My dog bit an old lady.

[Milliemoons]

And I feel so awful about it. He’s a chihuahua, he’s tiny but he still drew blood. He’s never done it before. It was super windy, I had my newborn in a pram and my three year old who was running off and I took my eye off him for one second and he just launched himself at this poor lady.

He was off lead but he usually is and I’ve never had a problem (he’s 7). We were in a public park where dogs are permitted off lead. Needless to say I won’t be risking that again.

She was really worried about needing to go to the doctor to be vaccinated (I assured her he was fully vaccinated and healthy). I apologised over and over but the poor woman was shaken up.

I just keep thinking about it. DH says not to worry, I apologised and I reassured her I would not be allowing him off lead again.

Has this happened to anyone else?

I cannot believe the amount of people who want to murder an innocent animal for OPs mistake. Horrible, horrible (in)human beings.

OP is bring responsible, and will always enforce a lead from now on.

This was a very small and vulnerable dog who was scared and lashed out, that is all. It needs to leashed, not murdered.

I hope you exchanged details. She may need antibiotics with a dog bite. Get your dog checked out at the vet and mussel him. If this dog is a danger to people he will need to be put to sleep.

So you 'reassured' her she doesnt need medical care? Because you dog is 'healthy' ?
Is that correct?

I'm pretty sure the dog would love a mussel. Perhaps a couple of prawns too!

Sorry this is happening OP. If it were me I would be doing two things pretty pronto:

rehoming the dog
finding this lady and checking she’s okay

Op you've majorly overcommitted yourself with a dog who bites, a 3yo who bolts, and a newborn in a pram. This poor lady has been injured because of it, and if it gets infected it could be really bad for her.

You cannot handle all three, that's clear.

You're obviously not going to rehome your children so it's a case of rehoming the dog or putting it to sleep.

Next, wear the baby in a carrier so you have both hands free.

Finally, teach your 3yo not to run off unless inside the playground gates.

I hope the old woman has more sense then you and gets medical help. She will need a tetanus shot . Very foolish that you told her she didnt need help.
You should put your dog down. You cannot trust it around anyone now .
Silly dog owners not using a lead.
How did you even keep track if it shit somewhere? Whist chasing a toddler and pushing a pram ??

I know someone who was bitten by a small pet dog. Failed to get a tetanus and antibiotics (in time) and sadly passed away a few days later from sepsis.

You need to get in contact with this lady OP.

The dog does not need to be rehomed. OP is a responsible dog owner, she's already said she'll keep it on lead in the future.

And I know many, many people who have had bites from small animals and have had no treatment and no adverse effects.

I'll be sure to let the husband of the woman who died know that then, shall I?

How can she hold a dog lead with one hand, push a pram which needs two hands round corners or up kerbs, and hold her bolting 3yo with another hand? She's got two hands, not four.

And that's only if she's not got anything else to hold or carry.

Sorry but it's a bonkers situation and something was bound to go wrong. If it wasn't the dog going rogue it could have been the 3yo getting run over.

Op has over committed herself.

As I say, if she wore the newborn in a carrier, AND had a 3yo who wasn't a bolter, AND her dog wasn't a biter, it might almost be manageable.

But if you're in a situation where something as ordinary as a windy day makes everything unmanageable, then you've put too much on your plate and you have an unsustainable situation.

Goodness knows how Op manages to (say) cook dinner if she's looking after all three at once. It must be so chaotic, making sure the dog doesn't bite the baby, and the 3yo isn't getting into the bleach cupboard etc all at the same time.

Now she's seen she can't manage all three, she should consider getting rid of the dog.

My mother's old chihuahua was a cranky little dog. We were always holding her muzzle shut round children and she was never off leash outside our large fenced section. (She had a long history of being a bit aggressive and once at the vets tried to attack an enormous German shepherd - of course she was properly leashed at the time.) My mother had her with her at the seaside for a walk and stopped for some coffee at some outdoor place. This woman came up and started making a fuss of the dog and touching her. My mother told her to stop bothering the dog or she would get bitten. She took no notice of my mother warning her off and the dog promptly bit her. My mother told her she got exactly what she deserved. But this is obviously out of character for the OP's dog.

So your dog bites humans. Today a woman went home in shock and bleeding after an attack by your uncontrolled animal. Your husband think that’s ok??

You have a newborn.
Ok with your dog biting your newborn.
Or your other child?
Ok with your dog biting you?

Muzzling isn’t going to address it. Take dog to vet - it needs to be kept away from humans. Size isn’t an issue - it’s dangerous.

I was recently bit by a dog and I was really shaken up. Your rat should have been on a lead.

Are you really that thick? Perhaps she'll walk the dog separately to the children. Or walk with a friend/other person.

And at home, maybe a baby/dog gate.

Let's also euthanise all the toddlers who bite/hurt people.

Please explain how you walk a dog separately to 2 very young children including a newborn??

Please explain how you can write an awful comment about euthanising children in response to people commenting to euthanise a dangerous dog. A bite from a child cannot kill someone. Vile person you are. Hopefully you have no friends or human being around you that will be on the receiving end of you bonkers crap.

I wouldn’t have the dog in my home with the children - not after an unprovoked attack. I don’t know if a vet would pts in these circumstances but I would be asking their advice.

And yes the lady needed medical attention if skin was broken but hopefully she will have realized that and got it sorted.

What?!!

😂

The ‘small’ vulnerable dog still attacked someone for no reason. What if instead of a small dog, this was something like a Rottweiler? Chihuahuas behaviour is excused constantly because they’re ‘small’. The breed is a menace, even vets say it.

I always have my dogs off leash, every dog I’ve had for years, and they don’t go near anyone. Because they’re Labradors, not Chihuahuas…

Chihuahuas are notorious for being extremely over protective of their family. It looks as though she was trying to protect you and the dc, although totally misguided, probably completely spooked by the wind.
Just dont let her off lead in future. I dont think she needs a muzzle, a lead should suffice. Agree with pp flowers for the lady if you know where she lives.

Also, re the dog walking comments above. Double buggy. Dog kept on lead.

This! I believe Chihuahuas are the result of a small dog breeding with a rat.

Yes, because that’s the same thing… 🙄