My dog has bitten DD. Help

[rottielove]

He's never been aggressive to people before, let alone DD. I left them alone for two minute when I went to answer the door, I come back and DD is hysterical as she has been bitten on her arm. I don't think the dog meant it as no skin has been broken and he's a Rottweiler so if he really wanted to hurt her he could have. But like I say he is normally so good with him, I didn't think twice about leaving them for afew seconds. DD is 6, dog is 10., could it be dementia? Not sure where to go from here.

@rottielove

He hadn't been aggressive now!

You're doing the right thing. DD either startled him or accidentally hurt him while he was sleeping. He reacted to being startled/hurt, all animals - including humans do.

He caught her arm, he didn't bite her. You know the damaged he'd have done if he'd intended to bite!

Don't beat yourself up, it wouldn't have made any difference if you'd been there!!

Remind DD to be more careful when playing near the dog or approaching him when he's asleep. Especially as he gets older (more joint pain/hearing not as good etc)

I know she probably wasn't trying to wake him, but if any of you do need to wake him you need to remember to call him, not pet him and give him a safe space to deep where he won't get accidental knocked etc.

Big hugs for all 3 of you!

Hope the vet doesn't find any joint pain or anything in the morning.

@rottielove

Ignore the ridiculous posts. There are some real idiots around, who know Jack shit about dogs.

Imo a snap /a nip is ddog's speak for Fuck Off.

I wouldn't risk it, personally. We've had rottweilers and other large breeds and they've never bitten- even when the rotty had bone cancer (misdiagnosed as arthritis by an incompetent vet). He'd never have gone for any of us, though he was undoubtedly in a great deal of pain towards the end, poor thing.

I don't think the risk is worth it. And I'd be interested to know how many of those aghast about humanely killing a dog are happily tucking into bacon sandwiches and feeding their dogs scraps of the carcasses of other animals, undoubtedly not treated and killed as humanely.

I’m not really following why the child’s behaviour towards the dog is relevant here (or any child’s behaviour towards any dog), given that we’re talking about potential life altering injuries (or worse). See my comment above re plastic surgeon family member .

Children quite regularly do things like poke dogs up the nose with sticks, or yank on ears etc and hurt them - inadvertently or otherwise. You can’t reason with a toddler - they have no concept of the dog being a danger to them. When the dog gives the child a gentle swipe/scratch across the face to make the annoyance stop, and blinds them in one eye, do the parents say the child had it coming? Or if it bites for the stick that the child is holding, aiming only for the stick but accidentally taking off three fingers instead - what then? “Accidents happen - DD will know better next time”?

These are all real situations with real dogs where the guilt-ridden parents said things like “he’s just never done anything like this before.”

I’m not directing this at OP, who has enough to think through at the moment, but some of the other comments are alarming.

Isn’t the truth that most dog owners with children accept that there is a risk that their dog could seriously injure their child, but choose to accept that risk on the basis that they believe it is a remote risk that is outweighed by the joy the dog brings to the family?

If that’s the case, fine. My risk / reward balance tips another way, but perhaps none of us are in the wrong.

But focusing on the behaviour leading up to the near miss is a very odd and akin to victim blaming. If I had a teenage daughter who was killed in a fit of rage by the boyfriend I had welcomed into my home and treated as a member of the family, the first words out of my mouth wouldn’t be “well I don’t know now... was she winding him up before he killed her?”.

A baby gate would not stop a rottweiler

You're amazing OP. Glad you are so level headed, unlike some of the previous posters 😑

And I'd be interested to know how many of those aghast about humanely killing a dog are happily tucking into bacon sandwiches and feeding their dogs scraps of the carcasses of other animals, undoubtedly not treated and killed as humanely.

This is really odd comparison. Killing your family pet (that's demonstrated exemplary behavior and given you and your family a huge amount of joy for the past 10 years) due to one small mishap is - in my opinion - an overreaction. The euthanasia of dangerous dogs has it's place of course but this is a last resort. I don't think that you can compare this situation to the commercial slaughter of animals for food. Killing animals for food at least has a purpose, even if you don't agree with it.

I don't think the risk is worth it. And I'd be interested to know how many of those aghast about humanely killing a dog are happily tucking into bacon sandwiches and feeding their dogs scraps of the carcasses of other animals, undoubtedly not treated and killed as humanely.

How on earth can you compare the two?

I have no issues with dogs being PTS and I actually think there are far worse fates for truly aggressive/anxious dogs, but for a dog that snapped because it was disturbed while sleeping? There's just no need to go to down that road.

If I was disturbed while I was in a deep sleep, I'd tell someone to fuck off too. Dogs can't speak, they can only communicate via growling/grumbling, snapping and then biting.

The fact that the dog didn't break the skin means it was acting with restraint. If he wanted to hurt her, he would have done.

All the people who jump to PTS or rehome. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

OP in all honesty, your DD probably pissed the dog off when he was trying to sleep. There's no other real explanation for it. Especially as 10yo and well behaved.

My dog bit me when I was around 8, I KNEW it was my fault, and I therefore did not tell my parents what had happened at fear of my dog being PTS. I wouldn't have let that happen.

Needless to say, I learnt my lesson, I never pissed my dog off again and she lived a long happy life. She was a lovely dog, loving and attentive.

This is terrifying to me. When I was young it seemed there were always Rottweilers in the news harming children and I have always been afraid of them, not other dogs though. Anyways. I think your daughter’s behaviour is irrelevant. You need to be able to leave the room for a moment. She’s a child, they are impulsive and don’t think. I don’t understand how you could take the chance.

@Merename

This is terrifying to me. When I was young it seemed there were always Rottweilers in the news harming children and I have always been afraid of them, not other dogs though. Anyways. I think your daughter’s behaviour is irrelevant. You need to be able to leave the room for a moment. She’s a child, they are impulsive and don’t think. I don’t understand how you could take the chance.

When you have a child and a dog, then you need to get into the habit of taking one of them with you when you leave the room. That applies whether your dog is a chihuahua, a Rottweiler or a Great Dane.

Like you say, children are impulsive and can't be trusted unattended around dogs. I don't have DC but when my 10yo niece visits, she is never left unattended with my dog, even though he's never even jumped at her let alone anything worse. It just takes a second and I'm not prepared to take any risk.

And I'd be interested to know how many of those aghast about humanely killing a dog are happily tucking into bacon sandwiches and feeding their dogs scraps of the carcasses of other animals, undoubtedly not treated and killed as humanely

That pig would quite happily kill you through trampling or exsanguination if you scared or pissed it off (it would also quite happily tuck into you if it felt peckish or you were turned into scraps). Same way those cows in that field will stamp on you until your brain is a red paste if you're between them and their calves.

Those animals you think are so cute and lovely and caring are far, far less likely to display any inhibition whatsoever in circumstances more removed from being woken from deep sleep and/or being hurt.

Adults can speak out using their words - the last time I checked, dogs can't speak

Of course they can. Just because we cannot understand it does not mean that cannot speak. Its often called a BARK

@rottielove
MN is awash with dog haters and with no knowledge of dog behaviour. Your dog don’t bite, it gave DD a warning nip, no skin broken, your dog was asleep and likely was startled awake by DD, who tbf is old enough to understand the dog needs space and peace. Your dog sounds a good boy who knows how to control his behaviour, a warning is not aggression, a dog can’t say fuck off you've frightened or hurt me.
Teach DD to be more respectful of his space.
Do not even consider pts, MN are hysterical about dogs.

That's really not the case

Well clearly if you have a medical issue you speak to a doctor. Thanks for stating the bloody obvious.

It's very unusual for a dog to lash out and bite completely unprovoked.

This attitude contributes to so many horrible incidents. It doesn't matter if it is 'provoked' or 'unprovoked' - the point is that dogs bite sometimes and it has to be taken seriously. Children cant be expected not to 'provoke' because it can be normal child behaviour that 'provokes' the response.

If waking a dog up, or laughing, or clapping, or all sorts of other ordinary occurences are enough to cause a dog to bite then that dog isn't really the right animal to be in a family home with children.

@JellyBabiesFan

Adults can speak out using their words - the last time I checked, dogs can't speak

Of course they can. Just because we cannot understand it does not mean that cannot speak. Its often called a BARK

By the time a dog is forced to escalate to a bark, they're already stressed and uncomfortable.

I suggest you read up on the ladder of aggression.

@picturesandpickles
Responsible dog owners ease their DC to respect the family pet, no animal should be expected to tolerate being poked, pulled, jumped on, we don’t allow our kids to do it to each other and correct them, why should a pet be subjected to it?
It’s common sense not to startle a dog when sleeping, away and have a word with yourself.

If waking a dog up, or laughing, or clapping, or all sorts of other ordinary occurences are enough to cause a dog to bite then that dog isn't really the right animal to be in a family home with children.

I disagree with you completely.

Children need to be taught to respect dogs and another animals. You can't just treat a living animal like a toy and expect it to sit there and accept it.

If you can't control your childs' behaviour, then you should re-home the dog (for the dogs sake). Dogs should be able to sleep, eat, drink and rest in peace away from loud, irritating children trying to bother them.

Laughing and clapping is not treating a dog like a toy.

@sunflowersandbuttercups

If waking a dog up, or laughing, or clapping, or all sorts of other ordinary occurences are enough to cause a dog to bite then that dog isn't really the right animal to be in a family home with children.

I disagree with you completely.

Children need to be taught to respect dogs and another animals. You can't just treat a living animal like a toy and expect it to sit there and accept it.

If you can't control your childs' behaviour, then you should re-home the dog (for the dogs sake). Dogs should be able to sleep, eat, drink and rest in peace away from loud, irritating children trying to bother them.

You may disagree with me completely but ultimately you come to the same conclusion - happy children and grumpy dogs don't mix.

And clapping or laughing in your own home is just normal life.

What a miserbale bloody existence living with na animal that would bite you if you made a noise!

You may disagree with me completely but ultimately you come to the same conclusion - happy children and grumpy dogs don't mix.

Of course they don't mix, but that doesn't mean the dog needs to be rehomed. Parents who choose to have pets in the home have a responsibility to those pets and to keep them safe.

That involves extra vigilance and not leaving your DC unattended with the dog..

@bunniesanddaisies

Laughing and clapping is not treating a dog like a toy.

It depends, surely.

Clapping in the dogs' face and laughing in its' ear while it's sleeping WOULD be treating the dog like a toy. General household noise of laughter/playing is totally different.

However, many dogs don't like busy, noisy households which is why they need a space to escape - a crate, a bed or an area behind a babygate where they won't be disturbed.