Urgent help needed please - dog bit toddler.

[WheresMaHairyToe]

Rescued my dog 7 months ago, he was a stray and is between 3 and 5 years old. Lab/ lurcher type mongrel.
He has been wonderful - quick response to training in the home, not quite 100% on toileting but getting there, fantastic with my kids (all over 8.)
Today, we were at the beach for a couple of hours with my 3 plus 5 assorted niece and nephews. Dog completely fine.
Got home, everyone settled, kids playing in garden. Dog took himself to bed in another room. 2 year old niece followed. Nobody witnessed what happened, but niece was bitten on the face. Small cut and bruising - bad enough!
My brother wants the dog out of my house. He isn't insisting on PTS. I rang 4 shelters, all said he was not able to be rehomed, so would be destroyed.
I've put him in kennels to give us all some breathing space, and am waiting on two shelters calling me back. He had never shown a single sign of aggression before this, but apparently did not growl before biting. My brother got to him seconds after the bite, and said he was also aggressive to him.
I got home about 10 mins after bite to a very unhappy dog.
I am heart broken, I don't know what to do. I am considering building him an outdoor run and muzzling him when he's near children, but that seems awful.
Sorry if this is incoherent. I'm in a bit of a state!
Please help with advice if you can! Or if you know of a no- kill shelter anywhere in NI.

Haven't read every page.

I feel sorry for your dog

This is why no child should ever be left alone with any dog.
It's been fine with kids all this time. It'd been with them all day and nothing had happened. The moment the child is alone with the dog this happens?

Dogs aren't cunning. Your dog wouldn't have been coming up with a plan to attack the child the second it was alone with her. If a dogs gunna attack then it will regardless of who's around.

No I do not think your dog should be rehomed. I do not think anything bad should happen to your dog

Perhaps your brother could keep an eye on his child? Perhaps he could not allow his child to be alone with a dog?

I hope your niece is okay, but I'm sorry your dog is not to blame.
They don't attack for no reason.

The amount of times I've heard people say 'they must have done something to provoke it' or 'they must have used the wrong door' or 'were they carrying food' or whatever it might be. I just don't understand the mentality that it's in some way excusable ever. It should never be excusable for a dog kept as a household pet to bite

Are you serious?

Dogs are ANIMALS. Yes they have been domesticated, but they are still ANIMALS. They have their own instincts and behaviours. Just because a dog has been living in a house all its life instead of in the wild it doesn't mean it's natural drive/behaviour/instincts get taken away.

What an ignorant post.

I'm sorry, if I had a child and it was provoking my dog I wouldn't be surprised nor angry with my dog for reacting how it's naturally driven to react - which is to warn and then bite/lash out.

Saying that, I wouldn't even allow my child to be alone with any animal.

I have always crated my dog when young children are in the house and the children are not allowed in the same room without adult supervision. My dog is very calm but I don't ever trust her with children as she is a dog, and dogs react instinctively. I did not get the dog until kids were 6+ for this reason .

Yes I am serious, but I appreciate they are animals. I don't understand why anyone would put an animal and a child together, or expect their lovely dog to be friendly when it is an animal with sharp teeth that can kill an adult, let alone a child. I don't understand why so many people walk around with dogs off their leads snapping at small children in the park, for example. I really don't get it. At all. If you own a dog and live miles out in the countryside and never ever let it encounter small children, good. If you live anywhere else with a dog you should do everything to keep it away from access to children and keep it under control at all times in public places or when people are in your home.

I can't stop my dog 'accessing' my small children because they live with us and I kind of like having them around.

My old dog once had a young child poke a stick in her eye so they who were there said, she barked at the perp and lunged towards them and knocked the child concerned down.

There was no call for it to be rehomed or put to sleep it was realised that the child should have been better controlled by the parent who was with it at the time.

My 2 yr old DN sat next to my old dog on the sofa and stick a finger up her bum. She whipped round and gave a very small nip. It only hurt a bit and didn't break the skin. But we have been more careful since. You never know what little children will do . That dog was a lovely, gentle dog who was great with kids. I would always let her be around children but with a little extra care over the tiny ones.

We have a large breed dog who I absolutely do not trust with my children. I also do not trust my children with the dog.

Ever since dd was small I taught her to always ask the owner if she could stroke a dog and she always did. Even when she was 2. In fact, once when she was about 2 1/2 she went up to a chap with a ginormous mastiff type dog to ask if she could strike him. He said yes and she gave him a nice pat and a little rub behind the ears. The guy then said to me how impressed he was that she asked and how few children do.

She knows that all dogs should be respected as should their owners wishes.

Our dog is a very fluffy wolfy looking breed and attracts a lot of attention, I am still amazed how few parents ask if their children can stroke her and depending on ddogs mood get the arse if I say no. She's my dog and I know her, if she's not in the mood, she's not in the mood and that's that.

I suspect that your brothers dog clearly puts up with a lot of shit, but one day, she too might snap and the fault lies squarely with your brother, 1) for being so entitled and 2) for not teaching his children to respect dogs.

What you do is up to you, it's your dog and your brother but it's entirely his fault. I hope your niece is ok and recovers well, poor little mite.

Toddlers should never be left alone with a dog. That's pretty irresponsible of you.

You need to give your dog another chance, and be a bit more responsible next time.

I never said all rescue dogs were problematical, but they are usually re-homed because there is a problem, as for the breeding, you do research, I had a friend with a German Shepherd who was extremelty agressive, could not be in the room with anyone other than the owners, was behind a gate barking furiously and trying to get at you, they wanted to breed from her, but she failed the hip score. I have had lots of home reared puppies, one rescue as an adult because the young chap was terminally ill, not because of any behavioral problems she was great.

Catchit
Really glad you your daughter checked with the owner before striking their massive mastiff
Ha ha ha! That brilliant typo made me snort my tea out of my nose!

Seriously - good work though. I wish more people taught their kids to ask before touching. Like yours, my dog is sometimes in the mood for play and cuddles, sometimes not and it is better if I am able to kindly deflect unwanted attention if she wants to be left alone or is feeling on edge for some reason.

Yes would love that all parents taught their children to ask if they could stroke your dog. Ddog is of the small, white cute and fluffy variety and I'm convinced that parents consider him safe because he looks like a toy. He has never nipped anyone but he isn't keen on children and can be a grumpy git so always say no when asked. Even so you often get parents annoyed that you have denied their child's wants so nowadays I say no he bites even if not strictly true.

update dog is home, and very relieved to be so. Crate training commenced today, muzzle training begins tomorrow when he's settled. Health check showed no pain or reaction anywhere.
Family have been asked to stay away for a bit until we have a good separation system in place.
I feel that I am doing the right thing. Dbro disagrees but respects that we have different opinions, and recognises that I am doing all I can to rectify the problem.

Thanks all for your input

So proud of you, OP
On behalf of your dog, thankyou for trying.

Fantastic news, OP. Well done.

A sensible responsible dog owner you really op. .
Credit where credit is due. .

I am sure your dog will continue to be a positive addition to your family.

Great job OP :)

Ok good. Excellent news for your family and the dog. There is definitely a way forward here, hope it works out. Your db needs to accept that whenever the dog is around, his daughter needs to be supervised, as does the dog.

op that's wonderful news. Well done you for taking sensible actions and implementing a way of keeping both visiting DC and the dog safe.

Pic?

OMG do not put your dog in a shelter. Why do people think that a dog shouldn't retaliate if a child hurts it, why should a dog just lie there and be poked. It's natural instinct to hit back if someone hurts you

RTFT

Well done OP

The dog was going away from the noise and retreating and the toddler followed it. A toddler should never ever be left alone with a dog- rescue or otherwise. I wouldn't be so quick to judge the dog as the person responsible for overseeing the toddler had a hand in this too.

Saying that, the dog drew blood. Unfortunately the options for rehoming will be extremely limited. The only charity I think who would consider taking him would be blue cross. I would try them.

Also, I would suggest crate training a dog if you get one again and letting everyone in your household (visiting or perm) that that's his safe space and if he goes in there we need to leave him.