To not want kids around ‘bitey’ dog

[Wendarl]

What would you do if you and your children were often expected to be around a dog that the owner (although half joking) says can be abit ‘bitey’ with people they don’t know?

YANBU - avoid being around the dog (and if so, would you say something?)
YABU - it’s normal, it’s fine

'a bit bitey around new people' , so adults and children ? A dog that shows anxiety/agression towards new people entering its home ?. This is something that can be worked on, but you need a selection of willing adults to do it and I absolutely wouldn't put children into the mix until you were absolutely sure significant steps had been made or the dog was securely placed elsewhere in the house when visiting.
Or is the dog young and untrained and a bit mouthy when excited ? Slightly easier to deal with, but I also wouldn't place small children in a situation where they might get accidentally hurt by a dog who was over exuberant with their greetings.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

It's your responsibility to keep children under control so they don't irritate a dog.

However, if the person concerned isn't also taking steps to ensure that the children aren't in a position to irritate the dog, they also bear responsibility.

You don't give enough context to be able to see who bears the ultimate responsibility.

Oh lol.

No - it's the dog owner's responsibility to ensure that their animal doesn't bite humans. If any animal has the potential to attack a person, then that animal has to be controlled in such a way that it never gets the opportunity.

I was bitten as a child by our next door neighbours aggressive dog which was allowed off lead in the street. I had a really bad phobia of dogs for a very long time after that which was only cured when I had EMDR for trauma and the phobia disappeared as a side effect. SO it is really important to protect children from bitey dogs as you don't want to deal with a child that will insist on crossing the road when ever you see a dog in the future as they are so scared.

This is really, really simple.

You never, ever, ever have a child in the same room or house as a dog that has been described as 'bitey'.

Even if segregated, they can get free, or if muzzled, can slip it off.

It's dangerous, and the only answer is simply, no.

Our puppy could be described as a bit bitey but I would say he mouths when excited.
I did not really know before we got him that there was a distinction between this and biting and would have thought it was a euphemism but in fact there is. He never hurts you. He will put his mouth on your hand but not bite with any pressure so as to cause pain or break skin.
We are teaching him not to do it by stopping play if he starts this and it is reducing gradually but can still happen if he gets excited.
That said I would not let him around young kids unless I was very heavily supervising him ie he was on a lead and I was ready to intervene

I have a bitey dog unfortunately due to a couple of bad experiences with school children not listening to me and mithering her/picking her up.
She wears a harness basically saying leave her alone.
If I have visitors I hold her and introduce her and it’s fine, if there’s children I’ll put her in a different room as it’s just not worth the risk.

I'd tell the owner their bitey dog and my children will never ever meet.

Please do not put your child near that dog. My parents friend had a nippy dog when I was small. I never went near the dog (normally in car seat )but still got 'nipped'. I am in 30's and still has a fear of dogs. That dog got put down after it took a chunk out of another child's ankle. The owners still maintain that he was a sweetheart who would not hurt a fly. Also both I and the other child who was hurt were not on the dog's home but in our own homes.

@Ameanstreakamilewide

I was once told that in an airy fairy way, like it was no big deal, when my son was about 6/7.

I was in a bad mood, so i was brutally honest with her. I said 'look, if the dog bites him, the dog dies'.

I actually had an argument with my husband it after, cos he said i was rude. 🙄

This is brilliant, well said!!!

Of course do NOT let your kids anywhere near this dog.

I agree with Mean Streak. The dog is the owner's responsibility. It just takes one serious bite to maim a child for a lifetime. The owner needs to shut the dog away in a separate space from children if it is a danger to them. If children are invited to be in the main part of the house, the dog needs to be outside, in the basement, or in a room inaccessible to them. If it is a biting dog, it needs a muzzle. The safety of human children is paramount. Otherwise, it needs to be put down.

Punch them in the face (owner not dog).

Tell them you felt a bit 'punchy'

@PrincessNutella

I agree with Mean Streak. The dog is the owner's responsibility. It just takes one serious bite to maim a child for a lifetime. The owner needs to shut the dog away in a separate space from children if it is a danger to them. If children are invited to be in the main part of the house, the dog needs to be outside, in the basement, or in a room inaccessible to them. If it is a biting dog, it needs a muzzle. The safety of human children is paramount. Otherwise, it needs to be put down.

Thank you Nutella and @Userblabla for supporting me.

I'm going to show your posts to my husband later. He still maintains i was out of order.

Thanks everyone. It felt instinctive to me that I wouldn’t continue to be around the dog but you’ve confirmed it!

@Arewethebadguys

Punch them in the face (owner not dog).

Tell them you felt a bit 'punchy'

As the owner of a dog with issues... Hell no.

@Ameanstreakamilewide

I was once told that in an airy fairy way, like it was no big deal, when my son was about 6/7.

I was in a bad mood, so i was brutally honest with her. I said 'look, if the dog bites him, the dog dies'.

I actually had an argument with my husband it after, cos he said i was rude. 🙄

I was the same about an elderly neighbour's dog, which had form. I didn't have to as I made sure my child was never near the dog, but if we had had to for any reason, I would have expressed the same sentiment. Unfortunately the elderly owner was very unreasonable about this dog, allowing it to bite the postie until they wouldn't deliver to her house any more, and she told us that the dog had bitten a child on the face and said it was all the child's fault as she had leaned towards the dog! When I heard that I was aghast and determined then to not let my kid anywhere near it.

It's a shame as she had a lovely dog prior, who had been a therapy dog and visited care homes and the like. After losing the lovely one, she rescued the bitey one and seemed to lose all perspective about dog bites.

I would absolutely tell owners of bitey dogs that any bites to my dc and I would be reporting it asap. There's no need for it whatsoever. And bad owners with untrained dogs are why there are so many people who dislike dogs/fear and phobias!