Should I get my dog put down?

[andypandy30]

Really don't know what to do for the best. Had our dog nine years, she is a mixed breed, nor really sure what she is a bit Spanial, she has always been lively jumping up etc.
We took her to training a few years back, it didn't really work to be honest. I have 2 ds one who is five and one 2.10.
A few years back the dog bit the next door neighbour, we were at work she got out in the rain so he tried to put her back in. The nice next door neighbour played it down but had a plaster on.
We let it go and watched her closely. She has growled at the kids a few times and nipped the eldest once when he was a toddler but the child stood on his tail accidentally. Both ds know not to be cruel to the dog and never are. Today ds tried to take a bean off the dogs plate, it was left over from his dinner and given to the dog. I heard ds scream I was washing up he was crying hard his arm was very red and swollen and has teeth marks but it didn't bleed.
Not sure what to do, everyone telling me we have had enough warnings now and next time it could be the eye.
Dog is walked everyday has massive back garden and I only work part time so it's rarely alone.
Please give me some advice sorry it's so long didn't want to drip feed

Poor dog.

Whys he eating beans anyway?

Thanks mad mum it's pretty close il ring thrm

You need to train your children how to behave around dogs, and take care of the children until they are old enough to understand not to do certain things like stand on tails and remove food.
You need to take your dog to appropriate training and stick with it.
You shouldn't have it killed because you have failed your pet.
Yes, I know there are apparently no schemes to rehome dogs in NI,. that's why they get sent to my neck of the woods, SE England for retraining and rehoming, and with a fair degree of success.
I don't like dogs, but I can't believe how callous you are being towards a pet you have had for so long. Put some effort into being a responsible owner.

My kids KNOW not to ever try and remove food from our dog...they could, I can but I have trained them not to, just in case. Poor dog, I feel for her/him...you want it PTS because you haven't trained your kids around it :(

However well trained the dog is (and all of mine have been, by hook or by crook) I would never allow DS to be near them while they ate. It puts the dog and the child in a position that they both have no control over. It is not true that a 9 year old dog cannot be trained. However you are not talking just about training, but modifying his whole mindset, and if it goes wrong it could be disastrous.
As sarahstratton says, look at getting a cage for the dog and carrying out proper cage training. All my dogs have been cage trained and, though we don't use them now, they quite happily trot into a cage if we are staying away or have a dog nervous guest. It is not cruel and the dog has a safe haven away from the world. The DC's must NEVER go to the dog in its cage.
Shut the dog in its cage when people visit, move the cage if necessary, and ensure nobody can get near it.
Feed the dog outside, locked in the kitchen, whatever it takes to ensure that your DC's cannot get nearby at mealtimes.
When you are out, either keep the dog on the lead or muzzle it if you are concerned about other people approaching.
Most of the situations you have described, it could be argued that the dog has had some provocation (rather than an unprovoked attack)
Should you decide to have him PTS, the decision will be entirely yours- I have had a young healthy dog put down and it was horrific, in many ways worse than PTS an elderly, sick dog. You already know he is unlikely to be rehomed, particularly as a known biter (and it is very wrong to not mention this if you give him up) so the ball is now in your court.
FWIW, if you truly want to keep him I think you can do plenty to minimise the risks, most of which seem to have arisen due to a lack of training and poor judgement on many sides.
Good luck in your decision.

Andypandy I hope the Doghouse can help! Please don't panic - I have adopted dogs from Battersea several times before I came to NI and the previous poster was correct - you often see warnings in Battersea like not suitable for homes with kids etc

I do get why you're worried about your dog n kids, and I would also check out a different vet too - I use Better Pets in Banbridge who I know how links to the Doghouse Sanctuary and it may be that they can refer you or give a different opinion to your vet?

In case it helps their number is 02840 626595.

You say that you have no rehoming options available to you because you live in Northern Ireland?

Please stop being so hyperbolic- there is a Dogs Trust Rehoming centre in Ballymena, so there is at least ONE option for you.
Also how much effort did you put into the dog training when it was younger? You can't just sit back when the basics have been learned once. It needs to be constantly on going and reinforced, not only with the dog but also with the children.

May I also say that your vet sounds like a lazy, lousy one- just saying PTS instead of giving you the options of re-training/ behaviourists is lazy unless there are other things you haven't mentioned?

:O

Where was the supervision?!?!

Are you serious my son is only 2. Not cruel at all to the dog. When the eldest was toddling he accidently as I have already said NOT purposely stepped on the dogs tail.
Any advice on how to train 2 year olds on not waking around there own home?
The dog already had his dinner we scraped the left overs of the 2 year olds dinner into his bowl, the 2 year old, being only 2 and not a flipping robot thought he would take a bean from the dogs bowl. That was it. As I have said this is not a food issue, the next door neighbour was trying to put the dog in out of the rain. The eldest ds was learning how to walk and was not his fault in anyway.
I rang the vet who saw him 3 weeks ago, the vet thought the dog was aggressive and should not be around kids and would be too hard to rehome. I don't know why he would be saying this? Maybe looking money but it's a nice vet who seems to lie animals so why would he tell me this?
I don't want to get my dog put down I have had her longer than I have been married and I love her. I walk her, run with her hike with her, but I am not super human and cannot watch her every second of the day I only turned my back 2 secs today and she bit my son.
Do any of you who has called me vile or a bad owner or the other nasty names want her? I can send her to you since I must be incapable of looking after her. Even though we managed fine for 4 years until the kids came along. Maybe I should get the kids removed would that be better?

This food thing...I have never taken food from my dog. Once it is in his bowl, it is his. I add things, but I never take away. I didn't realise that I should? If I approach him when he's eating, he always backs away from the bowl waiting for me to add stuff. I've always told the DC to leave him alone when he's eating. I have always thought that, just like a sleeping dog, an eating dog should be left well alone. Why do you (if you do) take food from your dog? What's the purpose?

You've had her for 9 years. Both your children are considerably younger than that. If she's so completely unsuitable to be around children, why on earth did you choose to have children?

I'm sure you'll do whatever you want, but I am appalled that you would consider having your supposedly beloved dog killed (because that's what it is, however you dress it up in euphemisms) sooner than behave as a responsible dog owner and parent.

You've been given good advice about training both dog and child, keeping the dog separate, muzzling in public etc, so I won't repeat it. Up to you if you want to listen, or just want validation for doing what you wanted (which I'm sure you'll get plenty of on here too )

I am not a dog owner, only like SOME dogs. However, it seems here its not the dogs fault. Kids should be taught not to
take food from dogs. I would try and re-home the dog.
You've had a shock I am sure. Hope you make the right decision.

Why did I chose to have kids?? Are you mad? Because I wanted to be a mother and my husband a father. That's why. We had NO aggression problems with the dog before the kids came so why on earth would I not have kids?

Your DC stepped on the dogs tail - Hurt/confused/upset the dog and the dog reacted. As dogs are not robots and do not have the ability to speak a human language the dogs reaction should have been anticipated = You shouldn't have let your DC stand on her tail

Your neighbor (does the dog even know them?) grabbed the dog - Could have accidentally hurt/startled the dog. Why did they feel the need to interfere with the dog?

Your 2 year old should not have been left unsupervised with the dog especially when the dog is eating. Again that sort of reaction was likely to happen and you should have anticipated it. Regardless of how safe the dog normally is

I'm failing to see how any of this is the dogs fault?

Since you seem set on getting rid/pts can I suggest not getting another dog since it is fairly certain that you won't train it since you didn't bother with this one and the same issues you are complaining about will no doubt reoccur.

andy, also, why post on here if you have already for what it seems to me made the decision to put him down just to validate your choice. Poor dog.

Nearlyawife, why do you let your young relatives torment your dog? What happens the day the poor dog is ill or they really hurt her, and she snaps? Another dog destroyed because of inappropriate supervision.

Why ask the question ten get arsey at the replies.

If you kill this dog, then I hope you are riddled with guilt because it is not the dogs fault. If you have a toddler or a baby likely to stand on a tail, or grab at some food

It is your responsibility as a mother and dog owner to use due diligence in order to stop those things from happening before they happen (not I saw marks later and heard a cry) you need to anticipate things

Then you won't end up with a bitten child and a dead dog

You mentioned that you had no aggression issues until the children arrived. That suggests a stressed dog who needs her own space away from them from time to time. Have her ears been checked? Sometimes the loud happy screeching of young children will affect some dogs more than others. If it affects humans who don't have such acute hearing, surely it must be driving her crazy? I don't mean stop the children from making any noise, just to be calmer around/ near the dog and not to try and take food from her bowl/ toys from near her.

You do seem to love her, hence how defensive you appear to be at times.

See a behaviourist or some one who can guide you on crate training.

How the hell was the OP supposed to know the dog wasn't good with her children before she had the children??????

Now I like dogs as much as the next person, I used to have a lovely springer myself, but some people are just bloody nutters when it comes to dogs, the dog attacked the neighbour, it bit a child and then bit another child, this is not a lovely dog, the op has given it more chances than it deserved, What do you want her next step to be? appearing on the news because her known vicious dog has maimed a child? She only came on here because she was obviously upset at the prospect the vet had presented her with ( a trained professional with experience of this particular dog). It is good some helpful people have offered good advise but a flaming here is ridiculous and bullying.

And to suggest that you should not have a family because you already have a dog is just ridiculous. The OP is being a responsible parent and putting her childrens safety first.
If you think she is so bad for considering having it pts take it off her hands and give it a good home with your kids.

Andy forget everyone judging you. The situation is what it is, your first responsibility is to you children. I honestly don't think you can safely keep this dog. Re home it if you can, but at the end of day how would you feel if the dog injured your child or some one else's?

I don't believe I'm mad. But if you have a dog that supposedly can't live safely with children (and this is your claim, not mine), surely you consider either waiting before you start a family, or look for an alternative home for the dog?

FWIW I don't think you have 'aggression problems' with your dog now or then. I think you have training, parenting and common sense problems .

If you kept your children away from the dog when there is food around, didn't let her escape, and supervised your kids properly (all of which is common sense to me) none of these incidents need have happened in the first place.

We know it's not a perfect dog but op knew it had but the neighbour yet seemed lax with supervision around children? I don't get it personally

Should have been dealt with after bite one, not let it go on to bite twice more.

Perhaps get some baby gates? During the day, unless in a walker or high chair my DD and dog are always separated by gate... In my old house I had a fence from the side of the house to the back, with the kitchen door leading there, and the patio doors leading t the rest of the garden, so by coud both go in and out as they pleased without bothering each other.

Then when DD is having naps / goes to bed / playing by herself we make sure we give the dog loads of attention so he doesn't feel left out.

I'm just of the mind that my DD is my life... But my dog is also a beloved family member, putting him down would never be an option... And it's completely up to me to make sure everyone is safe and not out in a difficult position. When DD was born my dog was so jealous that he used to constantly growl at her, but this isn't a death sentence. Get a police dog handler round (as we did) and totally separate them (as above.)

Dogs that bite children have negelctful owners.

How can I not love her I have had her 9 years. But I love my kids more I have to protect them. I know deep down the dog is dangerous.
I will try to have her rehomed but will not be lying about the biting.
My sil may take her age has 2 teenagers she is letting us know tomorrow she loves the dog, as do well all we have has her so long but the kids come first

It's common sense, really.
I would not let even the loveliest, chilled dog without supervision when eating with a toddler sharing his food bowl.
Or vice versa.