To rehome puppy?

[MarsBars123]

Our 6 month old puppy bit our friends 6 year old daughter today.

We were having a meal and gave him his food afterwards. She walked behind him while he was eating and he spun around and bit her, he didn't draw blood but her hand was red.

I am in total shock, he has never done anything like this before, should we rehome him straight away? I'm really confused.

[MarsBars123]

Why is it that we train EVERYTHING out of a dog to suit ourselves when we can do a tiny simple thing to suit them for once?

Errr, so that it doesn't bite children?!

My responsibility is to my DC and training my dog not to be aggressive/bite around food, training which is easily done if you have the patience.

[BehindLockNumberNine]

Mars - the dog would not have bitten if you had not allowed the six year old near it whilst eating.
Simple.

[Flatbread]

Midori, it is training the dog to be non possessive about food - this involves the whole range of actions, giving food, taking it away, feeding it by hand etc.

When you take food away, it is usually accompanied by a sit or wait command, and when the dog obeys, it gets the food as a reward. If it growls or bites, it does not get food and gets corrected. So the dog learns that sitting and waiting are good things to get food, but growling and biting at humans is bad.

When I have a dog, my responsibility is to make sure the dog is safe around other humans, especially children.

[Babymamaroon]

Bubblegum you need to stop being a handy Andy immediately. Bully! By all means chastise and discipline naughty behaviour but smacking animals just breeds fear. Please don't smack again :((((

[GoldShip]

Bollocks it's nothing to do with being trained to not bite, you want it to accept whatever comes its way no matter how much it doesn't like it because you're not willing to offer it safety and peace of mind in what's supposed to be its home.

Give the animal a bit of respect and let it eat in peace

[GoldShip]

Honestly I'm surprised dogs aren't being made to walk on two feet and make tea.

[midori1999]

Surely a part of your responsibility to your DC involves teaching them how to behave around dogs and that dogs should be left alone while eating? You can teach a dog to not be aggressive around food or while eating, but that doesn't mean they should have to put up with being disturbed or bothered while eating, they are two totally different things.

My dogs wouldn't be aggressive if my children trod on their tails, poked them in the eye or stuck something in their ears, but that doesn't mean they should have to put up with those things, just because they will.

[4boysthatilove]

Just skimmed through the posts, nothing like a dog thread to get everyone heated under the collar!

Totally shocked that someone has hit their dog - definitel not on.

Qualified dog psychologist and behaviouralist here - feel free to pm for some advice.

FWIW I wouldn't rehome, not unless this behaviour escalates - shelters and pounds are overflowing, dogs are put to sleep daily, some which are given "loving new homes" via the likes of scumtree find themselves as dog fight bait. Don't give up your pup not for one misdemeanour, there needs to be training on both sides. A I said, very happy to offer some sensible advice if you want to pm me.

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

Gold ship - so if a woman was raped, it would be her fault for going near a man?! How is that any different from someone saying that children shouldn't go near a dog while the dog is eating.

Victim blaming much? It is down to a poorly trained dog. You can't blame the child for going near a dog - what about if it was a child that is too young to understand? Or a child with SN's that means that they don't understand?

I believe (having been a dog owner and having plenty of young children in the house) that it is a dog training issue, and an issue of the dog owner not giving thought to how to prevent these incidents by feeding the dog somewhere peaceful away from unfamiliar DC's, and not food training them. Though a Lab at 6 months is unlikely to be fully good trained, therefore shouldn't be fed around unfamiliar children, who may have no contact with dogs and therefore have no idea how to behave around an eating dog.

It's the dog owners responsibility, not a child under 10's.

[MarsBars123]

GoldShip - are you actually for real? I am finding it really hard to take anything you type seriously.

It has everything to do with being trained not to bite, how is training a dog not to bite children not keeping the dog safe?! How is letting someone walk past an eating dog not keeping the dog safe?! The mind boggles!!!

[McHappyPants2012]

My dd is for ever going up to dogs, I always put her on the thinking spot when she does. What gets my goat is when owners say oh it ok. I am trying to teach her that she should smooth strange dogs, then they undermined me

So I understand it is a 2 way street

[midori1999]

Yes Flatbread, I forgot about your vast experience of dogs...

Yet again, numerous behaviour experts (you know, the sort with university degrees and vast experience in this area) would disagree with you. That seems to often be the case in fact...

[crashdoll]

If it was an older dog, I might think differently but puppies can and do nip.

[McHappyPants2012]

Ffs where does rape come into this, I feel bile rising

[GoldShip]

Marsbar - if you don't see why an animal should be able to eat in peace without children bothering it then you shouldn't be a dog owner.

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

But Midori - not everyone has dogs. It's not as easy to train children how to behave around dogs if they are not regularly around them.

When my older 3 DC's were little, I had a lab, and at 20mo my DS2 knew how to act around an eating dog. I no longer have that dog (she died three years ago), and DS3 has only ever encountered dogs on leads in the street, not eating. He would just have no CLUE how to behave around a dog that was eating.

Therefore it HAS to be the dog OWNER'S responsibility to train their dog or keep it away from guests DC's when it is eating, as they have no idea how much or little their guests DC's know about dogs.

You CAN'T put the responsibility for dog bites on a young child. The responsibility lies squarely with the dog owner for not taking all sensible precautions where unfamiliar DC's are around.

[midori1999]

Honestly I'm surprised dogs aren't being made to walk on two feet and make tea

Ooh, now that would be useful. I wonder if I could get mine to do that....

couthymow I don't think anyone has said the child is to blame her, but the OP has said there were many people around and the dog seemed on edge. The adults are at fault here, although as usual, no one wants to take responsibility, so it's the dogs fault...

[GoldShip]

I'm actually bowing out because I feel sick that a rape analogy has even been brought up. That's actually the worst post I've ever read on this forum and that's saying something

Absolutely disgusting.


And I'll just add that people should have to be fucking tested before they get to own an animal.

[crashdoll]

I agree with Goldship. It is always the dog owner's responsibility.

To use rape as an analogy is beyond vile and ridiculous.

[MarsBars123]

GoldShip - Your posts are hilarious & shocking at the same time, I really don't know whether to laugh or shake my head in disbelief, a bit of both maybe?!

4boysthatilove - thanks, will PM you

CouthyMowWearingOrange - totally agree

[GoldShip]

^Therefore it HAS to be the dog OWNER'S responsibility to train their dog or keep it away from guests DC's when it is eating, as they have no idea how much or little their guests DC's know about dogs.

You CAN'T put the responsibility for dog bites on a young child. The responsibility lies squarely with the dog owner for not taking all sensible precautions where unfamiliar DC's are around.^

Erm, I think you'll find this is what we have been saying. The dog owner is responsible, not the dog.

So maybe lower your blazing guns and read.

[McHappyPants2012]

Marsbar I will put this to you, if you went into a restaurant and someone was pissing you off you wouldn't react. Even if that meant walking out.

With a dog it is different because they do not know when the next meal is coming from, so instincts tell them to protect food

[Flatbread]

Why should a dog get stressed if people come home? Why should it be stressed if people are around when it is eating?

Part of the socialisation is to make dogs non-stressed about these things, and that is what OP is doing.

I actually have pulled my dogs tail and rewarded her each time she was calm about it. I have given her bear hugs and teased her and played with her rough-tumble games. Not because I really want to, but to get her used to all kinds of interactions. And the number of times it has paid off! Random kids in both UK and France have come to her multiple times and have given her bear hugs, played with her, fed her and she loves all these interactions!

What fun is it for a dog to always be on a leash, never get to sniff and eat precious bones and other crap in public places, or be locked up around little children, because it has never learned to be comfortable and at ease around unknown people?