My dog bit my child, not dogs fault.

[CollyWombles]

She is okay first off, cut her lip a little and just under her eye, gave her a terrible fright. She is 13 and for some unfathomable reason, blew on his ear.

My dog is a rescue. I got him when he was 10, he is now 13. He has never been a huge fan of the children, however he has never bit any of them. The children have all been brought up to be respectful towards dogs and respectful to him in the three years he has been with us. I cannot think why she took the notion to do that.

My stance is that he bit for a reason. It wasn't unprovoked. My husband however, wants my dog put to sleep. My daughter does not want the dog in the house.

I adore my dog, he isn't everyone's cup of tea, he had it rough and I think how he has come on is amazing. I don't think he deserves to lose his home, or his life for biting for a reason.

In the same breath, my children come before any dog and it feels like I can't win no matter what I do. I'm either a bad parent or a bad dog owner. Please help me work out what is the right thing to do for my dog and also for my family.

Aaargh, I don't usually wander into Doghouse (unless its to whinge about my NDN dogs) but this was in the Mumsnet Talk box.
Which will explain why you're getting such mixed responses .

I can’t believe the people willing to put down a dog that defended itself like any dog would! My dog once bit my son. I have a Rottie so he’s a big and powerful dog, my son (aged 6 at the time) ran and jumped right onto the dog who was sleeping on his back at the time. The dog jumped up and hit half asleep and then ran away seeing what he’d done. It was absolutely provoked and not the dogs fault. He could have done serious damage if he wanted to but my son had 2 puncture wounds only. We told off my son and told him to never do that again! That was 8 years ago and my dog is still with us and has never shown an inch of aggression.

Also should add that I was nipped by my Grannie’s dog when I was about six. He had a sore mouth and I touched it. I’d been told not to but I loved him and forgot. He snapped and caught my hand. I don’t know who was then more upset, me at having hurt him or him at having nipped me. It never happened again, I was careful to be more gentle.

Your poor dog. I can only assume everyone replying put the dog to sleep has no knowledge of dog behaviour - or doesn’t care. I could never put my dog to sleep if his only crime was to be woken by someone blowing in his face and snap at them. Yes he caught her and I am sorry for her, but actions have consequences.

How can you even think about putting your poor dog down, of course he was going to snap if someone blows in his ears. He was probably terrified the poor thing.

If it's really essential that the dog be removed from the situation then have him re homed SOMEBODY will have him if it means saving his life. He does not deserve to die.

Tell your daughter not to be so cruel to animals in future!

I don't think putting him down is right at all.
Can't he live with ppl without kids instead?

I wouldn't advise pts for a dog in this situation, and I wouldn't actually carry it out either. He's 13, their senses are often not as sharp as they were at that age and they startle more easily, your daughter is also 13 and should know better than to deliberately provoke animals and she is old enough to understand why he bit her and not do it again. As long as she stays out of his face he's not a danger to her given that this is the first such incident you've had in 3 years of owning him.

And I may add - somewhat harshly (but genuinely not unkindly) - that if you are prepared to have a dog killed over this issue, then you must never adopt another dog. You are not the right sort of people to adopt a dog, just as some people are not the right sort of people to adopt children.

I wouldn’t PTS. I would have bollocked the child though.

I definitely don’t thing the dog should be PTS, it was a provoked reaction to an action by a silly child who should have known better after 3 years. I do, however, think you should consider letting the rescue rehome him to an adult only home as you have younger DC.

No qualified behaviourist will tell you to keep the dog

I'm a qualified behaviourist. I would never advise a client to PTS in these circumstances. If it is as clear cut as it seems my only advice would be to have a vet check his ears and don't blow in them again. I might suggest a training plan to help the dog bond with the children.

The other qualified behaviourist on this thread advised getting a behaviourist in to asses the dog before making any decisions, so there's two qualified behaviourists who didn't immediately advise to rehome.

i don't know. Two problems

Firstly a DD who feels uncomfortable and vulnerable in her own home and given the dog is your shadow this could mean she keeps a bigger physical distance from you.

Secondly all very well to say a 13 yo should know better but you are putting a lot of responsibility on your 8 year old. 8 year olds carry on, run at a pace and roll around on the floor.

I do think your dog should be muzzled when out the house now.

I don't think you can realistically keep that dog in a house with children. Children do stupid things. A dog that can't take being blown on is too much of a risk. You were supervising the dog and kids and this still happened. You have no other way to further safeguard your children unless you're happy to muzzle the dog at all times but I think that would be cruel.

Yes the dog was provoked. But that happens with dogs and kids. Yes you could say he showed some restraint in that he didn't maul her BUT it could have been her eye. If next time it is an eye are you happy to live with that? If one of your children was blinded in one eye would you be able to forgive yourself? Would your husband? If one parent feels strongly that there is a serious threat to his/her children and the other parent won't take that on board...you're in for bigger problems. Your husband has a right to be heard and to protect his child.

Sorry OP. I love my dog to bits. I know this is hard but you've got to put your children first.

Wow. Can't believe how many people are suggesting the dog should be PTS.

Killing him for something that wasn't his fault. Awful. I sincerely hope none of you have dogs or ever consider having one.

However, although it was your DDs fault it's unlikely her or your DH will be happy with the dog in the house so I'd consider maybe rehoming. It's clear he is not suitable for a family with children but there will be a home out there somewhere that can give him a nice place to live out the rest of his days.

I scratched my sons face the other day. He came up to me, Sat on the floor by my feet and suddenly bit my leg (he's 13!!). It made me jump and I shoved at him without thinking of consequence.
The dog was laying there relaxed and was suddenly scared. Was it a proper bite or did he swing round suddenly and 'hit' her with his teeth because he was startled. You need to think which one it was OP. If he bit her aggressively then I'm afraid that needs dealing with. Sounds to me like he was startled and he reacted to that.

The dog is 13 - there is very little prospect of him being rehomed

So the options are that the OP keeps the dog or kills the dog. I don't much like the euphemism of PTS. Let's be clear about what's going on.

OP please FGS do not adopt another dog. I'd have him myself rather than have this kind of shit. Where do you live?

I wouldn't put him down. She's 13, she should have bloody known better than to do something like that. If you had been assaulted in the past and then someone randomly grabbed you while you were sleeping, you would probably lamp them one, just on instinct. That's all he did. She scared him shitless and he, understandably, snapped. He might not even have intended it to connect, I've come a cropper with a warning snap before. If he had wanted to hurt her, she'd be a lot worse off.

Our family have always had one or two dogs. My children were taught to respect our dogs, to give them space while they are eating, to leave them in peace when they are sleeping and my Dgc were taught the same.
They are not a toy, to be messed with or taunted or shocked and as they get older, like us, they can become a bit grumpy.
The nip the dog gave was a total shock reaction from being woken up by something blowing in his ear, he wasn't to know it was your daughter, stupidly teasing him.
If this has happened in our family, the child would have been told off and all the children told again the boundaries around the animal.
I do think that it is unfair that he has to be killed and if you can't keep him, then please try to rehome him. It's really not the dogs fault.

I would NOT put the dog down or rehome. As many people have said - he is very unlikely to find a home at his age, especially if you return him for biting. He will be put down. Daughter was wrong, daughter was old enough to know better. Dog does not deserve to lose his home or life when he was being provoked. He hasn’t realistically got a lot of years left - he shouldn’t have to lose them for something that really wasn’t his fault.

Yes, use stairgate etc to keep dog separate from children unless children can learn to respect and not aggravate dog. I would hate someone blowing in my face and would certainly react by telling them to piss off and pushing them away, dog has effectively done that. Your DD needs to learn from that.

We had a very elderly and bad tempered dog at one point. If you made him jump or woke him up suddenly he would react and snap out and if you were in the way you got bitten - DC knew that - and knew to leave him alone. They knew if they had provoked him and got bitten they would have been at fault and have been told off for not leaving the dog alone and they were a lot younger than your DC. They didn’t annoy him and he left them alone and everyone got on fine.

Dog does not deserve to pay with his life for your DD’s poor behaviour.

My Dad has twice taken on dogs from a rescue place and also through a friend of a friend that have bitten children so “had to be put down immediately as they were dangerous”. Both times, Dad was their only chance as no-one else would have them. Both dogs turned out to be absolutely fine and did never bite or do anything again. We found out afterwards that one of them had bitten the child when the child (toddler) had jumped on the top of dog when she was fast asleep in her bed. She had jumped out of her skin and snapped out as she did and caught the child in the face. The parents were adamant the dog was dangerous. Dad had her dog for another 6 years (before she died of cancer) she was around my young DC a lot (who know to respect dogs) and never once did anything to worry any of us. She was a gentle and quiet old lady and DC used to walk her with my Dad and fuss and feed her. It makes me very angry to think if the previous owners had gotten their way, she would have been killed for something that totally wasn’t her fault.

Agree with PP, the dog was just reacting to a scare/something that hurt him. Allow your family to calm down, and make sure your DD realises it is her own fault she got bitten and to never invade a dog's personal space again. He has probably had a horrible past, and he probably could have done a lot more damage to your DD had he done it out of aggression, and not fear.

Hoping you find the solution soon, I definitely do not think PTS

Why would you pts? Surely you would consider rehoming without children but not killing him?

Jeez, I get so frustrated with the knee jerk virtual responses you get on here sometimes. For example if your DH puts a foot wrong it’s LTB, dog reacts wrongly once then put it to sleep. I can’t actually believe that these people would follow through with their own advice in real life. Please don’t have your dog put down, teach your DD to give your dog space and to treat her properly. Why do people think we can do whatever we want to dogs but if they retaliate then they are the bad guys and should have their life ended 😡

Have you taken him to the vet? Any ear infection?

Our family dog snapped at myself and my sister a handful of times during her life. She nicked lips and noses? Over our dead bodies would she have been put to sleep.

If he isn’t a violent dog why on earth would you have him put to sleep for one isolated incident? She blew in his ear and frightened him so he reacted.

They were both in the wrong.

If he makes a habit of this then that’s a different story. But change your tact, keep him away from the kids for a while but GET HIM TO THE VET as it is so out of character! He could be coming down with something.

Hope everything works out OP

Don't pts.Someone I know got a rescue dog and her 3 yr old dd was pulling it's ears and it snapped at her abd they had it put down. Wasn't an old dog either could have easily have been rehomed.Is it a large or small breed?

I wouldn’t PTS. I would have bollocked the child though.

This, with bells on