What do I do about my dog?

[MStarG]

We got a rescue dog when he was 5, he is now 9. At the time we were a childless couple, we now have a 2 year old. Our dog is a border terrier/jack russell. We don't know anything about his background but he was well trained yet quite needy but a beautifully friendly boy. We have been mainly stay at home with him (we got him 7 weeks before lockdown, not knowing what was to come) and there have been issues which with support from a behaviourist we realised were (not easily recognisable) anxiety issues. Working with her and the vet he has been on medication for the past year which has taken the edge off but not been 'a cure'. Wanting to help him further we decided to try a new medication on the vet's advice. We had to wean him off all meds before starting this new one 2 days ago. Having always been so tolerant of our toddler, tonight he bit him, on the face. It's superficial and he is ok but where does that leave us? We will obviously phone the vet in the morning but I'm so torn between feeling it's my fault for leaving our dog so vulnerable on basically no meds but not knowing if I can ever trust him again. They were not left alone and it was a split second reaction we couldn't control to our toddler trying to grab his toy back. Is it an absolute he has to go or is there an option to try to work it out going back on original meds (which he had no aggression at all with, just other issues)
I know those without without a family dog will have an obvious opinion but has anyone experienced anything similar? I will go with the vets advice but if it's to go back on the original meds and continue, does anyone have experience with this? It was so out of character for him and he's not an aggressive dog as such (I know all animals are unpredictable) Obviously my child comes first and they would be kept completely apart until we come to a conclusion but it breaks my heart to think of losing our otherwise affectionate, fun boy.
I know the knee jerk from everyone having not experienced anything like this would be to get rid so please only comment if you have experience with dogs, I do desperately want the best for everyone.

I’m sorry OP but there is no choice in this situation. The dog needs to go.

You sound like a fantastic owner and have done your best for him but ultimately you cannot risk this happening again to your DS. I say this as a dog owner myself.

Absolutely what @PollencaCalling said.

@MStarG

start off by reporting your own post & asking for your thread to be moved to the dog topic.

A dog that snaps due to unbalanced meds, doesn't need to be 'got rid of'. it needs its meds sorting out (as you have the appointment to do)

For now I'd keep DS & dog separate, in separate rooms.. As you have learnt, just supervising isn't enough. See what the vet says

i hope both DD & DDog are better soon xx

I am a huge dog lover. Ridiculous, actually. There is no choice but to rehome the dog.

O yes fantastic owner. Dog on anxiety medication, then take them off it and allow them near your baby and say it's completely out of character. What were they on medication before then? To change their character. I agree probably put the dog down it's never worth the risk to a child... but do not claim they're fantastic owners, or parents to put their baby in that position

OP was advised by the vet to change his medication, worked with a behaviourist and followed the advice like any good dog owner would. There is nothing more that she could’ve done to prevent this - she did not have a crystal ball to say that this change in medication was going to dramatically switch the dog’s behaviour, nor does it sound like she was warned about this by the vet.

You are simply choosing to be deliberately unpleasant and overly critical of someone who is obviously going through an awful situation.

I really wish people would think more carefully about the likelihood of them having children before getting a dog, especially a rescue. Small children are boisterous, rough and grabby, with little self-control or spacial awareness.

Since the dog was off his meds I'd be inclined to see how he goes when back on them. But find a way to keep dog and child separate for a while. Don't let them get into an interaction that sets one of them up to fail.
If you can't separate them, you are better off re homing, though I don't think his chances are good at age 9 with anxiety and a bite history.

I might risk it with older kids given the rest of the situation, but not with a baby (and maybe another baby in a year or two). I think your dog needs an adult only home.

How close was your toddler to the dog? And what was the toddler doing?

TBH I think you were 100% in the wrong here. A vet might have told you to ween your dog off the meds, but they should have talked you through likely reactions (but you also should have realised that your dog would revert to previous behaviour). So you likely knew the dog would be unpredictable. But you let your toddler near it regardless.

Your dog deserves a second chance and you need to not let your toddler near it. Toddlers and dogs do not mix. If you want to rehome, do that. But if you PTS then you should never get another pet.

I love my dogs but I would not keep a pet that had bitten my child. Your child must come first as sad as it is for the dog.

What do you suggest the alternative is then? I hate to break it to you but an 8 year old dog with known anxiety/agression issues isn’t exactly going to be flying out of an animal shelter..

That OP is a more responsible owner and when weening her dog off drugs she listens to the vets advice (that would have been given) whilst simultaneously recognising that when a dog - as a person - is taken off drugs that alter their behaviour there are side effects. In this case the dog reverted to previous behaviour. That is all on OP. the dog shouldn’t suffer from it.

FWIW I foster - I’ve fostered dozens of ‘aggressive dogs’ in recent years. You’d be surprised how many actually get rehomed successfully.

It's a difficult one as medication is involved. What did the vet say about this?
But in the end you have to keep your toddler safe. So unfortunately from my point of view, ddog needs a new, child free home.