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The doghouse

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Original poster

Mother in laws dog bit my child's face

44 replies

Eloisedublin123 · 23/02/2015 22:26

Just this. We are staying with her for the weekend. Dog is 7 and a JR mix. My DD age 4 gave the dog a fright by waking her suddenly as she was napping and the dog lunged and bit her on the face- it pierced the skin a little but not much damage done. Child v upset. MIL said she will put dog down if WE want. Dogs bitten three people now, it's nervous and unsocialised and untrained. Thoughts?

OP posts:
Buttholelane · 23/02/2015 22:27

Put the bastard down.
Horrified it has bit THREE people.

Original poster
Eloisedublin123 · 23/02/2015 22:33

MIL makes excuses like the dog only bites when she's scared or frightened etc. we go home tomoro. Think the best way to deal with it is to say we will only visit again if dogs put in kennels when we stay ( we live abroad)

OP posts:
gaggiagirl · 23/02/2015 22:35

What butt said.

DishwasherDogs · 23/02/2015 22:37

What were the circumstances of the other bites?

Buttholelane · 23/02/2015 22:37

And that is almost certainly true, I feel very sorry for the poor little dog who feels so scared she bites.

But no matter how scared she is that doesn't make it okay for whoever she attacks.

Yes, either insist she is kennelled or muzzled.
Don't let it around your daughter again.

Barbarella · 23/02/2015 22:37

Get it put down

Barbarella · 23/02/2015 22:38

I can't believe anyone needs to ask really - it's dangerous Imo

penny13610 · 23/02/2015 22:38

If it has bitten 3 people, it should probably be put down.

If that seems a bit drastic.

Either MIL has to sign up for training classes in an urgent and serious manner OR the decision has to be made to put either MIL or dog to sleep.

Your child is lucky to still have a face.

Original poster
Eloisedublin123 · 23/02/2015 22:46

The other circumstances were another small grandchild who was bitten in the face in the same way 2 years ago ( I didn't know that before today) and a gas man who came into the house to do work and was bitten in the leg. No, MIL won't do anything. Dogs terrified all the time and lives on it's nerves. I will insist on kennels when we visit again and pray it doesn't hurt someone else

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 23/02/2015 22:47

This makes me so angry - I hope your DD is ok, poor thing.

Frankly, I think it is MiL who need disciplining - the dog did a perfectly reasonable thing for a dog. Sleep aggression is common and a reflex-fast reaction to defend the sleeping spot. The dog reacted before she was awake enough for bite inhibition to stop her from biting.

I would not let DD near that dog again.
I agree with dog should be muzzled or in kennels whenever you next visit.
I think MiL and maybe the whole family would benefit from some dog behaviour training and lessons.

Any dog can bite and do serious damage - I do think it is intrinsically not right to put a dog to sleep who was put in a position in which its dog nature put a person at risk and then blame the dog.

PacificDogwood · 23/02/2015 22:48

MiL won't do anything?
I'd never visit again.
May she be v happy with her dangerous dog and no visits from her granddaughter.

Buttholelane · 23/02/2015 22:49

Dear lord what is the matter with this woman?!
It bit two of her grandkids??
Does the other grandchild visit at all still?!

It's a shame for the dog but it's clearly dangerous.

Shocked she won't do anything.

I think my dog would be out on her arse if she air snapped at one of my kids, let alone actually bit them.

Original poster
Eloisedublin123 · 23/02/2015 22:49

Well she said we can make a decision to put her dog to sleep, but she's adores it Confused

OP posts:
PacificDogwood · 23/02/2015 22:51

FFS, MiL needs to take some responsibility for her dog!
Exercise it appropriately, train it properly and keep it away from other people as it cannot be trusted.
Angry

Buttholelane · 23/02/2015 22:54

Dog nature?
I have accidentally woken my dog before and she has never snapped.
Ditto for my in laws dogs.

Original poster
Eloisedublin123 · 23/02/2015 22:54

Yeah- thanks for feedback. I concur x

OP posts:
Buttholelane · 23/02/2015 22:55

Just insist it's muzzled or kennelled.
Sounds like the tension would be unbearable if you insisted it be put down.

Scuttlebutter · 23/02/2015 22:58

I'm with CMOT on this one. Visitors to a house with a dog should instruct their child/GC to keep AWAY from a sleeping dog, and not to disturb them while they are sleeping, and supervise them to make sure of this. The sleep-startle reflex is just that - a reflex. In the same way, none of us would be particularly happy to have a stranger lunging over us in the middle of the night and quite possibly might lash out. Doesn't make us violent criminals.

It sounds as if the whole family needs a lesson in managing dog/child interactions, but I don't think the dog should be PTS over this. More generally, JRTs can be nippy and are highly intelligent and feisty little characters that benefit from either being in a working home or having lots of training/activities to keep them busy and safely channel their instincts. Asking for the dog to be kept in a separate room, or even to stay in kennels when you visit in future is also a sensible precaution.

PacificDogwood · 23/02/2015 22:58

Sleep aggression does of course vary from dog to dog and I am not defending it as a desirable trait, but it's not uncommon.
Let sleeping dogs lie.

MiL should not keep any dog by the sounds of it tbh.

hmc · 23/02/2015 22:58

There is an option not to pts - but only if MIL keeps the dog away from ALL visitors to the house as standard, no exception from now on

Humansatnav · 24/02/2015 07:01

Results of an untrained owner- hope your dd is ok . This dog sounds miserable, your MIL needs to get proper advice AND ACT ON IT.

Qwebec · 24/02/2015 16:38

Do not let her give you the responsibility of pts the dog or not: her dog, her decision. You will for ever be the person that killed her dog, you don't want her nagging you for the rest of her life. But I'd have the dog in a kennel when you are there and expect her son to have a serious chat about the dog with his mum.

cathpip · 24/02/2015 16:44

It needs to be your mil's decision about putting to sleep, but I would insist that it was not in the home when grandchildren visit. If it were my dog I would be having it pts......

MaryWestmacott · 24/02/2015 17:08

I would say to MIL you won't visit while the dog is there, but to think about how lucky she's been that it's not biten anyone who's gone to the police. The dog isn't safe round visitors, any visitors.

The other grandchild that was biten, can you get DH to call his brother/sister and agree a united front with his mum, the dog isn't safe, should be muzzled when anyone else is in the house, no matter who they are and it should be put in kennels or neither set will visit. That it might be time to PTS, but that they won't make the decision for MIL.