visiting us for the past month. He is a disrespectful, ungrateful, self-centered brat, who is easy to get along with as long as things are going his way and he is the center of attention. Many would consider this normal adolescent behavior. I have raised 6 children (not with my present wife), all of whom I can thankfully say have grown to be well-adjusted and responsible adults. So I think I know a thing or two about raising children and how to say no. Unfortunately, I was doing most of the no-saying, that is until yesterday. The boy’s grandmother paid for a new pair of designer jeans. However, the boy did not properly demonstrate how they fit (or didn’t fit) him. The jeans were probably about six inches too long. The grandmother didn’t discover this until after they arrived home. My nephew came out of the bedroom with the pants on, the bottoms dragging and cleaning the lint off the carpet. Grandma immediately said she was going to take the jeans back. The boy insisted that this was the way he and his peers wear them (I’ve observed that most boys that age wear them a little long, but only the gang-bangers (or GB wannabe’s) wear them at the length my nephew prefers. What he failed to understand (and this has been quite consistent in his behavior) was that since his grandmother had paid for them, she had the right to insist they fit properly. There was a big confrontation. As usual, the boy showed nothing but contempt and disrespect toward his grandmother.
Well, guess what? She slapped him. Now mind you, I do not approve of any kind of physical punishment of kids, no matter how unruly they are, and I expressed this to my MIL. But, if ever someone came close to deserving a smack in the chops, he did. This brings forward an interesting question (purely rhetorical, of course): If my mother-in-law was able to display this iron-fisted approach to her grandchild, why was she never able to deal with an ill-tempered pet (like isolating him)?
By the way, I just heard the boy is going to keep the pants, but he can’t wear them until he returns home next week. Geesh! :rolleyes:
