Our dog bit me :(

[Jellymuffin]

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?

Horrible decision to have to make

Rehome it or get a behaviourist. This is a dog's life we're talking about! It is a living creature not a toy! It deserves a chance.

I'm not even particularly a dog person, but have had one in the past as a child, but I feel so terribly sad that you are in this situTion op.

I sincerely hope you can find a way of resolving this without too much pain and agony.

How would you feel if he bit a visiting child rather than your own? You can't keep them apart forever.

Sorry, but I'd be at the vets first thing tomorrow.

I agree with Itwilwash seems like the mistake of the gate set of a catologue of errors
Stranger trying to pick up dog
You shouting at dog and putting your face in his .
Your dog sounds reactive like mine and if you want to keep dogs like this you need to actively manage their behaviour in the future .
Your dog is not a monster it was just because you were both so stressed.
Personally I hate it when people say they are just dogs.

He's your dog. Your little furbaby, who. I guess you have cared for a nurtured as tiny innocent loving sweet adorable pup, but He's not that innocent little pup anymore. The fact that he bit you with no provication says to me. He is in danger of becoming a dangerous dog, and you do not take those chances around children. So I'd say. You have to get rid of the dog. Heaven forbid. It could be your child next time, and you would never forgive yourself.
Hope you're feeling better, BTW

Whoever said 'being pts isn't the worst thing that could happen' is completely right imo.

I am a huge animal lover. I have a dog and a fair few other animals and their feelings and future have to be thought about.
In particular I have a pony who is quirky and been with me for 11 years. If for whatever reason I could not personally keep him and guarantee a secure happy life where he is understood then I would have him pts. His life would be ended happy, secure and with his family or I fear he would have a good chance of being passed from pillar to post.

At 10 years old any rehoming would be so so stressful for a dog....That's if you could rehome in the first place.
If he goes to sleep after a happy life in your arms then I'd say that was a very good thing for a dog. Imagine the heart ache of him not having 'his people'.

I totally understand how hard it must be to do but I honestly believe being pts is the kindest option for the dog.

My mum had a jack russell (rescue dog). She was lovely, not good with other dogs but fine with people. I then had DS1, when he was 3 mths the dog completely unprovoked snapped at a toddlers face whilst on the lead. Fortunately she didn't make contact.
They spoke to the vet who explained everything said above and she was PTS. It broke my mums heart that she had rescued a dog and then had to do this. It still upsets her now, but it was the right decision.

I really feel for you.

im going to go against the grain here. Having only tead the op and a few posts. I would nit be at all surprised if one of my dogs tried to bite a stranger who attempted to pick them up in thise circumstances.

him biting you may well have been a result of him slready being shaken from his escape.

Please don't have your dog pts over this.

Saying that. people are tight about your toddler. the dog being nervous atound him is a red flag and you should probably rehome him. Its not fair that the dog should feel scared in his own home .

I would definitely take him to the vets and see if he is unwell. my dog bit my dd and he turned out to have cancer. We didn't know. :(

excuse typos. bloody phone

Sorry if this has been already answered - but has he bitten before?If not to bite twice in such a short space of time is unusual and I would certainly get him looked at by a vet. It could be something simple and treatable causing him pain which cause him to snap when touched (in which case he could be treated and then rehomed if that is the way you want to go)

Or it could be more serious - my sisters lovely border Collie completely out of the blue bit her very badly - it has left big scars on her leg - he had a brain tumour and had to be PTS sadly. In that sport of case obviously rehoming not a viable option -so you really need to find out.

If he is nervy round children (and toddlers can be very rough) he might be fine in a childless home with someone who is experienced with nervy dogs.

Your dog ... who you freely admit to be nervous around other dogs and people ... got out, without your knowledge. Your tiny little nervous dog strayed for an unknown period of time and, for the most part, you don't know what he endured in that time.
You do know that a stranger tried to lift him and that he tried to defend himself, in fact was frightened enough to 'try' to bite her, although he didn't in fact bite her.
He then came home and ten minutes later you found out a little of what had happened to him. He "thought he was in trouble". He wasn't, but you did fuss and he bit your face.
You suggest that he has never done this before when you said "He really is a quiet and sweet little dog and this was massively out of character for him".

massively out of character for him

If my beloved dog bit and it was massively out of character for him the very first thing I would do is have a vet do a full physical check up, in case there was something wrong.
If the vet could find nothing physically wrong, I would then have the vet refer to a qualified behavioral expert.
It might be resolved quickly, or it might be a long haul to get to the bottom of things, but I think that's the least I could do for my companion of (say) a decade.

I see from your most recent posts that you and your husband have decided not to investigate for either possible physical or behavioral causes. You have decided that you will take him to the vet to be killed ... put down.

I understand that you are probably a bit shocked (especially when it is so "massively out of character for him") and in that shock are probably thinking that he is now going to bite your DC, but I really hope that you will decide to give him a chance ... at least by having your vet do a full physical check-up and if necessary referring on to a behavioral expert.

You say yourself he has been a quiet, sweet dog hitherto ... so for 10 years (and for those that might be thinking 'well, 10 years old is near the end anyway', chihuahuas are the longest living breed ... 18 years old is fairly common, with a lot living even longer).

Put him to sleep. My son was bitten on the nose by a dog - unprovoked (owner told me it was unprovoked - this is not me putting a "mother's spin on it"). His nostril was split open and he had to have stitches and it glued back together. He is 4. Luckily the owner was able to stop it getting any worse.
The dog normally lives with 2 kids, and apparently never bit either of them.
That didn't help my son in A and E.

Never mind "not wanting to lose a member of your family" when referring to the dog. Get rid of the dog before it is the cause of something terrible happening to an ACTUAL human member of your family.

Sorry to be harsh - but this happened on Friday and I am still freaked out and cannot comprehend how ANYONE would consider keeping an animal that does this. It was you this time. Imagine how you would feel if it was your child - and you could have prevented it.

Aw Jelly what an awful thing to happen. Especially when you've got so many other things on your plate.
Are you getting Ddog checked out at the vets? Hopefully there's an easily fixable explanation for his biting.
From your OP you're clearly a caring responsible dog owner and mother. I think you've been unfairly slated. I put my face near our dogs all the time (as do my toddler twins, tween, teenager and their friends) and it would be a huge shock if they responded aggressively.
If there does turn out to be no medical reason for his sudden aggression, then you can't re home him via a rescue.
Perhaps you know an older family willing to take him on? If not, you need to pts.
I'm sorry.

If a small child ran out the garden, across the road, was physically picked up by a complete stranger and then ran home expecting to be told off, I'm sure she would be massively stressed. Added to this, you have no idea what else might have happened at the park while you dog was out. I do think you should get your dog checked by the vet and then consult a behaviorist before taking any further action, seems like your dog had a massively stressful experience and reacted badly.

I'll say it again, no qualified behavioural trainer will attempt to rehabilitate a dog that has bitten when there is a child in the home.
If you take him to a rescue they will accept him and euthanase him. They cannot risk rehoming a dog that has bitten.

i feel for you OP. But PLEASE reconsider. I didn't realuse we were talking about a chihuahua. Of course he tried to bite the woman. he was probably terrified.

Do you always have to do what your dh tells you to do? give the dog a chance or rehome him.

if you do go down the pts route then please don't get another dog

I'm with LEM.

He doesn't need to be pts.

And despite people saying, there are behaviourists who would deal with a biting dog. This was not an aggressive response but a frightened one. A lot of dogs would bite in that situation. They are not nasty but frightened.

I agree with last few posts. The little pooch was probably very frightened. I'd also like to point out that for a chihuahua 10 isn't that old, they have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, so this one is middle aged really.

Dog lover here, but a practical one.

Taking things on face value, I don't agree generally with keeping dogs who bite. However ...

A 10 year old tiny dog, who has never bitten before but did so when a) grabbed by a stranger and b) very stressed and frightened - and in fact could be hurt, how do you know he wasn't hit by a car, kicked or anything - hmmmm, don't think I'd be rushing to PTS, although I would be assessing very carefully indeed.

Also - in some breeds, I would say it is only fair to PTS rather than pass on problem of an older dog, or perhaps consign them to the rest of their life in a rescue home. However, Chihuahuas can be very long lived indeed, so he may have many more years left where he could be happy in a quieter home.

Chihuahua Rescue would be the best place to start, although unfortunately rescue societies may sometimes totally discount any dog that has bitten to (not unreasonably) protect themselves from further comeback.

He sounds as if in a quiet home, he would be fine.

Im sorry OP - I know you love your dog but your child should come first.

I had a similar story with our dog, however I said the same as you - 'this is massively out of character for him', got him checked by a vet, sought advice from a dog trainer etc.
A month later he attacked my husband horrifically, requiring a 999 call, emergency plastic surgery to rebuild his throat and massive, massive blood loss. He nearly died.
This is a warning OP. Don't ignore it.

Do not take the risk.

We had the same thing with our young, and not nervous dog. He bit DS and we excused it as a reaction to something DS must have done. Two months later the dog bit one of DD's friends and I couldn't believe my stupidity at letting the first bite go.

We'd been so worried about what people would say about us getting rid of the dog that we thought things would be ok.

We rehomed him with an older couple with no children or grandchildren and it's the best thing we ever did. I can relax again and the dog is happier without children around.

He bit because he was frightened, with a stranger trying to pick him up!!! He doesn't deserve to die for this! If a human is walking down the street and they fight back when they are being abducted, should the victim be punished?? People who try to pick up strange dogs deserve to be bitten for their stupidity.

If you don't trust your dog around your child, then rehome him to a home with no children. Don't kill an innocent creature who bit out of defensiveness and fear. If you do kill him for this, then please don't get any other animals.

He really is a quiet and sweet little dog

No he isn't; he bit you; he might bite your toddler.

DH is right - and don't rehome him: PTS. Even if he is rehomed with people with no children or grandchildren, there could be a visitor's child or a child in the park.

I'm sorry, I know it will be painful, bu do it, just do it, and get it done. I know I have a reputation round here for not liking dogs, and I don't; but I also adore children and when I think of your toddler I think of my great niece, 18 months, and my great nephew, now 5, and I shudder at what might happen. Please, OP, you know what you have to do.

To me, this is very simple.
You have a dog who will bite your face.
You have a toddler.
The dog has to go.
Either rehome tonight, or put down tomorrow.
One bite would be enough to maim your toddler. Your dog is so precious to you that you'd take that risk? I find that shocking.