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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Our dog bit me :(

341 replies

Jellymuffin · 14/02/2016 08:57

Yesterday our dog bit my face, completely unprovoked though he had got out unknown to us and come back in so could have been stressed. We have a toddler who is typical tough and tumble. The dog and DS get on reasonably well but dog has always been nervous around him. The dog is 10 and my husband is adamant he has to go :( I understand why but feel so terrible about losing a member of the family. He really is a quiet and sweet little dog and this was massively out of character for him. AIBU to want to keep him when he is a potential danger to my beautiful child?

OP posts:
OhYouLuckyDuck · 14/02/2016 10:35

YANBU to feel sad that you have to get rid of your dog but YWBU if you were to keep the dog. I was bitten by a dog a few months ago, the owner pleaded with me not to report it but I did in the end; she had small children and was planning on keeping the dog. I felt awful but IMO it had to be done.

AnotherTimeMaybe · 14/02/2016 10:36

OP it won't be just a bite with your toddler, the damage will be significant
I know it sucks but act quickly Flowers

shockthemonkey · 14/02/2016 10:36

So sorry Jelly. This must have been an extremely difficult decision. Hugs in your heartache as most of us know it really, really hurts

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 14/02/2016 10:39

Horribly sad for you OP, but you're not going to get a bigger red flag than this. It's literally impossible to know what the next trigger for your dog might be, but a lively toddler could easily be involved.

As sad as it is, you must know that you can't risk your child being bitten. To keep your dog now would be taking a huge risk.

AnthonyBlanche · 14/02/2016 10:39

There are already enough dogs out there waiting to be rehomed which don't have a history of biting and are younger than 10. The chances of the OPs dog being rehomed are slim and to put the dog through the stress of being in a re homing centre seems cruel.

Fortunately the OP seems to have already made the right decision and decided to put to sleep.

Potatoface2 · 14/02/2016 10:39

hi....i would suggest a vet visit....if this is a change in temperment for your dog.....there could be some medical reason for this....dont just get rid of the dog before you consider this.....as this could make him unable to be rehomed...if there is something wrong with your dog you can then make a decision for the best ( a friends dog was like this and was found to have a serious medical problem)

NoahVale · 14/02/2016 10:40

I don't see why he couldn't be rehomed, you were foolish to put your face to his.
they would presumably rehome in a house without children.

ricketytickety · 14/02/2016 10:41

Speak to the vet before you decide on anything. You have options - not just pts. Might be he does better in a different environment with a single owner (who would of course need to know the history) or might have health issues. Anyway, the vet is the first port of call.

NoahVale · 14/02/2016 10:42

ultimately it is up to you op.
I was bitten on the face as a child, my fault, I put my face up to the sleeping dog.
they owners were very upset but did not rehome/pts their pet because of my behaviour
but with a toddler you need a dog you can trust.

LettingAgentNightmare · 14/02/2016 10:42

I'm shocked anyone would have a god PTS without taking them to the vet first Shock

ricketytickety · 14/02/2016 10:43

Not making excuses for the dog but little (vulnerable) dog, stressed environment, maybe an underlying heart problem or health issue - dogs don't really see cuddles the way we do. He would have misinterpreted your face going into his as aggressive. Could be resolved with rehoming. Might not be but see what the vet says.

Mummystar123 · 14/02/2016 10:43

Sorry but the dog bit your face!! He needs to go, it's too risky with a child in the house.
I'm sorry you love him and yanbu to be upset but yabu if you keep the dog.

MrsJayy · 14/02/2016 10:44

Yeah I do think a vet first before a decision dog might be able to go to a foster home or something I just think dog/toddler combo is to stressful for the op to manage

TawnyGrisette · 14/02/2016 10:45

I had read the thread, Joise, I cross posted with the OP.

The dog should still see a vet to exclude medical reasons for biting before being PTS.

AnthonyBlanche · 14/02/2016 10:46

How many people are going to want to take on a ten year old dog with a history of biting? Surely very few, especially when there are so many dogs available in re homing places.

Have the dog pts before it bites someone else and you are prosecuted.

tipsytrifle · 14/02/2016 10:46

There will have been warnings from dog but no-one saw them. Dog was hyped up from fear and general excitement. Needed calming & control, not a heap of emotional outburst thrown over him. There are chihuahua rescues if you google for them. But this may all be moot as dog may have been pts by now.

MsMims · 14/02/2016 10:47

Really hope you have the dog checked over medically before putting him to sleep OP. I don't see how you and your partner have come to the decision to have him PTS without checking for a medical, resolvable cause first.

Slightly different, but I have a cat who ordinarily loves nothing more than to snuggle up in bed with me, but when sick he has lashed out violently, once attacking my face! I would never have him PTS for that reason.

You owe it to your dog to not just end his life without exploring what happened, especially if he has never bitten before.

HPsauciness · 14/02/2016 10:48

But who would take a cute sweet looking dog like that? Perhaps an older lady, who may also lift a toy dog up to her face if he did something naughty.

I don't think you could ever state that the dog won't get out again, or that someone won't try to lift it up or that someone won't put their face down to it again.

I would hate to have the dog put to sleep, and I do think you should go to a vets and check it out in case there is some very obvious and treatable issue with pain, but after that- rehoming to some other poor person who is likely to get bitten? I think that's really awful actually and I bet if you ring most of the dogs homes, they will tell you the same, as surely their conscience wouldn't allow them to rehome this dog to someone else who isn't going to be an amazing dog trainer and may then get bitten.

NoahVale · 14/02/2016 10:50

this thread has disintegrated into a dog fight, as per usual

HPsauciness · 14/02/2016 10:51

But I do agree that checking the obvious causes is a first step.

My neighbours had this type of dog and it was very bitey, it had bitten all of them and had to be separated from other people/other dogs/no-one was allowed to touch it. They didn't have small children though at that stage. Their dd had a facial scar from one of their dogs attacking her when young (a different dog as it happens).

WhatALoadOfOldBollocks · 14/02/2016 11:04

I agree that the dog needs to go but that you should give him a fair trial before PTS. Take him to the vet to check for underlying medical conditions for starters. Secondly, no wonder he tried to bite the woman in the park; she was a complete stranger and tried to pick him up! Well meaing, but WTF! So I would put the blame on you for not checking the gate (easily done, I've done it myself and my dog got out once) and her for manhandling a dog she didn't know. Not your dog's fault. He could've been a bit stressed after his outing and you putting your face right in his was the wrong things to do. Again, not really his fault, but he's going to pay a huge price for his reaction. So if the vet gives him the all clear I would contact the breed rescue, tell them exactly what happened and see if they would rehome him with someone without kids. It might be a hopeless but at least then you've done your best for him, which is what he deserves.

tipsytrifle · 14/02/2016 11:09

NoahVale - I see no fighting, just a variety of opinions, which presumably is the point of a discussion board like this?

Sallystyle · 14/02/2016 11:14

OP we had to rehome our new rescue Greyhound recently.

He bit my 16 year old son's neck. He was a lovely dog, and before that he was always really gentle and loving. My children were on the floor playing and it did get a bit loud, the dog was on the couch and seemed fine. My teen then sat on a couch (not the one the dog was on) and the dog got up and bit him on the neck.

We took him back the next morning and he was rehomed with an elderly couple a few weeks later. I think he just didn't like the noise of them playing on the floor and it scared him, I wasn't going to risk that again. My son wasn't seriously harmed but he was cut and bruised but needed no medical treatment thank god. I told the rescue centre exactly what happened and they blamed me for letting my kids play in the living room! We have two other dogs as well, but the greyhound just wasn't used to living in a home with noise as he was a racer until the week before he got him. It was heartbreaking, we did a lot of talking to the rescue centre before we took him home and the children visited him there and they were more than happy for us to take him as he really loved the children and they were aware that the house could get noisy at times and we had a place for the dog to go to if he wanted to get away.

In your case I would take the dog to the vets before I even considered PTS and I would separate the dog from the children until then. I would let the professionals decide what the best course of action is, PTS or rehome.

Big Thanks to you.

MrsJayy · 14/02/2016 11:21

My uncle has an italian greyhound it really doesnt like me at all I sometimes sit with my cousin who has LD if uncle has to go out and the dog just glares and growls at me not sure why

MrsJayy · 14/02/2016 11:22

Oh dear wrong dog thread sorry