Dear Amy: My wife and I will soon be first-time grandparents because our son and his wife are expecting. The problem is their dog.
When they met, his then-girlfriend had a "rescue" dog. As far as I can tell, this dog is vicious and completely out of control.
My son has been bitten at least twice, and the only times I have ever gotten close to the dog, it attacked me. When company comes over, the dog is locked in the garage.
Our concern is what happens when they bring the baby home. "Oh, she's just territorial" is the excuse we hear. Territorial? Wait until a new pet human shows up.
They have several nieces, ranging in age from 1 to 6. We live several states away. Would it be reasonable to ask for photos of the dog playing with the nieces as proof that this dog is safe with children?
We've also considered calling the other grandparents, but everyone spends all their energy keeping my son's wife as happy as she can be.
We have talked about calling child welfare if it appears they plan to let the new baby and the dog live in the same house.
If we do that, it would certainly destroy any future relationship, but someone has to have some sense.
— Grandparent Prepared to Call Family Services