Our dog bit DS. What next?

[newnamefortoday]

NC for this one. Our JRT bit 4yo DS on the foot at the weekend. Not terrible, but a huge bruise, puncture wound, visit to minor injuries and antibiotics. We’re not sure exactly what happened, dog was in the garden, DS climbed on the gate as he has done dozens of times before but this time the dog bit his foot as he put it through. Just heard a snarl then a scream. Dog knew exactly who it was as the gate is between garden and house, not the road. It would have been much worse had the gate not been between them. We also have a small baby. We are obviously considering dog’s future and keeping him separated for now. He snarled at my mum this week and caught my ankle snapping at me last week. He’s always been a bit of a grumpy terrier but has never bitten before so we’re considering all possibilities. He’s quite old. Lots to think about but with a small baby we can’t take any chances. What would you do next, apart from taking dog to vet to check for pain etc? Would you expect any follow up from SS or HV through the hospital?

I agree with brain tumor

This is a really reductive and nasty thing to say.

Many of us adore dogs. Absolutely adore them.

It is not kind to put dogs who have bitten to them point they've broken skin, who have suddenly started biting and snarling, in a position where they can do so again.

You'd never forgive yourself if they hurt the child or another child (or adult) again, surely.

It's not demonising a dog to say it is not safe anymore due to illness that is making it attack people. It's a fact.

You're sort of guilt tripping owners like OP for putting children before pets.

The only disgrace is that children are at risk here.

This animal needs to be pts. It’s a threat to your children and others. Sorry but it can not be trusted, do not live to regret keeping this animal.

The dog hasn't "attacked" anyone. It's snapped probably due to confusion caused by epilepsy. This is very, very treatable.

You are all behaving like OP is keeping a wild lion tethered to her baby's cot.

Y'all need to calm the fuck down.

Some of us don't think it's a responsible risk worth taking when a dog has already bitten not one but two people.

One of whom was a little child who wouldn't have been able to get away from the dog had it been able to continue eg if the fence had been flimsy or not there.

It's awful to be guilt tripping people into keeping a dog in their home that has already hurt them and their child and is capable of doing so again.

How is it immoral to put a healthy dog down, especially when it’s bitten more than once? Wouldn’t it be more moral to put down this one dog and thus save the lives of all the animals the dog would eat in its lifetime, that are chopped up and served as dog food? Why is this dogs life somehow more important than the unknown pigs / cows / chickens or whatever it’s eating? It’s absolutely ridiculous as an argument.

I feel really sad for both your family and the dog.
the fact your dh has had him from a puppy must make it so hard for him.
and before anyone starts jumping down my throat i would always put my daughter first before anything.
Although I completely get why people are saying pts but it is really tough.
I really hope you do whats right for your family and the dog whatever that may be.
all the best x

Disgusting

I seriously think there must be trolls on this thread because it is inconceivable that people would want to endanger a young child and a baby in this way. It wasn’t a “nip” FFS, the child needed medical attention and antibiotics- the skin was broken. I hope none of you own a dog because you clearly don’t understand the law. It’s in black and white - injury to a person is a breach.

My Mum made a good point when our dog nipped and marked my toddler years ago.

“what exactly are you waiting for? For him to do a proper job and maim her next time?”

It was harsh but correct. For your child and the dog too, you must rehome or take to a dog rescue place stating that it needs a home with no children. If anything further happened you wouldn’t forgive yourself. Also, it could attack someone else..

It is a horrible decision to make, but the correct one and one of many horrible decisions adults must take for their children. The choice that I would make if I was in that situation too.

Sorry about your dog. It shouldn’t live with you any longer, but you can at least save it by rehoming it. X

Not worth the risk op, hope the vet is helpful

I think the only disgusting thing is that the OP has to ask on here what to do !
The mutt should be put down full stop

We had a shih tzu who was the most lovely dog, adored our DD from the moment we brought her home, 'protected' her from friends dogs (aka wouldn't let them anywhere near her).
Then one day my DH (who has a terrible habit of wandering when on the phone) drifted out the room for a few seconds. We are not entirely sure what happened, but the dog scratched DD's face quite badly.
I wanted her gone there and then but MIL convinced DH to 'give her another chance'
But I wouldn't have her in the same room as DD from then on.
We took her to the vets and it turns out she had a very bad anal gland infection that needed an op (possible reason for attack?)
We tried to make it work for as long as we could (about a year) but she had lost my trust and we had lost hers, when she growled at DS (who had just started crawling) was the last push my DH needed for me to convince him that only was it not safe for DC but it wasn't fair on dog to be segregated from the family all the time.
We did thankfully manage to rehime her with a nice retired couple who spoil her rotten.
Yes dogs are part of the family, but when there's young children involved sometimes it's just not worth the risk.

It’s never worth the risk.
The potential tragic downside far outweighs any upside.

Looking at the situation logically, the dog is unwell, acted out of character, then had a seizure.

I would do the following-

Keep the dog separate from the children (which undoubtably you are), if a friend, family member or even kennel could take the dog in the short term that would be ideal. Warn them that the dog has bitten, our dog was able to be kennelled and he had a bite history.

Find out what is wrong with the dog, it could be easily treated with medication, or it could be something that will continue to get worse.

Base your decision on what is actually wrong with the dog, I think you owe it to the dog to find out.

If easily treatable you could reach out to a behaviourist, get them to assess the dog. I would also reach out to a breed rescue to see if they had any advice.

Ultimately I think in the long term you will feel better having done everything you can.

Owned dogs for 52 years, and grew up in a house of 7 dogs big and small. Both my sister and me never got bit. But we knew what the dogs were like, and we were told when to give them space.

And no one saw what actually happened?? He might have caught a eye with his foot, so yeah if some one kicked me I would react badly too.

Don't know what's worse on here the drama or the trolls!!

@newnamefortoday PTS. Before the dog puts your child to sleep.

You can never replace your child or anyone else that the dog attacks.

I’ve read all of ops comments and now see the dog had a seizure and full tests weren’t done. I had understood by ‘seen the vet’ that proper tests were done. It really bugs me that people take pets without thinking through the finances.
Op, you need to see this through. You could, for example, crate the dog while he’s undergoing treatment.

Really sorry OP, heartbreaking situation, but you need to get rid of the dog. Think he will be difficult to rehome. You need to be brutally honest about the dog's aggression.
Would definitely have dog wearing a muzzle now.
Without wearing one 24/7 he is not safe. Think likely outcome is put to sleep 💐

Healthy? Suspected epilepsy or brain tumour doesn't sound tip top to me.

My heart breaks for your DH and the poor dog! I'm a cat person more than a dog one but I can totally understand your DH's attachment to his dog!! I also understand that you can't put your babies at risk either. I think the dog deserves a chance though and surely there must be a way of keeping him separate from your young children?

My elderly cat developed epilepsy a few years ago and it was totally controlled by medication. Once he had his meds he never had another fit.

It breaks my heart when previously much-loved pets are no longer valued when children come along!! I had four adored cats before I had my first baby, and while we had to adapt, there was no way my furry babies were going anywhere!

Please consider all options! My cats were terrified of my children so we made a room for them at the back of the garage, with carpet, sofas, spaces to climb, windows to look out, etc. We put in a glass door to maximise light. They lived to be 10 (FIV led to kidney failure), 14, 16 and 17.

The dog hasn't just bitten a child, it has also nipped at an adult and snarled at another adult and we don't have an assurance that the dog is healthy - they have had a personality change and a seizure - are aggressive behaviour, seizures and change in personality really markers of a healthy dog? As a doctor, I know full well that they certainly aren't markers of a healthy human. Certainly, new onset seizures and personality change would be red flags for a brain tumour

This dog needs to be pts. This is not a happy dog. Do those people who advocate not pts really believe that removing the dog from it's familiar environment and placing it into a totally alien environment is going to make it happy?

Think about the best interests of the dog, not just the child. Think about the advice from the vet. A vet would not advocate putting an animal to sleep if they thought there was any viable alternative. There isn't. This dog could continue to attack adults.

Once pain has been ruled out then I’m really sorry but he needs to go. Snapping;Growling; Grumpy.
all the word you don’t want to hear about a dog..
In Scotland, the hospital would send a letter to the HV and she/he would make a wellbeing call.