doggleworth Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 One of our dogs bit my 9 month old son on the face this morning. He was supervised at the time, they both were. It was one of those fraction of a second things. Our dog is 10 years old and fear aggressive towards most other dogs. He isn't suited to being on his own, and I don't think I could in good conscience rehome a dog who had bitten a child. I know the only thing to do is take him to our vet and give him his wings, but he has been my "baby" for 10 years since he was a tiny puppy. My heart is breaking right now, but giving him his wings is the right thing to do isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixeduppup Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I wouldn't be so quick to put him down, perhaps just watch more closely or separate them? Has he ever been aggressive with your child before? Did your baby accidentally hurt him? How bad was the bite? Was it a nip or a full on attack? It may have just snapped and got the nearest thing which was the face and why was the baby's face so close to your dog? Not accusing, just asking so that you make the correct decision and don't jump in and regret later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I would be asking myself why he bit the baby would he be likely to do it again can I keep him and the baby always apart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 oh no How is your baby? I hope he's ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disintegratus Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I agree with the others. Yes, your dog bit your child, however it's not necessarily black and white. Yes, fair enough to PTS a dog who has bitten anyone (child or otherwise) unprovoked, but I think you need to look at the whole picture. I would say that within reason, it was not an intentional "go for the face", rather that dog snapped for whatever reason and that the child's face was just unfortunately the part of his body that was the closest/dog face height. The dog is 10, but is he an "old" 10? Does he have aches and pains that the child may have aggravated through their interactions, or gotten close enough to warrant a "don't touch me there it hurts"? Was the child behaving unpredictably enough to put the dog on edge? I'd really examine your memory of the event, try to pinpoint any kind of trigger, even something as innocuous as the child touched the dog on the back or something like that. Either way, I'd suggest a vet trip, even just to find out if the dog is in any kind of pain. It's winter too, so old joints can become especially painful. Different scenario, but I was bitten by my uncles large dog (husky -type x I think) when I was about 4. Said dog had been in a car accident and had injured hindquarters. I called the dog, the dog didn't listen, so I touched him on the bum to get his attention. I ended up in hospital with a bite to my wrist, the result of a warning bite because the dog was in pain. In hindsight, he was giving me ample indications that he did not want to be interacted with (ignoring me, turning away from me, actively moving away from me etc), that I was too young to understand. Even at the time, I knew it was my fault, and one of the first reactions I remember having (after the tears etc) was asking if Snowy was okay and if I hurt him. I found out later that they were going to get the dog put down because of the incident but didn't because my mum told me beforehand and I flipped right out because he didn't do anything wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 One of our dogs bit my 9 month old son on the face this morning. He was supervised at the time, they both were. It was one of those fraction of a second things. Our dog is 10 years old and fear aggressive towards most other dogs. He isn't suited to being on his own, and I don't think I could in good conscience rehome a dog who had bitten a child. I know the only thing to do is take him to our vet and give him his wings, but he has been my "baby" for 10 years since he was a tiny puppy. My heart is breaking right now, but giving him his wings is the right thing to do isn't it? While I understand and sympathise with why you are asking this question, only you can make the final decision. That said, it seems a pretty drastic thing to do if the scenarios presented by jed and mixeduppup haven't been considered. You say yourself, he has been your baby for 10 years. You should know him better than anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 ............... was asking if Snowy was okay and if I hurt him. I found out later that they were going to get the dog put down because of the incident but didn't because my mum told me beforehand and I flipped right out because he didn't do anything wrong. Your story needs to be read and understood by all dog owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 One of our dogs bit my 9 month old son on the face this morning. He was supervised at the time, they both were. It was one of those fraction of a second things. Our dog is 10 years old and fear aggressive towards most other dogs. He isn't suited to being on his own, and I don't think I could in good conscience rehome a dog who had bitten a child. I know the only thing to do is take him to our vet and give him his wings, but he has been my "baby" for 10 years since he was a tiny puppy. My heart is breaking right now, but giving him his wings is the right thing to do isn't it? So exactly what happened between them? did the baby touch the dog, were they interacting at all? My first instinct would be no, don't put the dog to sleep. Keep a closer eye on them, keep them separated, but find out exactly what happened because it probably wasn't random or for no reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggleworth Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Our dog has been wary of the baby since he came home from hospital. We've kept them completely separate since he growled at the baby. They are all taken for walks together etc but never left alone or even in the same room usually. This morning he was walking through to go outside from a part of the house he isn't normally in as it is gated off. The attack was unprovoked. Our dog lunged at him and bit him more than once on the face in the time it took my husband to pull him away. It was bad enough to draw blood, narrowly missed his eye. Our child has never gotten in this dogs face and always smiles and coos when he sees any of our dogs. Our dog has been curling his lip up at the baby for months now. This would be the first time they've crossed paths as we keep them apart. I thought separation would be enough but I'm not sure I can ever trust my dog again after this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimax Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Our dog has been wary of the baby since he came home from hospital. We've kept them completely separate since he growled at the baby. They are all taken for walks together etc but never left alone or even in the same room usually. This morning he was walking through to go outside from a part of the house he isn't normally in as it is gated off. The attack was unprovoked. Our dog lunged at him and bit him more than once on the face in the time it took my husband to pull him away. It was bad enough to draw blood, narrowly missed his eye. Our child has never gotten in this dogs face and always smiles and coos when he sees any of our dogs. Our dog has been curling his lip up at the baby for months now. This would be the first time they've crossed paths as we keep them apart. I thought separation would be enough but I'm not sure I can ever trust my dog again after this. Ah, that's a different story then :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 (edited) Im sorry Doggleworth, but I wouldntt have your dog in the same house as your baby Dont get me wrong, I have a biter here and I am in no hurry to have my dog put to sleep, but your situation is different (going by your posts) than a "normal" dog bite. eta: And I agree with your earlier post, that you cant, in good conscience, rehome this dog. Going by the information you have given, if the dog were mine I would have him euthanased. Sorry Edited June 19, 2013 by Clyde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I have to say after seeing the second part of your story that I would be euthanasing. It will be very stressful to try and keep them apart, the dog obviously does not like your baby. Your baby is very lucky that his injuries were not more serious. I realy feel for you. IT is such a hard situation to be in and no matter how many people tell you you are doing the right thing you will second guess yourslef and feel terrible. In the same situation I would euthanase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mixeduppup Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I agree, that's not safe. You are right to have him pts in my opinion. So sorry for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 (edited) I agree with Clyde and Oso, Baby's safety is the number one priority. ETA sorry that your are having to go through this Edited June 19, 2013 by raineth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosetta Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 You have a few options - none ideal. Rehome the dog to a home where he will never be in contact with small children - hard to guarantee, isolate the dog to an area where he is unable to ever have any contact with your baby or PTS. Only you can decide which option is practical and fair to all. I am sorry you are facing such a hard choice and hope your baby was not too badly hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disintegratus Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Just playing devil's advocate here... You mentioned that he was "walking through to go outside from a part of the house he isn't normally in as it is gated off" Has it always been this way, or is it only since baby? I guess what I'm asking is, has your dog's life changed significantly in a neutral or negative way since the baby arrived, in such a way as he could see the baby as responsible for these changes? Is there a leadership issue here? As in, does the dog feel his place in the pack has been threatened and he needs to make sure the baby knows his place? If any of these things have happened, do you think the situation is resolvable, or manageable? I know if I was in your position I would want to do everything I reasonably could to keep both dog and baby safe, as neither of them asked to be put in that position, so it's not necessarily fair for the dog to be PTS, but it's also not fair to have a baby in an unsafe environment. Just for the record, no, I'm not a professional by any stretch, just trying to put myself in your position, and thinking of things that maybe you didn't :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huga Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I would euth. Rehoming a 10 year old dog would be hard enough, but to then specify that it can never come into contact with children? Almost impossible, I'd say. And what if one day it happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Oh, what a horrible situation for you all. I would see what your vet thinks, they may be able to prescribe some medication that may help with the aggression while dominance is being redirected. An in home visit by a behaviourist would probably be very valuable and well worth considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Our dog has been wary of the baby since he came home from hospital. We've kept them completely separate since he growled at the baby. They are all taken for walks together etc but never left alone or even in the same room usually. This morning he was walking through to go outside from a part of the house he isn't normally in as it is gated off. The attack was unprovoked. Our dog lunged at him and bit him more than once on the face in the time it took my husband to pull him away. It was bad enough to draw blood, narrowly missed his eye. Our child has never gotten in this dogs face and always smiles and coos when he sees any of our dogs. Our dog has been curling his lip up at the baby for months now. This would be the first time they've crossed paths as we keep them apart. I thought separation would be enough but I'm not sure I can ever trust my dog again after this. Have you consulted with a behaviourist since the problem began? If so, what was their recommendation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 He has been your baby for 10 years and now another baby has usurped this position. Your second post certainly shines more light on the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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