80-pound dog and concerned for safety of my husband and me

I’m no expert, but I’d seek legal advice from an attorney to learn your rights and responsibilities. After a dog injures someone or another dog, the owner is then on notice their dog is dangerous. This may then expose you to liability, if the there is a subsequent injury. And, you might check your homeowner’s policy for coverage if you keep a dangerous dog on your property. There are multiple ways this could be very risky for you financially. I’d find out the laws as they apply in your state. There may also be local ordinances about dog’s who have injured others.

If your husband has dementia, logic and reasoning may not be something he is capable of using. His focus may be only on what he wants and not the consequences. The dog could injure your husband or you. Plus, the welfare of the dog is at stake. Animal welfare officials might find your husband’s treatment of the dog unacceptable. I understand why you are concerned about the situation on many levels.

Trying to keep a loved one happy is always the goal, but I learned that when someone has dementia, they may not be capable of being happy and content, regardless of their situation. Sorry you are going through this. I hope you can find a solution soon.

@civvy No, please do not keep the dog! Your husband is lucky he only ended up with 13 stitches from is fall with your dog. I am awaiting surgical repair of my rotator cuff after two incidents where my daughter's dog bolted when I had her on a leash. Not looking forward to it! My husband has now told my daughter that I may not watch or walk her dog until she is trained (I know how to handle a trained dog.)

Honestly, you need to rehome the dog, but please do it through a qualified agency that will match the pet to an appropriate owner.

Do you think your husband would accept an older, house-broken and much smaller pet from a similar organization? Or would even that be too much for you at this stage?

Thanks for your thoughtful response. We must look into rhe liability issues. I am also convinced it is time to have him surrendered to an extremely reliable organization.
When I try to discuss any potential legal responsibility, husband minimizes it
We are planning on speaking with a lawyer this week
Civvy

The lawyer is a great idea.

We are so fortunate on this Mayo Clinic website to have such good advice. I liked the idea of rehoming but looking for a smaller, older dog. However, the "roughhousing" that your husband is doing is NOT a help; that would be unkind to a new dog. I'd try to cut that out; gentleness begets gentleness.

Yes this is true that husband should not engage in roughhousing.

We will not get another dog. Even a very small one . Perhaps a cat
And thanks for your input

If I may...
if you choose to get a cat, I'd like to suggest an adult cat, maybe? One that will be aloof? Because some people like to try to roughhouse with cats too. And if the cat is a kitten, the kitten thinks this is normal and this is how cats get bad reputations for being biters and scratchers - if a hand comes toward the cat, the cat responds in the way she has learned, or to defend herself. An adult cat might respond with one big swipe or bite ... single trial learning, except learning is impaired here...

Now that I think of it, roughhousing with any animal is just a bad idea.

Augh. I am so very sorry!

I could not agree with you more. Husband was a cat owner most of his adult life. Two of his cats lives to 23
Would ONLY get a senior cat
As we get closer to the dog rehoming I feel it will be impossible to break the bond husband has with this dog

Last spring we made the decision to move in with our son's family, but it meant we would need to rehome his beloved cat due to a grandchild's severe allergies. As the moving date approached, my husband, who has Alzheimers, changed his mind and said he would never leave his cat. So my daughter took him out for coffee, and while he was gone I took the cat to the rehoming rescue. We thought we would pretend the cat escaped out the door, and we would have to pretend to look for it. But six months later he has not once noticed that there is no cat or remembered that he used to have one.
As caregivers we have a tough road to travel. I didn't want to have to be this strong. I didn't want to have to be the boss. But I can do all things through God who strengthens me.

My friends are 75+: one was pulled by her too big dog and broke her wrist.
The second tripped over the dog's leash and broke her knee and toe. When my kids were young, I tolerated a Wheaten Terrier for 12 years who was my husband's dog. When my husband left the house, the dog became the alpha male and barked all the time. He made my life miserable. I didn't get rid of the dog after $$$ on training and other devices because I knew my husband would never forgive me. This is one of the biggest regrets in my life. Save yourself. Rehome the dog or your husband. Pick one.