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.

Marbars - well I'm glad you find me funny, because what I find funny is that a lot of responsible dog owners on here are in agreement with me both on this thread and via PM.

GoldShip - I thought you were bowing out?

After reading this, Marsbar, I think you should rehome the dog. It's too much to ask you to continue being worried about how this dog will behave and if you don't trust it, it's better to move on.

Ugh the rape analogy is just ignored and people are carrying on arguing. Honestly, it was just gross.

Marsbars, you dog has bitten a child and as you say, had you not known the parents of the child, they could have reacted very badly, even be calling for your 6 month old puppy to be put to sleep. This has happened due to your failings as an owner and it's only down to your dogs good nature that a child wasn't seriously hurt. Your immediate reaction after you made a mistake is to consider rehoming your dog. I'm not really sure you should be finding anything funny.

monsterchild - I'm hoping it is something we can sort out with more training, I don't want to be in the position where my dog will potentially bite my children or any other children whenever he is eating

Toughasoldboots, Flatbread has said on other threads before she hits her dogs.

As a responsible dog owner, I would never allow a child of another family to approach my dog when she was eating, thats common sense.

midori1999 - I find nothing about the situation today funny. I have done everything I can to try and train my dog not to aggressively guard food. FWIW I wasn't even in the room when he bit my friend's daughter.

McHappyPants2012 - can you explain what you mean by immature?

I apologise for the analogy. I just saw red, having had my friend lose a child due to the irresponsible actions of a dog owner in similar circumstances, and the victim blaming rather than the acceptance that the dog owner is at fault made me .

And tbh, I DON'T see it as different. You blame a young child for getting bitten, rather than the dog that bit's owner, just as people get blamed (as I did) for being raped, rather than the rapist.

So in my book, the victim blaming is no different. Would you blame my friend's toddler for waving her biscuit around near the dog? Was other fault she got torn to pieces? LITERALLY.

God, it gets worse. You knew your dog was nervous or on edge around people in your home and you left it unsupervised or with people it wasn't comfortable around with a bowl of food.... definitely preventable then... Thank goodness nothing more serious happened!

You weren't in the room? was any adult?? that is totally unacceptable ! this is a puppy who is still learning ffs ! Who knows what the child may have done.

how old are your small children? my experience with big dogs and small children has not been great DD has now been hurt a couple of times, mainly with claws from my IL excitable Labradors.

Maybe part of the problem is they don't see us that often. but after a resent incident I'm thinking large dogs and small children just don't mix at all. No matter how careful you are.

Well why wasn't you or her mum supervising the 6 year old.

For all we know the child could of done anything from hit, pull tail ect ect.

The point is you and this other mum was to busy gossiping over cups of tea to safeguard both the puppy and child

Please remember your dog is still a baby, also, he's barely a teen.

Couthymow no single person on this thread has blamed the child. They have said the owner is at fault here.

I am truly sorry about your friend's DD, but it appears to be clouding your judgement. (unsuprisingly really)

Yup, I have pulled my dogs tail and ruffled her ears and I have given her a tap on her bum as well, on occasion, if she has ignored other warnings.

She must be so abused! But strangely, everyone who meets her is drawn to her because she is such a happy, engaging dog. She gets to go to restaurants off leash. I can trust her to play with unknown children, which she loves.

But hey-ho, the ones who allow their dogs to be food aggressive and nervous around others are somehow doing their dog a 'favour'...I think not!

And FGS, OP, when you have unfamiliar DC's in the house, give your dog somewhere peaceful and away from the children to eat.

McHappyPants2012 - Sorry, can you explain what you mean by immature?
And where do cups of tea come into this?