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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

German shepherd has to go!

155 replies

Charliesmum09 · 07/08/2012 09:02

My 8year old German shepherd did the thing I always feared yesterday and bit my toddler, he opened the baby gate and I think he stepped on her and she has turned, I have searched most of the night for a rescue centre to take her but they are all advising that they are full, if I can't find a new home for her in the next 24hrs I may have to have her pts!
Either rehoming her or having her pts are equally heartbreaking decisions but I have to put my little ones safety first, I know a lot of people will say keep them apart we have tried that but Charlie thinks the dog is his best friend and for the most part they are really but a bad judgement yesterday has changed all that, does anyone know of a home for her or a rehoming centre I need to do this quickly and I will travel with her, I'm in Manchester currently.

OP posts:
LookBehindYou · 07/08/2012 21:58

lost their balance

Wiggypigs · 07/08/2012 22:25

I have met many lovely dogs who have snapped out of fear and pain. They are dogs, not people. They don't understand. This is why dogs and children should never be left unsupervised.

D0oinMeCleanin · 08/08/2012 02:08

No. He would buy the dog a bone as an apology for allowing a 'tot' so close, unsupervised that an accident was allowed to happen.

All mammals have three basic responses to pain or fear and that is fight, flight or freeze. Luckily, no one has ever murdered me for reacting to perceived violence with a violent response.

LookBehindYou · 08/08/2012 11:05

Have any of you never accidentally stepped on your dogs foot? Did they bite you for doing so or did they just yelp and look at you accusingly? Mine have done the latter - big, small and rescue regardless if it's me or a child.

You guys are being so pious with your 'next time supervise your child' etc. As I have said repeatedly kids do things in a split second. As the OP's description was less than clear you have absolutely no idea what really happened. Upshot is that a child is hurt and a mother is upset, guilty and frightened. How about some sympathy?

Abra1d · 08/08/2012 11:12

Hang on, you told me to read the thread for an explanation of what happened. But now you are admitting that it is not that clear?

Ephiny · 08/08/2012 11:26

One of my dogs is as close to 'bomb-proof' as you can get with people, you can accidentally step on him, small children can startle him, the vet can do uncomfortable things to him, and the most he'll do is yelp or try to move away.

My other one (same breed) is different, he's a rescue from an abusive home and while he's very good-natured and sociable as a rule, he can be fearful and defensive, and can snap when hurt or very stressed. But to me, that just means it's my responsibility not to allow a situation to arise where he might hurt someone.

Sorry but I do think the OP needs to supervise her child better. I'm sure it isn't easy, but she chose to bring a child into a home with a dog, how about taking some responsibility?

I'm short on sympathy for her, given that there's a dog in danger of being killed here. Not to mention the drip-feeding about 'potentially fatal', 'scarring' etc, while carefully avoiding answering any direct questions about the actual nature and severity of the injury.

LookBehindYou · 08/08/2012 11:29

She said 'bit' in her original post which was clear enough.
Later on she said scarred. Which might mean physically, emotionally or what the dr has said will happen.

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 08/08/2012 12:56

Why speculate? The op came out and confirmed inaccuracies in her post.

She doesn't want sympathy. She wants rid of the dog. That's now sorted.

seeker · 08/08/2012 13:02

You would reward a dog for biting? Jesus wept!

Ami the only person in the whole world who thinks being painlessly pts is not actually the worst thing that could happen to a dog?

Toughasoldboots · 08/08/2012 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NarkedRaspberry · 08/08/2012 13:08

Buy. A. Muzzle.

Keep. The. Dog. Shut. Away. When. The. Child. Is. Around.

LookBehindYou · 08/08/2012 13:12

That's what the OP said would happen: 'she is now having to be kept completely separate from us all'

batteryhen · 08/08/2012 13:13

OP - you have had some harsh advice. However I agree with you - your son must come first, to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. For those who say 'keep them apart' - for all the will in the world, what happens when one day you slip up, and the dog and DS come into contact, and this time it is more than a bite? You would never forgive yourself.

Like lookbehindyou says - how many time have any of you stepped on a paw or tail? Would you expect your dog to bite you? Without warning? And you would tolerate that would you?

I have a 9 month old pup, and am 30 weeks pregnant. I love my dog so much, but if he ever went for the baby, that would be it. I would not look to PTS but certainly rehome to a home without children etc.

To put a dogs needs above a small child is ridiculous.

Good luck OP - I hope you find a decent place for her to go.

NarkedRaspberry · 08/08/2012 13:14

She has no idea what happened because she didn't see it happen.

NarkedRaspberry · 08/08/2012 13:17

And that's what the muzzle is for Hen.

batteryhen · 08/08/2012 13:17

But the dog bit the child..... what else is there to know?

NarkedRaspberry · 08/08/2012 13:33

'how many time have any of you stepped on a paw or tail? Would you expect your dog to bite you? Without warning?'

That's my point ^. Who knows what happened.

Toughasoldboots · 08/08/2012 13:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LookBehindYou · 08/08/2012 13:41

Well let's hope that the woman she mentioned has taken it in.

AbsolutelyNotHoneyDragon · 08/08/2012 13:43

Then perhaps she can get a nice new dog and see if that one will be her childs best friend Hmm

LookBehindYou · 08/08/2012 13:43

Stupid thing to say.

seeker · 08/08/2012 15:00

"Would you put a cat to sleep for biting seeker? Or is it dogs because of the more damage potential?

I just ask because a cat would display the same behaviour if trodden on."

Most family dogs I know would not bite if trodden on by a child, tbh.

The sad fact is that a GSD would do a lot more damage with a bite than a cat would. But I do know of a cat- a littermate of my favourite ever puss- that had to be put down because he persistently attacked people- he used to lurk in trees and leap at people's faces.

As I said, there are worse things that can happen to an animal than to be painlessly pts.

TantrumsAndOlympicGoldBalloons · 08/08/2012 15:11

There's probably worse things that could happen to a person being peacefully put to sleep but we don't advocate that do we?

If you want to own a dog supervise your child. Teach your child not to open the gate.

I've had 3 rescue dogs, 17 foster dogs and 3 DCs.
Some dogs nip or growl if they are trodden on unexpectedly.
Don't put your child or dog in that position.

And if you are not prepared to adequately supervise either the child or the dog, don't get a dog in the first place.

The reason I have had so many foster dogs is because people allow incidents to happen, at the first sign of a growl or a snap, they want the dog PTS straight away.

seeker · 08/08/2012 15:14

Well, that's because humans are more important than dogs. And anyone who says differently is wrong. I don't say that lightly- I generally don't believe in completely categorical statements, but people are more important than dogs is one I will stick to.

MrsZoidberg · 08/08/2012 15:53

The comments about the cat biting are interesting.

My friend's dog has bitten me on the face a couple of times. I know it has bitten her nephew on the face, it has bitten others. There is never any warning as she punished the dog for growling, so it goes straight for attack now. It has never broken the skin (afaik), as it is just a small cav.

My very scared new GSD rescue nipped someone's leg. It was my fault for not having control. He is now never put in the situation where he is that scared anymore.

Should both dogs be PTS? or is it ok for the cav to live as it doesn't inflict as much damage as a cat could?

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