Foster dog bit my child

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We’ve got a dog we are fostering to adopt - had her 3 months, she’s not long turned a year old. She had a medical issue, was left at rescue by the breeder at 8 weeks old. She’s on long term medication. We’ve had issues from day one with her jumping up and being very mouthy, but otherwise a good dog at home. Bit too overeager meeting other dogs, but not aggressive just overly playful. She’s been pretty good with kids on the whole but gets overexcited and will jump up/snatch toys etc. She mouths a lot at hands, especially if you try to stroke her on the head, but she’s been responding well to training “gentle” and making uh-uh noises for no.

I went away for a couple days (left her with DH), she’s been nutty since I got back. She’s been really hard to deal with on walks - constantly laying down and refusing to walk, but full of energy at home. This evening my son was playing fetch in the garden and she bit him on the chest when he was about to throw the ball. I had my back turned so didn’t see what happened but I’m pretty shaken - left a red mark but no skin broken.

What on Earth do I do? It’s been such a hard situation to manage as I don’t feel like we’ve ever had much information from the rescue, we aren’t legally responsible for her and we can’t even go to the vets without the rescues permission and they can take several days to respond.

That would be my solution but everyone else on here will defend the mutt and say it's not the dogs fault

What you rather have no dog or a disfigured child

Are you lost?

Our golden retriever loved to jump up for toys to play. He ‘s a big dog and at 13 months was very puppyish but in a grown dog size body. I taught him sit and wait. As he loved playing with the toys I would play with him but if he became too excited he was told to sit and wait until I let the game resume. This taught him self control.

I wouldn’t have let my 11 year old daughter play with him like this as teeth could brush hands and arms when trying to get the toy and he was liable to knock her over. He did learn to be more gentle when playing.

I really would recommend working on sit and wait commands. They are very simple to teach and they have been so useful for us in every area and seem to have built his confidence.

I’ve had two strong chewers. Cow scalps are good. Camel skin too. Buffalo horns and antlers. Yak chews are ok but now she bites bits off plus they are expensive. Horns and antlers last ages.

Doesn’t sound like an aggressive bite at all, sounds like a misjudged jump for a ball.

Who’s been trying to walk her since you got back, dh or you? I’m wondering if she’s lying down as she is worried you’ll leave again so wants to get back to you if it’s dh walking her?

I know this is a bit obvious but you say she is particularly mouthy if you try to stroke her head, - is there any reason to stroke her head? Could you ask everyone in the family to avoid that area?

With regards to fetch, since it’s so rewarding for her, I’d have thought you could quickly teach her manners around it, - so a sit, drop and wait. Obviously your or your husband would be doing this. A gun dog trainer (not a dominance adherent) might be able to help with some games and training tips.

It’s possible - she didn’t eat today whilst I was at work out late, and wolfed food down as soon as I got home. it’s mostly been DH walking her. I walk her and she lays down at the end of the walk when I’m heading home, like she wants to stay out. I genuinely feel like she needs another dog in the house - she had dogs all around her whilst with rescue/previous temporary foster home. I don’t think we can take the commitment of another dog right now though. I’ll have to arrange play dates

You can teach her to use her nose by hiding treats around the living room then let her in to find them. I started teaching mine by dropping a treat in front of him and saying “find it”. He’s a bit dim so it took a few goes before I was able to start hiding things for him and he’s still not that good at it but you can’t half hear him sniffing hard. If your dog loves her balls hide those instead for her and let her retrieve

I've got a very high energy (and massive) 6 month dog and fetch makes him absolutely nutty, to the extent that we don't play it anymore. Teaching a game that makes them use their brains will tire them out as much as, if not more than, a long walk. Sniffing games are really good for this - throw stinky treats into long grass and let her find them. Get rid of the bowl and make her work for her breakfast by scatter feeding on the morning walk. Training will also tire her out, and you can get your children involved in that, try an app like puppr and get them to teach her a simple trick each week.

The rescue sounds like they are mismanaged, they should be providing more guidance and getting health care sorted out properly so you can take her to the vet right away if you need to. Plus why leave you for months as a foster carer, when you would like to adopt her. I would go back to them and push for either more support or to let you adopt her so you can get things arranged yourself.

Oh that’s all right then. 🙄

I would categorically say this was mouthing during play. The dog sounds as if he's been over stimulated by play/the game/ball throwing/the person playing with him.
Praise him whenever he's calm -even when lying down doing nothing. Calmness=a trainable, well socialised dog.
I appreciate this is hard with kids - but don't get me started on husbands - they tend to rough house the dog and undo all the training that the conscientious adult in the household has done with the dog. It's vital you are all doing the same thing with training. Also he's still at an age when he will be bouncy and playful. They don't tend to calm down until they are 2.
You are doing a wonderful thing giving him a second chance. Good luck.

ZOMBIE THREAD

Zombie thread.

But should anyone care, dog is very well behaved, there was some fantastic advice given on not getting her over excited and it was spot on.

We have a lab. He was huge, strong, mouthy for quite awhile. He has dragged DH over and knocked me flying. I’m very surprised a rescue let you foster with children so young. Our boy had not an ounce of aggression (he’s 13 now, never bitten) but my god he was a mouthy, bitey pup teen.

He has been the most loving dog and a therapy dog as an adult.

@nolamesallowed ODFOD

Regardless of why the dog bit your child, it did bite your child.

Personally, I'd immediately return the dog.

Your children rely upon you to make adult decisions and protect them from harm. You hope that nothing worse will happen in the future, but you can't be completely sure. The only way you can fully protect them is to remove the dog from your household.

This dog, that you've only had for a short time, shouldn't be more important to you than your own children.

It's sad that the adoption hasn't worked out, but your kids must come first.

Try RTFT. My OP was in AUGUST last year.

There is a world of difference between an over excited PUPPY biting in play and an agressive bite.

Great to hear the update OP

An enjoyable update !
Thank you

Glad you decided to keep her. Sounds like she was just very editable which is pretty common for labs. Glad it’s all worked out ok for all of you.