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You know the type, nice guy, but only sees things his way. I can't tell you how many times this guy and I get into things...and believe me, I'm not the only one here at work experiencing this.

We could be talking about things the kids do or didn't do, he's single 46 years old, a very good worker, nice for the most part, but tells me things or says that I would do it this way or that way with the kids...I have 3 kids under 8 years old, I do know some things about rasing them, but why can't people just leave it alone and accept that others "can" be right about things?

RANT:
Yesterday I'm home with the kids (we live in the suburbs and houses are separated a bit), the wife's working and we're in the family room. It's not uncommon for us when we're into the day to leave the garage door open so the kids can go in/out.

We took a break and were in the family room which has a door to the garage, I'm on the laptop doing some work and low and behold a Pit Bull strolls around the corner...astonished I say, "Hold on there fella, this isn't your place"...I slowly escort the dog from our family room out to the driveway...the kids follow and I immediately instruct them back into the family room, SHUT THE DOOR...now the dog looked like he wasn't going to be agressive, just a bit curous...but he has no place here...I was able to shoo him into the woods and on his way...

Know-it-all, was: "I would've kept the dog in the garage and called the animal control for him"..my argument was, first things first -- the kids MUST BE protected and there's no way I'm going to let a stray dog or possibly dog that got loose in my garage for an unknown period of time to potentially get agressive and or destroy my property or what if the kids open the garage door when I'm in the bathroom and can't supervise?...not to mention hold our lives hostage until help comes....he has no kids and to me it's a different story!

Sorry for the rant here, but it's something else...believe me I try and guide conversations to where he doesn't try and leverage on a topic that he knows-it-all, but this one took the cake!

That is a strange story, and glad it ended up turning out alright. Sometimes, I guess, you just have to laugh at some of the things folks like that come up with.

I couldn't believe what he was saying, I was like, you are NUTS...my clubs are in that garage man (just kidding of course)...let's get real here...I could see it the dog takes a liking to my bag and start chomping on it, or my golf shoes, whatever...but for the life of me..."keep him in the garage???"....UNREAL MAN!

I know Pit Bulls can be nice and I know they can TEAR YOU UP TOO! I wasn't going to give it the option if I had control of the situation...which luckily I did.

You handled it well. I would have beat the dog senseless with an old 5-iron and asked questions later. Your neighbor sounds like a winner. Best of luck.

Thanks Mack...I mean my heart was pounding realizing that it could be a real tragedy here for any one of us if that dog went nuts, God at all costs I would've freaked if any of the kids were in danger over this dog...I don't even want to go there...

They know to keep an eye out for him, and slowly go into the house and close the garage door, etc...don't run from him I told them...

I hear ya too, he would've looked like road kill of a deer from an 18 wheeler after I took to him...

That being the case next time that happens slowly escort the dog to HIS house and tell him to hang out in the garage with it and call animal control. While it is in there it can tear up his precious belongings. And him.

Sorry folks if I've not been clear here on this, this guy is a co-worker, not my neighbor, I'd go nuts if that were the case.

My question is........why would you leave the garage door open and give 3 children under 8 years old unsupervised access to the street? You have no control over the appearance of a stray dog (don't get me started on the lethal dangers of a rogue pit bull and young children) but small children and traffic, however light that traffic may be, often leads to tragic consequences. It only takes a second for a tragedy to occur.

I'm trying hard not to be "that guy" but in this case..............

Good move on following your "gut" and protecting your children first then your home. I probably would have done all you did in securing chlidren and home, THEN called animal control to alert them about a stray pit bull in the neighborhood.

By the way, my husband works with a guy who knows everything. From brain surgery to firearms just ask him! I just tell my husband what a lucky guy he is to work with someone so very knowledgeable! hahahahhahahaha

Golf a holic,

Nothing matters more than kids, so what you did was 100% right.Protect the children first,worry about everything else second.Do you know where the dog came from?

Bringing up kids is a trial and error process, with many errors which hopefully do not lead to a trial.The real fun starts when they hit the teenage years. Never be afraid to admit your mistakes to the kids. My favourite line to my daughter is 'Why didn't you come with a user's manual? or a remote control? It's my way of admitting that I get is wrong and she accepts that Dad is not perfect,but he will always love her.

League, our children have supervision the best my wife and I can provide. 99.9% of the time there's no issues here. We can't possible open/close the door each and every time we're doing things with the children....no need to go overboard on a lecture of supervision vs. non-supervision here.

The kids play area is away from the garage entrance and to the back...to say that I'd have to keep the garage door closed at all times is to imprison us in our own homes and property...we're not going to do that...things happen and fortunately this was a scenario with a happy ending...

This kind of an event is not common place around our neighborhood so to suggest I imprison the kids over this event by making them close/open the garage door when playing/not playing might actually leave the little one out in the "cold" so-to-speak if one of the two older children wasn't aware.

I don't see the need to get the conversation to a point where I'm looking for advice on how to watch my kids and have house rules changed...if you know our neighborhood and where our house is situated you'd save yourself some typing.

I wasn't "lecturing" and I'm sorry if you took it that way. As a parent who has lost a child, I tend to look at things from a much different perspective. It takes one second for an unattended small child to be snatched into a passing car. "Imprisoned" in the yard or the risk (however small) of being hit by a car or the unthinkable......an abduction? I know which I would chose but we are all different when it comes to our children. I certainly don't know your neighborhood, or where your house is situated, but regardless, that doesn't make you safe.

I mean no harm, or disrespect, in my comments but rather concern for your young ones and the dangers we often overlook.

League, I'm sorry about your loss!! I now have an understanding of where you are coming from with your comments. I'm sorry I took it that way and apologize to you for being "testy" over this.

We've discussed various scenarios with our children about, cars turning around in our driveway, balls going down the driveway, etc...(let it go -- we can replace that, "You" our children we cannot!).

I agree that it can only take a moment for a bad thing to happen and as I've stated before my wife and I do our best to communicate safety to our children and between she and I to know that one of us has supervision over the children.

Our property is very much situated that all the play is at least 30 yards from the street, nonetheless there are times they like to venture towards the front to do this or that. I won't deny that at all.

All is well here League, no ill feelings and I'm glad you feel the same! Once again, I'm truly sorry to hear that you've suffered the misfortune of losing a child...sincerely.

I thought for a minute there that I may have alienated a good GR friend. I just have this soft spot for kids and with my circumstances and my wife being a critical care nurse, I hear the horror stories of what just one second of being out of sight can do to a young child. I'm glad that all turned out well for you and yours.

BTW.....I would've shot the dog at even a hint of a snarl.

Not so here League, no worries, we're allowed to express ourselves and I do appreciate your concern and knowing what I know now, appreciate your thougts more.

Believe me, I was reserved in how I approached him and have a serious mean streak in me if called upon. I just hoped it wouldn't have to happen and that I'd become the victim here if he surprised me.