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The doghouse

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

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Original poster

Dog rescues for biting cockapoo

98 replies

drumst1ck · 21/07/2021 12:47

So I'm looking to see if anyone has any recommendations for places which might take a 9 year old cockapoo who has recently nipped a toddler. She has always had some anxiousness but recently with lockdown and new grandchildren introduced, this has become much worse. The toddler was drawing with chalk and then turned to try and draw on the dog who then gave her a warning nip on the face. No skin was broken, it left a small bruise but we can't run the risk of anything happening again. (Both were being supervised closely before anyone jumps in with that).

I know rescues are often reluctant to take in dogs with issues to children but if anyone knows of any resources or places to help my search I would be very thankful!

OP posts:

Evenstar · 21/07/2021 12:50

I think you should consult a behaviourist before leaping to rehoming the dog. In the meantime I would put up a stair gate so that the dog is not in the same room with DGC, and it might have been better to do that earlier.

Sparechange · 21/07/2021 12:50

That poor dog

It doesn’t have ‘an issue with children’
It has an issue with being drawn on

How stupid can you be too allow that to happen to a puppy?

Any reputable rescue will take it. They will see that the situation wasn’t the fault of the dog but entirely the dozy owners with lazy ‘supervision’ of the dog in a high stress situation

And what a surprise that someone who thinks a dog is basically just another toy for a grandchild was drawn to get a cockerpoo in the first place

30degreesandmeltinghere · 21/07/2021 12:54

Poor ddog. Once or twice our ddogs have over the years snapped at an ankle if they have been trodden on, once dd went over ddog's paw with Heellies on! Accidents happen. If your ddog had meant to bite it would have. Keep them apart or under even greater supervision.. Your toddler won't be small for much longer... Ime ddogs don't have much patience with small flighty dc..
And dc who leave them alone will be left alone...

AngelicaElizaAndPeggy · 21/07/2021 12:54

Hang on - have you had your dog for the whole 9 years? And you're going to just throw in the towel over just this one occurrence? Agree with others - find a good behaviourist, tweak the problem and then keep your pet in its home with the people it's bonded to.

BarberQueue · 21/07/2021 12:55

It sounds like you can't be bothered to invest any time and attention to this dog so it will probably be better off being rehomed. Spaniel Aid UK and Doodle Rescue will both be able to help.

zoeydollie · 21/07/2021 12:56

If the dog doesn’t like children then why on earth are you leaving them next to a toddler

PoorPawsPickPawpaws · 21/07/2021 12:57

I would imagine most rescues will take a dog that has reacted once in 9 years, without causing injury and when a young child tried to do something unusual to it.

It doesn't really sound like a dog with issues with children. TBH it just sounds like better supervision was needed. As in active supervision, not just an adult present but one taking action to keep both child and dog comfortable/relaxed and keeping a fair distance between them so that the child couldn't just turn and try to draw on the dog.

Does seem like a harsh outcome for an older dog, though. Not a huge queue of people waiting to take on a 9 year old dog who is approaching old age and higher medical bills etc.

ferretface · 21/07/2021 12:57

They weren't being supervised closely if the toddler was able to try and draw on the dog! Poor dog.

Most reputable rescues would take and rehome this dog very easily.

Clymene · 21/07/2021 12:59

How can they both have been supervised very closely when the toddler was able to draw on the toddler?

Most reputable rescues would take your dog. Poor thing

zoeydollie · 21/07/2021 13:00

My grandparents had a grumpy Alsatian that didn’t like children but we weren’t growled or snapped at ever. The dog was closely supervised and kept away when we visited.

Anordinarymum · 21/07/2021 13:02

Sorry OP but it's you in the wrong here and not your poor dog. Can't you see this ?

muddyford · 21/07/2021 13:03

The dog hasn't got issues with children. You are proposing rehoming an older dog after an incident like this? It's not a dog issue, it's an owner issue. The poor dog deserves better.

Forestdweller11 · 21/07/2021 13:04

Yup, another one here saying that they weren't being closely supervised. I think the dog reacted well. Typically if they mean to bite they will bite. We were guilty of supervising, but not really supervising with our 13 month old and a terrier we had at the time. All of us sat in sofa, dog and baby together in middle watching telly. Toddler grabbed a load of dogs hair and yanked, terrier nipped her - causing a small bruise. Totally our fault, not the dogs, we just made sure from then on that our supervision was actually being done actively. No other incidents occurred. We have the same rules two more dogs down the line. It's a shock

MichelleScarn · 21/07/2021 13:06

@ferretface

They weren't being supervised closely if the toddler was able to try and draw on the dog! Poor dog.

Most reputable rescues would take and rehome this dog very easily.

Had my pick of posts to agree with! How would you react to someone who drew on you? Dogs don't have hands to push you off them. Poor dog.

SpeckledlyHen · 21/07/2021 13:10

Sorry OP but I think this is dreadful that you are looking to rehome your dog. I am assuming you have had that dog since it was a puppy and is very much part of your family.

The dog is not a young excitable puppy and understandably did not want to be drawn on. You can easily resolve this by putting in a stair gate or getting doggy day care or similar to have your dog whilst the grand children visit. There are so many other options you can choose rather than rehoming your dog.

onceivepostedidontcomeback · 21/07/2021 13:13

Well no, they quite clearly weren't being closely supervised! Dog however deserves a better home!

DotDotDotDot · 21/07/2021 13:15

No skin was broken

The dog didn't even bite. There's a world of difference between a warning nip and a bite.

The child was drawing on the dog and the dog warned the child - but crucially it didn't bite. Massive difference. If you can't be bothered supervising properly or teaching the child not to draw on the dog, then yes, perhaps you should rehome it.

wetotter · 21/07/2021 13:16

I think this is a supervision issue, not a dangerous dog.

If you really can't supervise fully, then it would be kinder to the dog to rehome. But the kindest option all round would be to supervise properly. That the toddler reached the dog at all was a supervision error - the adult should have been between the dog and the toddler.

I think any rescue would be happy to take the dog, but you do need to be frank and say the incident only happened because the toddler was close and provoked the dog, and you are unable to offer enough supervision to keep the dog safe from unwanted advances

CovidCorvid · 21/07/2021 13:20

Poor dog. Can't imagine there's much uptake for 9yo dogs. My heart breaks to think that you'd let the poor dog go and languish in a kennel for months/potentially the rest of it's life.

You could quite easily separate the dog from grandkids with stairgates, etc.

squiddybear · 21/07/2021 13:33

Sorry OP I don't think you are doing the right thing. If it is a grandchild is there a reason you cannot separate them whilst the grandchild is young and unpredictable?

Your dog is 9 that's old for a cockapoo! Don't punish it for you putting it in that situation

Original poster

drumst1ck · 21/07/2021 13:40

Oh boy.

Okay, so the dog isn't mine, it's my parents dog. They are very much aware of their inadequate training and supervision and due to ongoing family issues can't put in the time to rectify it. They're both heartbroken to get rid of the dog but the safety of their grandchildren comes first. And they don't want her going anywhere to 'languish' as one poster put it.

Looking for somewhere that will find her a foster home to try and help her with training. Stairgates and being shut away have been in place since the incident and the dog is a nervous wreck. She deserves better.

Some actual help with places I could start would be great but I sense I might not find that here...

OP posts:

Original poster

drumst1ck · 21/07/2021 13:41

And it was 100% a supervison error. No one is debating that. That's not what I'm here to get help with.

OP posts:

DishingOutDone · 21/07/2021 13:43

You're not getting the replies you want OP because the situation you have described does not warrant rehoming. A child tried to push chalk into the dog's face, you are bloody lucky it didnt bite properly. Are you seriously saying nothing else has happened in 9 years?

I am not aware of any training you can do that can stop a dog reacting in that situation! Are you seriously suggesting that the dog's discomfort is a training issue?

Original poster

drumst1ck · 21/07/2021 13:44

@BarberQueue thanks for those, they will be a good start.

OP posts:

Tatum1234 · 21/07/2021 13:46

Pupcakes rescue

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