Daughters friend claiming dog bit her

[Changedname23]

Such a random one. DD's friend is here to stay for a few days. They are both 11. They were sent to bed at 10pm but came down at 10.30pm wanting to put on a show. I listened to them for 10 mins and was about to send them on their way when DDs friend said our dog had bitten her.

The dog was on the sofa and was licking his paws because he has an allergy (we think to grass and its been treated). There was no growl and I was sitting right beside them both. Sometimes if the dog doesn't want people in his space he will do a low growl or will mouth at you (when putting his harness on). When we nice he will give us a lick. He has never snapped or bitten anyone. He goes to doggy daycare two days a week and no behavioural issues.

Now DD has come down to say her friend keeps saying the dog has bitten her. I examined the area thoroughly and there is nothing, no red mark. Zilch.

I was right beside them and saw nothing. Not quite sure how to proceed in the morning if she keeps saying the dog has bitten her. She has a much bigger dog herself and he can do the mouthing thing too but also no biting.

Just looking for some perspective/advice

@Changedname23 why do you want to keep hosting her?

I’d be calling the child’s parents and asking them to take her away as early as possible tomorrow. You know your dog didn’t bite her, so she’s shit-stirring.

It's unlikely she lied. Tbh after the incident with him jumping on her bare legs, you should have kept them apart. Your tolerance for contact from your dog is obviously very different from her's. That may have made her wary and more sensitive around him.
If she mentions it in the morning, I think you should take a pic then you can call her DM, send her the pic and give them the option of ending the visit early or she stays but you keep her away from the dog.

Because she's an 11yr old kid. It could be that she genuinely feels she was bitten. She's a good kid but he's a good dog. He's the sort of dog that when you stand on him (which happens a bit because he is needy) he yelps and then licks you. No sign of aggression . A low growl if my DD is in his face but thats it.

Doesn't it bother you that your dog is jumping up on people?

They have been apart. He is always with me. They just came down from the bedroom and we were all in the room together. I wasn't expecting them back down. They will be kept apart from tomorrow. I'm not saying she is lying. I think she may be using the wrong language though as I was there and there is no mark

Why is it unlikely she lied? OP was there and is very confident it didn’t happen. Kids often lie about things.

He gets excited in the house and just does it here. We obviously move him away when he does jump up but he's tiny and can get to people before we get to him.

I couldn't have been any closer to her on the couch

Thinking about it now she did her part of the show and then plonked herself on the couch and probably ruffled his head.

Adults might say a dog scratched/mouthed/touched accidentally - or have a range of words for different degrees of touch. DCs will just term any contact as bitten.
If OP accuses the DC of lying, it will escalate everything. Better to assume everyone is acting in good faith and de-escalate it.

Dogs should be trained to not jump up, especially at kids. It doesn’t really matter how big or small they are, their claws do hurt when they jump up and scratch you! I have a huge scar down my arm from a small beagle jumping up at me a few months ago.

Oh absolutely I want to de-escalate it. I don't think she is lying but I don't think he bit her. She is quite clumsy in general so I she probably bounced on the sofa and then ruffled his head while he was gnawing at his paws. I'd say he scratched her by accident.

I agree they can scratch you and we are trying to train him to sit and not jump up

It’s not acceptable in any way that your dog tried to jump up towards her on her bare legs. If I was the other child’s mother I wouldn’t be allowing my child in your house again. It’s quite possible that your dog feels territorial having a child there who isn’t in his pack as it were. Doggy obedience classes needed pronto if you’re planning on having more kids round.

Her own dog does the same thing when we visit and he is a much bigger breed. In fact I would class him as more boisterous.

We have loads of visitors all the time and there has never been an issue.

Maybe she was trying it on to get to stay up to watch that film.

If she was bit you would have heard it, she would have reacted immediately, you would hear the dog, there would have been some kind of a mark.

Don't be so utterly, utterly ridiculous and over dramatic! 🤣🤣🤣 Typical Mumsnet

Agreed Schnauz! This reply is bonkers 😂

That's a lot.
Are you ok?

How exactly could this happen when there os no mark or anything to be seen?

I wouldnt get into this and be too understanding. I would probably tell her that you think shes lying and stock to it if youre so sure.
”Youre dog bit me!”
“I was right here honey, that didnt happen”
”Yes the dog bit me!”
”Where are you hurt? See, theres nothing. She didnt bite you.”

If she keeps saying it tomorrow call her mum and tell her she keeps saying that but it didnt happen as you were there and theres no mark to be seen.

Touched her with his teeth maybe, if she practically sat on him, suddenly or put her hand down to where he was nibbling himself, did a tooth touch her hand?

It sounds highly unlikely that he bit her, ie, intentionally grabbed her arm and bit down - that said, I was bitten and it was a 'fuck off, don't touch me there' bite from a dog stood between me and her owner. It was very very controlled, very fast and the owner had NO clue it had happened - my friend stood a few feet in front of us, facing us, saw it and said 'did you not notice that? Your dog just bit our trainer...' and he had no clue!

Turned out the dog had a fear of folk touching her head. After he'd yelled at/hit her for growling if people tried to touch her head - she learned not to growl. He did not learn to tell folk not to touch her head nor did he investigate why she didn't like that (sore ears!)

But that sort of reaction is pretty rare and if he had been closer, sitting on the same sofa, he would have felt her jerk and move.

I did have a couple of red marks and raised lines on my hand where she got me and it was not a hard bite at all, so I really doubt your dog bit this child and yet left no sign of a mark at all.

Keep him away from her so he is safe from further misunderstandings/accusations. And make sure your kid does not do whatever it is that makes him growl, or he will learn that growling does not work in the long run, and move to air snapping or biting.

@Fairymother I completely agree with you, but just thinking of previous (hysterical and not the fun way!) threads, with the 'a dog that nearly bit is a risk, you cannot keep this dog!!'
And the fact that there's no evidence of a bite and op was THERE posters are still saying 'oh she can't be lying, it happened!

Why do people think kids can’t lie? When I was a child I had a friend and she lied all the time. Adults lie all the time, kids lie all the time too!

If she brings it up again take a photo of the “bitten” area.
It’s very unlikely that this could be escalated as there’s no damage, no evidence that it actually happened!