Toddler Attacked By Dog In Hair Salon

[all that glitters]

If the parents just kept the kid physically AWAY from the dog it would not have happened, but whether or not the dog approached the kid/parent(s) and encouraged contact I don't know.

All I know is that a lot of parents suck big time at kid control. I work in a lolly shop and a lot of parents act like WUSSES when it comes to controlling their kids, they mess my displays up, carry stock around the store and suck on items, I get sooo angry and always tell the parents to watch their child please and stop them touching things. Why they can't just pick the kid up and tell it off is beyond me, some of them are like "ohhh johnny, no little one, come here please, come on please" touching the child tentatively, almost mouse-like, like HELLO just pick the damn annoying kid up and remove it from the situation!!

[OSoSwift]

I take both of my kids to the hairdressers when I get my hair cut. They have a small basket of toys, the kids are told to sit on the floor near me and play. they are not allowed to roam around, there are lots of potential disasters in a hairdresser. My children are reminded EVERY SINGLE TIME they see a dog - do not pat the dog, you only pat if ask and the owner says yes, even then I do not encourage patting of unknown dogs, and I never ask them if they want to pat a dog that we do not know.

What is wrong with telling a child no and then acting on it if they don't listen?

The child should have been better supervised, the dog souldn't have been loose in a shop, especially considering there was a toddler who was roaming freely.

Now there is a bitten child and a dead dog again!!!!!! Sometimes the stupidness of the human race astounds me.

[mantis]

I take both of my kids to the hairdressers when I get my hair cut. They have a small basket of toys, the kids are told to sit on the floor near me and play. they are not allowed to roam around, there are lots of potential disasters in a hairdresser. My children are reminded EVERY SINGLE TIME they see a dog - do not pat the dog, you only pat if ask and the owner says yes, even then I do not encourage patting of unknown dogs, and I never ask them if they want to pat a dog that we do not know.

What is wrong with telling a child no and then acting on it if they don't listen?

The child should have been better supervised, the dog shouldn't have been loose in a shop, especially considering there was a toddler who was roaming freely.

Now there is a bitten child and a dead dog again!!!!!! Sometimes the stupidness of the human race astounds me.

Bingo, that's all that needs to be said, another child & dog victim due to slack humans. :p

[Diablo]

The other side of the coin is that people can make some risk assessments for themselves too. We can all blame the dog owner for the incident but there is no necessity for anyone to expose a toddler to a salon with a dog???. If the dog belongs there and wanders around amoungst the customers..........there has to be some form of common sense to use that salon at your own risk. Laying blame and the dog being PTS is too late to undo the trauma that the poor little girl suffered.

Edited November 24, 2009 by Diablo

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I have dogs with excellent natures that I'd consider suitable for visiting nursing homes etc. They are wonderful with other dogs and each other.

However, we walk in a local park and a few times we've encountered people with small children who let them run full pelt towards my dogs with arms flailing and screaming.

Watching my dogs' body language - they are unsettled. There is no way in the world I would let the children approach them, they must do so calmly and slowly and only if I say it's OK. I don't put my dogs in that position and as much as I love them and know they are wonderful, they could still be frightened enough by a toddler to react in an unpredictable way.

The salon owner was very much at fault for putting her dog in this position. Due to them generally being prime carers, women are going to be likely to bring their kids into a salon. Enough said.

Hope the child recovers with no scars. RIP poor dog.

[Are You Serious Jo]

If what happened is how described by the person who said they know the family then the dog should be PTS. It left the place it was eating to go over to a child and attack, not just give a warning snap, which some do if someone reaches for their bone (which I wouldn't tolerate anyway). Dog isn't a victim and should be PTS, and owner of salon prosecuted for having a dog at large and attacking.

[janemc]

I know hearing of something like this incident is distressing for all and it is natural to wonder how could it happen and then guess how it could have been avoided. Some further information for you is that the dog was not in fact eating at the time of the attack nor was there any warning growl, hairs standing up or showing of teeth at any stage. The child was not interested in the dog. The child is familiar with dogs, big and small. The child was not left unsupervised at anytime and was not left to wonder around as suggested by some posts. Its very tragic for all.

[Ashanali]

I know hearing of something like this incident is distressing for all and it is natural to wonder how could it happen and then guess how it could have been avoided. Some further information for you is that the dog was not in fact eating at the time of the attack nor was there any warning growl, hairs standing up or showing of teeth at any stage. The child was not interested in the dog. The child is familiar with dogs, big and small. The child was not left unsupervised at anytime and was not left to wonder around as suggested by some posts. Its very tragic for all.

the bolded part contradicts another person earlier in the thread who said that they know the family and the dog was eating.

[poodlefan]

I know hearing of something like this incident is distressing for all and it is natural to wonder how could it happen and then guess how it could have been avoided. Some further information for you is that the dog was not in fact eating at the time of the attack nor was there any warning growl, hairs standing up or showing of teeth at any stage. The child was not interested in the dog. The child is familiar with dogs, big and small. The child was not left unsupervised at anytime and was not left to wonder around as suggested by some posts. Its very tragic for all.

All posts in dog attack threads by a very recent member. Jane are you a friend or relative of the owner of this dog or the victim of the attack?

Edited November 25, 2009 by poodlefan

[quoll]

Doesnt sound like a terribly big deal.

Having said that its not the point it could have been. I dont know the facts of the incident, havnt seen the news report about the dog apparently eating at the time which would make both the owner and parent even dumber

Sorry but I don't see how the parent is at fault at all in this case. You don't expect your child to be bitten by a dog while you're getting your hair cut!

That is absolutley correct

[Akayla]

Let look at this a different way if this dog had been outside and the owner didnt have it under effective control and it did this to a child (even one running around) what would people say? What if it was your dog instead of a child? How many people here scream for blood and have 0 tolerance for dogs offlead?

This dog may have been inside but it wasnt under effective control and it WAS in a public place.

Im sure the owner is quite upset but they owned this dog, allowed it freedom and kept it in a public place. They are liable. End of story.

Personally although I would think it stupid to not keep you child away from a strange dog, it wouldnt matter to me. If you are going to take your dog into a place like that it is YOUR responsibility! The only thing that could make the child partly responsible is if it hurt the dog.

[poodlefan]

I don't ever hold children responsible.. they are children.

It is up to all of us, dog owners and parents to keep them safe.

[Souff]

The other side of the coin is that people can make some risk assessments for themselves too. We can all blame the dog owner for the incident but there is no necessity for anyone to expose a toddler to a salon with a dog???. If the dog belongs there and wanders around amoungst the customers..........there has to be some form of common sense to use that salon at your own risk. Laying blame and the dog being PTS is too late to undo the trauma that the poor little girl suffered.

Have just checked the Yellow Pages listings for hairdressers. Cant find one in there that says "We have a loose dog here - don't bring children".

Get real Diablo - the dog was not supposed to be there!

Souff

[LilyLotus]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, first post. Re. the Hairdresser Husky ... :D

I'm posting now coz I feel really sad if the people in charge of decision-making re. this matter decide the dog is to be killed. I know that it is awful that the poor child was injured, and of course she must have all medical care to heal her.

But what is she when older, and even the young father also - going to get from this episode in her life? That you kill something automatically that harms you? Even if, additionally, the circumstances may have conspired to make that dog feel provoked if it was eating, and the child was perhaps wandering around unsupervised?

I have briefly 'met' this dog, and I feel so sad for him, I can't help it. He is quite calm in manner and vocally quiet, but obviously sad and confused re. why he is in a pen and not his usual person and lifestyle. He is a well cared for husky I noted clean teeth, microchipped, friendly enquiring manner and body language, licked my hand thru cage as he pawed at it hoping for release .... his owner I don't think can be a 'bad' owner, obviously, as the dog is not neglected ... just caught out perhaps, by taking his dog for granted? Unaware of potential for other behaviours to surface given certain 'stimuli'? Hasn't the dog been a fixture in that salon for some years now? Maybe it was even a bit of a 'showpiece' to customers to have a handsome husky greeting you?!

I suspect that this owner would be prob. be one of those that would undertake required lifestyle changes to enable the dog's needs to be met, and the public to be kept safe too, of course. Huskies can be challenging in some respects, and rather 'alpha' types espec. if underexercised and bored etc... And the food guarding aspect perhaps? Having briefly seen this dog and having also seen at shelters badly neglected dogs including huskies that end up there via inspectors, I would feel very sad indeed, for this dog, & the owner too, if a basically cared for and seemingly loved dog is not given the opportunity to live out a good life. Huskies amazed me sometimes with their capacity to tolerate so much awfulness from humans, and not be aggressive back.... lovely dogs, idiosycratic, stubborn, adorable and good natured working dogs, as a breed.

This dog is not, in my own small non-professional opinion, a 'bad' dog at all, or beyond some kind and appropriate rehabilitation ... with owners understanding and participation, of course. Having read what happened with the Michael Vicks dogs, and others, NO dog is beyond the capacity to change, given the right circumstances, human care, and lifestyle ....

So I can but wish for the kindest, best and more humane outcome for all concerned, including the child and her father.

Ditto to Gretel's post. I really HATE dogs in places like that. Dogs belong at home OR if they have to be there, they should be confined. Why was the dog being fed while a small child was around? It makes me really angry.

Why would a parent let their small child approach a dog who is eating? Both the owner and the parent are in the wrong in this situation IMO.

Ashanali,

I disagree that the parent is at fault.

The very last thing I would expect to see in a hairdressing salon, which services all sorts and sizes of the public, would be a dog.

Children go with parents to barbers and hairdressers all over Australia every day of the week. A hairdressing salon is an appropriate place for a child to be and I never tied any of mine up while I was in the chair. They were told to stay in the salon and not go outside. They were free to do whatever in the salon, except be a nuisance to other people (or to me). Most parents in a barbers chair would not have been able to quickly intervene in this situation and any warning growls were probably drowned out by hairdryers.

A hairdressing salon is not an appropriate place for a dog to be and is fraught with risks.

Those risks will now almost definitely take this dogs life.

That doesn't mean that it was ok that the parent let their child approach a strange dog when it was eating. Just because some people think the dog should not have been there does not make it ok for the parents to be lax when it comes to allowing their kids to approach dogs they don't know ESPECIALLY ones who are eating.

I agree with Ash - both the parent and the salon owner are in the wrong here. This accident was entirely preventable and now that poor little girl and the dog will have to pay the price for peoples sheer irresponsibility and stupidity

ETA: We had people with two small children over to our house a while ago. My dogs are not resource guarders in any way shape or form and anyone could take food off them if they needed to. However, I gave them both a bone and put Daisy away in her crate and locked Micha on the back deck so they could eat in peace, where no one could disturb them. One of the kids snuck inside our house (we were all out in the yard), unlocked our back door, walked on to the back deck and over to Micha who was eating his bone. The parents actually WATCHED him doing it and said and did NOTHING. As soon as I saw the kid out there I ran inside and bought him back in, explaining to him and his parents that you never approach a dog who is eating. They didn't get the big deal because Mish is such a friendly dog Even though Micha is great with kids and fine with people near him when he's eating, no parent should be so relaxed about letting their kid approach a dog when it's eating.

[Are You Serious Jo]

It was an unprovoked attack on a child who wasn't near the dog, it should be PTS, we don't need dogs like that in our community, dogs like that have already caused ridiculous dog laws to be enacted.

[mokhahouse]

Ditto to Gretel's post. I really HATE dogs in places like that. Dogs belong at home OR if they have to be there, they should be confined. Why was the dog being fed while a small child was around? It makes me really angry.

You might hate dogs in places like that (I don't necessarily agree with it either) BUT why did the parent think it was okay to leave the child to run around unsupervised? It's not the job of the staff to watch children and a person sitting in a salon chair can't really do much.

Owner of shop is at fault

Parent of child is at fault

They are both morons.

And who suffers the consequences of their idiocy? the poor dog and the poor child.

Ashanali,

I disagree that the parent is at fault.

The very last thing I would expect to see in a hairdressing salon, which services all sorts and sizes of the public, would be a dog.

Children go with parents to barbers and hairdressers all over Australia every day of the week. A hairdressing salon is an appropriate place for a child to be and I never tied any of mine up while I was in the chair. They were told to stay in the salon and not go outside. They were free to do whatever in the salon, except be a nuisance to other people (or to me). Most parents in a barbers chair would not have been able to quickly intervene in this situation and any warning growls were probably drowned out by hairdryers.

A hairdressing salon is not an appropriate place for a dog to be and is fraught with risks.

Those risks will now almost definitely take this dogs life.

Souff

The parent made the choice to have a haircut in a salon with a dog. The parent could have turned around and left when it saw the dog if the parent was not going to ensure their child stayed away from the dog. My kids were never allowed to wander around in the salon, its a hazard to the staff who have sharp scissors and chemicals being used.If the dog had a bone as suggested I would not be sitting any where near the dog with my toddler. I feel this is commen sense. I dont think it was a good idea to have the dog being fed and in the store but the parent must also accept his/her part in this. They made the choice to enter the store thereby IMO accepting the risk of the dog being there.The dog and the child are the victims here, the dog owner and the parent are both responsible.I wish the little girl a speedy recovery and hope she is not scared of dogs for good now because of this. The store owner really should have had the dog confined at least behind baby gates preferably a crate.

Edited November 28, 2009 by mokhahouse

[Akayla]

If someone said to you that the dog was friendly and you kept your child next to you and away from the dog at all times why wouldnt you think it was safe?

I dont neccessarily think the dog should be PTSd but I do believe that the owner is liable for damages/emotional distress.

But I also understand that a dog like that can be rehomed and even if it isnt they need to really look into why it happened. Was it a behavioural thing or is a symptom of something else. It would need to be fully investigated.

[Diablo]

The other side of the coin is that people can make some risk assessments for themselves too. We can all blame the dog owner for the incident but there is no necessity for anyone to expose a toddler to a salon with a dog???. If the dog belongs there and wanders around amoungst the customers..........there has to be some form of common sense to use that salon at your own risk. Laying blame and the dog being PTS is too late to undo the trauma that the poor little girl suffered.

Have just checked the Yellow Pages listings for hairdressers. Cant find one in there that says "We have a loose dog here - don't bring children".

Get real Diablo - the dog was not supposed to be there!

Souff

Only the law determines if the dog should have been there or not. As far as I aware, there are no laws preventing it and no breach has occurred in that regard. There are also complex laws regarding what is defined as a public place as the dog was contained in it's own premises. Customers have the choice to assume that the dog should be ok or that it may not be and have the choice to either accept the conditions of entry or chose another salon........pro-active risk assessment is the point of my post Souff???. Personally, I have absolutely no trust whatsoever with dogs I don't know and would assess the risk accordingly. For the record, we have taken our dog/s to work for 20 years but they are isolated from public areas to prevent any possibilities of unsupervised misbehaviour.

[KismetKat]

It may vary from Council to Council but as far as I am aware dogs are not allowed in hair salons due the health reasons.

I used to go to a hairdresser in the Bayside council area who had a lovely rescue dog that was a Bernese Mountain dog x. I loved having him come into the salon from out the back, rest his head on my knee, and give him rubs as he drooled. Apparently a lot of patrons also enjoyed his company.

But someone walking past made a complaint to Council that there was a dog loose in the salon and council visited the hairdresser citing "health" reasons why she couldn't have the dog in the salon.

I never did figure out what the 'health' reasons were (she didn't serve food) but after that to see the dog I used to have to go out the back to give him a pat.

[Akayla]

Allergies? liability?