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Original poster

Wwyd if a family members dog but your child on the face?

112 replies

inwood · 20/08/2019 12:06

Just that really - dd is luckily ok now it we are very lucky it wasn't any worse.

We will not go there again while the dog is there.

I think this is a dangerous dog and they need to rehome. I don't think they agree or get the severity of the situation.

OP posts:
SchrodingersMeowth · 20/08/2019 12:08

If it bit her in the face it needs to be put down! I’m surprised the family member doesn’t also think that. What was their reaction/response?

poolblack · 20/08/2019 12:09

Context?

Original poster
inwood · 20/08/2019 12:16

Context - unprovoked attack. I had gone to the loo. Dd was on her own as everyone else outside. Happened in seconds.

Transpires Dog is not safe around other dogs / furries etc although lives with a cat.

We were on holiday there and didn't know any of this.

I am very very angry at them, and myself for leaving her while I went to the loo but we had been assured she was fine, or as fine as a dog can be.

We have dogs, dd has grown up with them and knows how to behave with them.

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Dogs
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 20/08/2019 12:17

What was the context - what was your child doing in the period before the bite, and what was the dog doing?

It's very often the case with these things that the dog is trying very hard to give off all the signals that it's uncomfortable and wants to be left alone, but these go unrecognised and eventually the dog feels it has no option but to bite as it has exhausted all other options.

custommadek9.co.ke/a-cleverly-done-video-that-looks-at-the-two-sides-of-a-dog-bite-on-a-child-by-grant-teeboon/

Wwyd if a family members dog but your child on the face?
Gooseygoosey12345 · 20/08/2019 12:19

Honestly? I'd report it. Clearly it's not safe, and your daughter is ok now but what if he bites a smaller child? Or someone else's pet?

squee123 · 20/08/2019 12:20

did it actually bite, or give a warning nip? If a dog means to do damage it will, but in dog communication a nip is a last resort to tell someone to back off when other body language has been ignored. Id your DD is alright it suggests it was a nip?

LochJessMonster · 20/08/2019 12:21

Dd was on her own Well that is the issue. Children should never be unsupervised around dogs.

We have no way of knowing what happened in the build up to the bite and no way of saying if this is a dangerous dog.
You are in your right to not have contact with the dog again though.

There is no link between a dog not liking other dogs, and its danger to humans.

helpmeiamatoad · 20/08/2019 12:23

How old is DD?

If it was a genuine unprovoked attack with no warning signs then yes it is dangerous and needs putting down.

However, due to the lack of witnesses, can you really be sure DD wasn’t provoking the dog at all?

EvadeHer · 20/08/2019 12:24

A friend's family dog bit through a child's lip. They all did fuck all. We never went to visit again.

Dog bit another two children. When it happens in the home of the dog owner there's not much anyone can do if the owner is ignoring the issue unless it's a really nasty attack.

Branleuse · 20/08/2019 12:24

a dog that bites a child in the face.... omg, we have no way of knowing if this is a dangerous dog!!

honestly, wtf is a dangerous dog if it is not a dog that bites childrens faces in the time it takes to go to the fucking toilet

Mintjulia · 20/08/2019 12:24

This has happened to us.

Ex’s new dog bit ds (5) when he was staying for a week’s holiday. Ex didn’t take him to a doctor so by the time ds was brought home he had a badly infected arm and was very poorly.
I rang 111 who sent us straight to A&E - ds was treated, asked what had happened & nurse reported the incident to police because where I live, all dog bites to children are notifiable.
Police visited ex, gave him advice and said if dog bites anyone again, the injured party could ask for it to be put down and the police would support the request.

Marrow · 20/08/2019 12:25

You don't know whether it was unprovoked or not as you weren't in the room when it happened therefore you can't say it's a dangerous dog. I'm glad your DD is ok but please don't leave her alone with a dog in the room.

LazyFace · 20/08/2019 12:26

I'd put my own dog down for that. It'd be irresponsible to rehome.

NailsNeedDoing · 20/08/2019 12:27

If no one was there, how do you know the dog wasn't provoked?

It's highly unlikely that the dog was able to think to itself 'Great! Now the Mum has gone, this is my chance to bite that kid, better get in there quick before she comes back'.

Considering you left your child unattended and you are insisting that the dog wasn't provoked when you don't really know, you should just leave it and be thankful that your dd is ok.

LochJessMonster · 20/08/2019 12:27

@Branleuse and if the child had been stamping on the dog? Or, perhaps more feasible, the child had been 'hugging' the dog like she does to her own, but this dog isn't use to it and got very scared at being pinned down? So gave a warning nip/bite on the face?

LittleAndOften · 20/08/2019 12:29

Did it break the skin OP? If so dd needs treatment.

I trust my dog to a degree but I'd never leave her on her own with ds. There will always be an element of unpredictability with animals. I'd definitely not go there again. Maybe call 101 if you feel it merits it.

LochJessMonster · 20/08/2019 12:30

@LazyFace Really? You wouldn't question why your lovely friendly family pet suddenly bit out of the blue? No vet trip to see if he/she was in pain/ill? No questioning that perhaps a child didn't read the body language correctly?

When a dog bites in these circumstances, it is almost always usually the owner or parents fault for not supervising or reading the body language correctly. A bite is not usually a dogs first action.

Boots20 · 20/08/2019 12:30

How ad was the bite? Was it an attack bite or a warming nip, was child playing with dog when it happened or was it unprovoked? I'd be sure to avoid the dog in future and avoid leaving child with any dog at all unsupervised even for quick bathroom trip.

Boots20 · 20/08/2019 12:30

*Bad not ad

Steamfan · 20/08/2019 12:31

You left the child with the dog - you have no idea what the child did. You never leave children with dogs.

yulet · 20/08/2019 12:31

Warning: dog lovers will rarely accept responsibility or blame the dog. You're seeing it on this thread with the "what did your daughter do to provoke it" responses.

Realistically it your family haven't already made changes of any kind, they're not going to, so I'd restrict any contact again.

StopMakingATitOfUrselfNPissOff · 20/08/2019 12:32

This actually happened in our family. The dog was put down.

littleblueorchid · 20/08/2019 12:33

Avid dog lover here. I'll never not own a dog as long as it's possible for ,e to do so. That dog needs PTS without question.

VivaLeBeaver · 20/08/2019 12:34

I'd think I was a bit daft for leaving my dc alone with a dog you didn't know that well. But yes, I wouldn't visit again.

I can understand them not wanting to put the dog down (you can't rehome a dog which has bitten easily so that's effectively the choice) when nobody saw what happened. Even if a lovely home can be found for it I'm sure they are fond of the dog and if it's out of character wouldn't want to rehome.

WhatNoNotYouAgain · 20/08/2019 12:34

You need to report it and the dog needs to be put down.

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