Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

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

Original poster

Our dog just attacked our son.

64 replies

mrsbounceisflat · 21/08/2018 12:58

We have had our rescue dog for 3 months, he has nipped a couple of times but this has been when he has been scared and in the very early days.
My 15 year old son just came to hug me and the dog just went for him, just missing his lip, this was totally out of the blue, he really went for him this was not a nip or a warning. My husbands on the phone to the rspca now where we got him from, my son is upstairs in tears. My son has mental health problems and the dog has helped him in so many ways. I just needed to get this out.

OP posts:
Notquitegrownup2 · 21/08/2018 14:18

Dont be hard on yourself. Taking on a rescue dog is always an extra challenge, especially if you are integrating them into a family with another dog or child. You can still be a responsible dog owner but come unstuck.

You will get lots of good advice here - best of luck.

lynmilne65 · 21/08/2018 14:21

Yes they will

Imsorrylhaventaclue · 21/08/2018 14:23

Three months is still very early days. You’re doing the right thing by letting the rescue know, but with your son being almost an adult please do think about getting behaviorist advice and seeing what they think.

It must be a horrible shock, but I would be very surprised if there weren’t warning signs. If your son is so close to the dog it seems like it’d be a perfect opportunity to let him take a leading role in training, lots of 15yo’s train and even compete their dogs and it might be really good for them both...?

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 21/08/2018 14:25

So sorry to hear this Flowers. Please don't blame yourselves. I'm a vet and deal with similar situations fairly regularly unfortunately. I think the best thing would be for the dog to go back to the rescue for assessment. Once something like this happens it breaks the relationship between dog and owner a fair bit, and can be hard to overcome, leading to anxiety for both owner and dog. Unfortunately even with behavioural advice from a good behaviouralists I have seen few success stories, sorry. I hope your son is ok, and maybe you will get another dog more suited to your family one day

Branleuse · 21/08/2018 14:28

Im sorry but the dog needs to be PTS. Your poor son :(

Permaexhaustion · 21/08/2018 14:33

I really feel for you,OP.

Rescue dogs , well difficult.

It's heart rending when the dog is important for DCs outlook on life.I Remember being petrified of the potential consequences for a troubled DC when I thought our dog was going to die.For some DC, the DDog is an unofficial and much needed therapy dog.

A puppy sounds like a better plan. You have a lovable little creature, unthreatening for DC, and can legitimately insist DC gets involved in training classes with you, as well as getting them out for walks.
Takes work, especially the toilet training, but a steady pup from steady parents is so much safer bet.
And gives DC the message, look, things don't always work out, but we can find another solution that does.

Seniorschoolmum · 21/08/2018 14:38

Op, in quite a lot of places now, dog bites to children are notifiable which means a GP or A&e have to inform the police who will take details of the dog. If there are two incidents, the police will support a request to have the dog put down.
So you need to be fair to both, and put the dog in an environment where it feels secure.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 21/08/2018 15:50

What breed is it?

You can be a little be a little bit reassured that the dog did hold back and did not bite your son. He could have done so, although horrendous,the dog did show some self control is not biting your son.

He did not miss by accident.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 21/08/2018 15:52

sorry for typos on phone and in a rush!

You can be a little bit reassured that the dog.........

did show self control in not biting

disclosingshite · 21/08/2018 15:53

Are you joking Vall?

Original poster
mrsbounceisflat · 21/08/2018 15:56

I'm not reassured this was totally meant to bite it was only pure luck that he didn't. He's a Lhasa apso. The nips he did before were just that a warning, this was not a warning this was very real my husband spoke to the RSPCA who weren't overly helpful. He is on his way home from work now so we can all sit down and make a final decision.

OP posts:
Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 21/08/2018 15:56

No I am not joking.

The OP said the dog nearly got the boys lip. The dog could have bitten off the boys lip if it had wanted to - it would be the dog that prevented that from happening. So although the dog reacted it did show a degree of control.

OP did the dog break the skin or cause any injury that bleed?

I am not advocating for the dog in any way just saying how the dog behaved

Original poster
mrsbounceisflat · 21/08/2018 16:00

No through pure luck there is no break to the ski

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 21/08/2018 16:00

Don't panic.
Don't blame yourself.
The first thing to do is a health check. Dogs often behave like that because of pain issues.
Consider a really good behaviourist. You may be able to manage the issue. If the dog has nipped it clearly isn't happy. Whether that is pain or fear you need to know why.
A breed specific rescue would be my preferred option if you had to rehome.

disclosingshite · 21/08/2018 16:00

It would have scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t keep that dog.

Original poster
mrsbounceisflat · 21/08/2018 16:00

Skin

OP posts:
Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 21/08/2018 16:01

It would not have been pure luck that the dog missed. If a dog wanted or needed to bite it would.

I could bore you with studies to help illustrate this point but that is not what you want to hear or read just now.

It is obviously a troubled dog that needs a lot of work and a solution needs to be found that is best, safest for your family. Unfortunately the RSPCA are not the best for behavioural advice and I realise how hard it is for you as a family to trust and move on from here. Some dogs need different homes so do not beat yourself up about that.

Clairetree1 · 21/08/2018 16:04

I'm so sorry, how sad for you all. I hope the dog gets a new home.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 21/08/2018 16:05

If you rehomed through the RSPCA they are obligated to take the dog back so you should have no issues there. In fact I think the contract they give you says you have to rehome back to them.

You should also have a contact for a rescue support volunteer so do contact them as well as the RSPCA centre.

adaline · 21/08/2018 16:13

Please don't blame yourself. Rescue dogs come with a lot of issues and unfortunately a lot of those issues are around biting/aggression.

This thread is a prime example of why I don't think families with small children should be encouraged to get rescue dogs. Not because rescue dogs aren't worth helping or anything like that, but because they can be unpredictable and you don't know if they've been hit or treated in a way which stops them showing any warning signs before they attack.

RudolphusRitzema · 21/08/2018 16:27

Given the size of the dog I would consider getting advice from a dog behaviourist.

We have a small dog that has bitten my eldest child. He is perfectly fine 95% of the time but 5% of the time you have to leave him alone. He gives very clear signs and the kids now know to leave him be then.

If you could get someone in they maybe able to help you identify the signs that might lead to aggression. They can be subtle. But if there are no signs then I would pts.

Floralnomad · 21/08/2018 17:26

I agree with val it was a snap not a bite if it didn’t actually break the skin and that is significant , for this particular dog it could well mean the difference between being alive or dead . A dog that intended to bite would have actually bitten IME and I’ve lived with a few dogs that have bitten ( and lived to tell the tale) .

YeTalkShiteHen · 21/08/2018 17:28

Oh OP don’t beat yourself up, it’s not your fault.

I wonder if the dog came from a household where there was violence, that sounds like the dog was trying to protect you?

My old dog did that bless him, tried to get in the way when now XH used to batter me. He was really protective.

Bezm · 21/08/2018 17:34

A rescue dog that has bitten a family member will not be rehomed. You need to contact the rescue centre where you got it and explain the situation. This must be done immediately. If you are unable to contact them, phone your nearest vet. The dog will most likely be euthanised.
Have you though about getting a kitten for your son? If you prefer a dog, then go for a pup, something like a Labrador which is very loving, intelligent and easy to train.

PavlovSkinner · 21/08/2018 20:02

What a horrible situation for you to be in. It's HIGHLY unusual for dogs to bite without any warning. However often the lower signals of aggression aren't understood by owners so they are missed leaving the dog having to up the ante. It's also worth noting that this was a snap, not a bite. If he'd intended to bite he'd have bitten.

Given your son's age I'd suggest looking for a qualified, non-aversive (i.e. no Cesar Milan types) trainer in your area who can assess the dog and advise you on how to recognise when he's feeling anxious and what to do in that situation. They can also help you to help the dog to gain confidence and so not feel the need to aggress. Good luck

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread