What to Do with Our Dog - Since It Bit Our Son?

I agree with those who think there may be an underlying problem. If the dog has never been agressive before this, something has to be causing the short temper. I would definitely take him to the vet for an evaluation. Plus the vet should be able to help you decide what to do.

I am sorry you have to deal with such a heart-wrenching problem. Best of luck to you,

L.

I am sorry that this happened to you. I have never had this experience but if normally the dog is friendly and has never done this before have you talked to the vet to see if there may be an underlying problem. Maybe the dog is in pain somewhere and this just set him off. I don't know if it will make a difference but I would at least give it a try. Good Luck!

I know it's hard. My son was bite by a friends dog. This was his 3rd time biting someone so they did put him to sleep. we had a Akita and he became mean after we had him neutred. The vet said either do classes which might not work or give him to someone without kids. we gave him to the shelter and they found him a family.

Have you taken him to the vet? Could something be wrong with him? I know it's very sad but I suggest putting him to sleep it's not painful and if you give him to somone else it doesn't mean He won't see kids and could hurt someone badly.

S.,

What a horrible experience to have happen! I'm so sorry for everyone involved. I'm a dog owner (2 German Shepherds) and a huge dog lover.

In all honestly, I'm not sure it belongs in any home at this point. He didn't only attack your son, but also a 19 year old..to the extent of 30 stitches. I would suggest calling your vet and local shelters and see what they think.

If I were in your shoes, I would put the dog down. Again, I'm a dog lover to all ends...but if either of my dogs bit my son - there wouldn't be any looking back in my opinion. The situation you described was very violent on the dogs part. It's not as if his tail was clipped and he turned around and nipped at whatever was causing him harm. He literally attacked two people, long after the problem causing his pain stopped.

I hope I don't sound cold, but unfortunately I don't think this dog is very stable at this point...for whatever reason.

Good luck.

T.

Hi S.-

This is more a message of support than anything. I am so sorry for you and your family! I am also a dog owner and lover (I have a 7 1/2 yo pit-bull/lab mix). I love my dog dearly but she's getting older and I worry that something could happen. You just never know. I would be beside myself making the decisions you're having to make. Best of luck to you. Whatever you decide is the best decision you could make for your family and the dog.

D.

I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your family.
The same thing happened to my cousin. Their dog was so sweet and very smart. However one day my cousin's daughter, who was about 12 at the time, went to kiss the dog on the nose while it was sleeping. I think she had done it before however this time the dog immediately bit her and of course since she was trying to kiss the dog at the time, the bite was to her face. She had to have many stitches and repair to a muscle in face. My cousin said that afterward you could tell the dog felt bad about it, but what was done was done.
Even though they loved the dog my cousin could not keep it knowing what it did to her daughter. It is when things like this happen that we remember that a dog is in fact an "animal".
I think they decided to put the dog down.
I would suggest that if you don't put him down that you find an animal rescue society that can take him, or a no-kill shelter.
Any dog has a potential to harm people. I know of kids who just screamed at a certain pitch and the dog lashed out.
If you get another dog at some point I'd suggest you work with someone to make sure you crate train the dog. As I would always explain to my family (we had a dog who nipped at my son) that it ends up being more of a protection of the dog from the kids than the kids from the dog. Plus when using a crate it makes the dog feel like there is somewhere safe they can go.
Good luck and I hope as time goes by the family starts to feel better.
M. P.

S.... what a scary experience!!! If the dog has never snapped at the kids before, something else is wrong! I agree with the poster that said dogs react to pain, but I don't know if it's just b/c his tail got caught in the door... maybe something is wrong you didn't know about. But, with 4 children, I understand your hesitancy to keep him. My 80lb lab mix snapped at my daughter when she was 8 months old. He is normally very outgoing and friendly, but she had just started crawling and it made him very nervous when she started to crawl on him (and I didn't recognize the signs that he wasn't ready for her to be that close). Luckily, it was just a small puncture mark at the corner of her eye, and we went to the ER to make sure it was cleaned out properly. Anyway, my point is... we kept the dog away from her for 5 days and brought in a behaviorist to help work with him (and us!). They have been fine since and we are much better about recognizing when he needs his space! Good luck... I know this is a hard situation no matter what you do!

I am so sorry this is such a tough situation. I have never een in a situation like this myself. I am allergic to dogs, so . . . But my brother had a German Shepard that was always an extremely well-behaved and good natured dog and one day he snapped at his girlfriend (they all lived together so the dog and she knew each other well). I don't remember what the diagnosis was but the vet said that the dog was sick and should be put down. I remember this being so hard for my brother, and I feel for you. But perhaps you should take the dog to the vet and get it checked out.

S.,

Like all the other responses, I too am very sorry about what happened with your child and your niece. They must be traumatized by the ordeal... With that being said, now it's time for you to get over your shock and disbelief and put the dog down. In your own words, the dog bit your son and "attacked" your niece. I'm having a hard time figuring out why you would advise a shelter that the dog should not be around children, when he also "attacked" a 19-year old adult. I understand that you love your dog, but the fact is that he is a danger to everyone and should be put down. Good luck.

First off, I am really surprised that they stitched up a dog bite. They keep them open just incase infection sets in. My son got attacked by my sister-in-laws dog, he was just walking by it and her dog attacked for no reason at all. He needed stitches, but the ER doctor stated you shouldn't, so they just bandaged it up until it healed. Thank goodness no infection set in! Some dogs just 'turn' for no reason. I would have a hard time putting a dog down, what you are doing by putting him in a shelter is good. That way he won't bite anyone, yet you can still see him if you want. And it's not just children you need to keep him from, your neice is 19, that is an adult.

God's Blessings
D.

I love dogs too and I can certainly empathize with you in having to make this difficult decision. But I just want to point out that giving your dog to a shelter and specifying that he shouldn't be adopted by a family with children does not guarantee he won't ever come into contact with kids again. God forbid, he gets out of the house while children are nearby. And your 19-year old niece who needed 30 stitches is hardly a child. It sounds like your dog has some serious behaviorial issues that need to be addressed.

Hi S.,

I'm sorry your in this dilema. I am a dog lover myself. I have a yellow lab. I really think you should find and read a book on not only dog behavior but a book on the specific type of dog you have, that way you will better understand the temperment and demeaner of your dog. You may even find out why he lashed out like he did.
I don't know the whole story just like you don't. Face it your dog can't tell you what they really did to him. How do you know that your niece didn't beat your dog constantly. How do you know for sure that all they did was slam the door on his tail. They could've been in such a hurry to get rid of him so they can go out to play that they were a little more abusive then they claim. Put yourself in the dogs shoes. When the niece came running to see what happened she may have been abusive and the dog felt he was being attacked so he lashed out to protect himself. How do you know that for those 3 days a week she wasn't constantly beating him or abusing him.

Dogs respond more to praise then to discipline. It is very rare that you should physically discipline your dog. Dogs inherintly want to please their masters. You shouldn't have to physically discipline your dog. Verbally disciplining your dog should be more than enough. The only time a dog understands discipline is when he is caught in the act not after the fact. If you don't verbally discipline him immediately while he is committing the act, he will persieve the discipline as a threat to his life rather than a scolding for doing something wrong. If he continues to feel threatened then he will eventually attack severely when he is hurt physically.

That is what I beleive happened. If you decide to put him down I think that would be such a shame. I think you would feel at peace with yourself if you do everything you can possible to make the right decision. Read up on your dog, learn how to live with and discipline a dog. Then if he still doesn't respond well, then take steps towards giving him up. Your kids will feel at ease as well if in the end you decide to give him up or put him down. Make sure that all who care for your dog also learns how to treat your dog.

I hope this helps you. The decision is yours. Just make sure you don't regret it because it will haunt you and your children. I see that it is really weighing heavy on your mind so do what you can not to regret your decision.
I say this because as a child my mother sent my dog to the pound because she bit my cousin. My dog was just protecting my sister who was being chased by my cousin. For a long time I hated my mother. To this day I still won't forgive her for getting rid of my beloved dog. In my eyes she didn't make the right decision and she didn't do everything in her power to make sure the decision she made was the right one. I'm 47 years old by the way and it happened when I was 10.

good luck,

A.

Sherrie,
That's a tough call. Like a previous poster said it wasn't just your child, but an adult too.

I would definatley call the vet and see what they have to say.

As a dog lover and dog owner, if my dog did that, I wouldn't know what to do either. My family comes first though, too.
I am sorry you and your family is having to go through this.
B.

I feel so bad for you and your family. It is such a tough situation to go through. That being said, I strongly feel that the dog needs to be put down. I absolutely love dogs, and I do understand that they are part of your family. You don't just treat putting them down or giving them away lightly. But, your dog attacked other humans and cannot be trusted. It's not like he just bit your son once and it was done. He went after your niece with the intent to attack. That is a very dangerous situation and you were lucky no one was more seriously hurt. But, you never know when this will happen again, so you need to make sure it doesn't happen again. Plus, kids will not understand why the dog is outside (in your shelter), they will want to play with him. So, they may try to go around the dog when you aren't there. You can't risk your kids lives like that. In addition, I feel like that is no way for a dog to live. Dogs need love and affection like everyone else, and they are not going to be happy living in a shelter away from contact.

I hope I am not coming across as mean or harsh, because I love dogs and value life for all living beings. Good luck!

i am just going through the same thing we have a dog who we love very much , but it just bit my daughter for no reason he never even gave a warning at all . As i have 3 children ive had to make the dessision to re home him . My freinds mum as taken him who lives on her own and i have told her he will not be able to be trusted round children . It was very hard to do this and as broke my heart but children must come before dogs i had to not let my heart rule my head . But i know how hard it is and ive cried buckets over this take care .

I'm just wondering, since you and the children have such a strong feelings about giving the dog away, have you talked to any specialist like dog trainer or even animal therapist? Maybe, just maybe there is the way to keep it? I felt so sorry reading your story, wish you good luck, M..

S.,

I am sorry if my response is the same as all others but I couldn't bring myself to read more of the same. I had a similar experience on a MUCH smaller scale with my son and did all I could to keep my pet but eventually couldn't. To save you all the details, we had unknowingly adopted a dog that was food agressive and worked with her but could not anticipate every situation. She bit my son twice. After the second time it was enough for us to understand that we had done all we could to give her a chance. We were able to give her to another family with NO children or possibility of exposure to children. Her bites were dramatic but did not require medical attention. It broke our hearts to give her up, but for the best of our family we had to. I am so sorry you are faced with this family hearache. I see no other choice but to take the dog away from your family since he does not seem trustworthy around your children any longer.

J.

As a kid, we went thru this. Yes, you will need to get rid of the dog. You now have a serious liability situation. Be sure to report this to your homeowners insurance agent - your neice and son's injuries should be covered under that policy. Your insurance company may not cover any future bites after this one. When this happened to us, we gave the dog up to a shelter. It's a very hard thing to do, but sometimes the right decision is the hardest one to go thru with. I hope your neice and son heal and get thru this.

We gave our dog to the Keeshond rescue after she started growling at our daughter when she started toddling, 18 months. Then, we gave our Shih Tzu to the Shih Tzu rescue after he bit our daughter in the nose when she was 3. He didn't draw blood but he had the opportunity to get away and he chose not to. We had both of these dogs before our daughter and they were loved very much. Really, they were serrogates before having a child. However, she is more important and it would be devastating if she were scared for life because we didn't get rid of a dog. It is very hard. I cried terribly with both dogs. Good luck.

Hi S.,

I see you received alot of responses, some giving some advice you do want to hear. I am also a dog lover and had a dog my entire life, sometimes 2 at a time.

I'm going to tell you what happened to me/my family. I found a German Shepherd puppy when I was in 4th grade. Of course you promise everything under the sun to your parents so you can keep it, even get a job to pay for food. He was a great dog. At my sister's graduation party in our basement my 3rd cousin (I think she was 9) kept hounding him, so much to where he was hiding under the table. She wouldn't stop after being told several times. Long story short, everything happened so fast, he jumped at her and scrathed her face. It was a 'good' scratch. Her mother sued my parents for this enormous amount of money. I came home from school one day and he was gone. We also had a VERY old Wired Hair Terrier who was blind-he was gone too. When I asked where my dog was (my mother was visibly upset) she said they both ran away. I knew down deep inside they didn't. My mom was so upset that this happened, she felt she couldn't trust our dog again. We were begging her to let us go pick him up at the pound. He hadn't been put to sleep yet (the older one was). She just couldn't do it. My dad brought me to say good bye. I was so mad at my mom at the time, but now that I am a parent and have a 10 year old yellow lab who can get crabby sometimes, I understand why she did it. My mom still to this day gets nervous when kids are around her current dog. Just something that will never go away.

It's a difficult decision to make. Imagine if he's put it another home w/o children, only adults, and something else happens, you would feel awful. Maybe he was trying to protect your kids in some way, but it went on for a while and he attacked someone that he knows very well.

Good luck and I'll be thinking about you. Like I say about all the other dogs in my life, they will go to a better place in doggy heaven ;-)

You already know that you can't keep the dog, and of course you are upset. The kids will be upset too--it's perfectly normal and okay. Over time, you will get over it, but just allow your family to grieve a little. you are losing a member of the family. that being said, be prepared to put the dog down. A lot of shelters will not accept an animal that has bitten a person, let alone two. I just took my cat that I've had for 10 years to anti-cruelty to put her down because she really bit my leg hard for no reason. They said the City of Chicago has an ordinance that the only people allowed to handle animals that bite is the City pound--even to put her down. I also know a 9 year old neighbor who was wrestling with a friend outside, fell on a neighbor's dog and had his ear bitten. the dog was immediately put down because the dog was traumatized and can't trust people. It is a very hard thing for your family to go through, but do it quickly so your family can start the healing process. Maybe it will help to get a memorial for the dog. I bought a marble tile etched with a picture for my sister's dog when it died last year--I actually bought it on ebay. It's in her back yard and we go "visit" with him still. Just a thought. again, my condolences to you and your family.

I am sorry for your situation but as a dog lover and a mother, I think you should put the dog down. I had a neighbor who dog did the same thing to two of her children, one ended up with over 40 stitches. The vet told her that once dogs taste blood, they are never the same and can't be trusted again, especially around children. I would want this dog to go to another couple and have them walking her in the park or such and have a child walk up and want to pet it- it could happen that the dog bites that child. It is best that the dog be put down. You don't want this to happen to another family or child. It really can't mess with a child, my neighbors child crys when she sees dogs now. Good luck.

Our dog nipped my son in the face (right around they eye) on 2 different occasions. Both times were when our dog was chewing a bone. I think she thought he was going to take it. It was the hardest thing I had to do but we brought her to animal welfare. She was normally the sweetest dog in the world. But 2 times near the eye (even though there was hardly a mark)was enough for me. I made a list of all her issues to insure that someone was well aware of her problems.
If it was a small nip after getting his tail caught I would say give him a chance but with all that he did I say its time to give him up or see if any friends or family will take him. You can call around to see if there are any openings at some of the no-kill shelters.

Good Luck!!

This is not the same situation, but after my mom passed away, I needed to find a home for her 6 year old lab/shepherd mix (which had also been my dog). I couldn't take the dog as I was living in a rented home that allowed no pets. I couldn't find a home for her despite the fact that I asked everyone I knew.

I ended up taking her to Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge. You might want to talk to them (www.animalwelfareleague.com) as their motto is "'recovery is the answer, not euthanasia' for animals that come to us injured, neglected, or abused."

I felt better leaving my dog there as I knew that there was a good chance she would not be put to sleep and could get another good home. I still get emotional thinking about leaving her there, but I had no other choice.

Good luck!

I too have a dog that bites-nips. He old and gets grouchy and all the kids are getting to the point that they are afaid of him. He is a real pain and has a lot of health issues. He is old-11 and I am not sure what to do either. He has 2 bites that have been reported to the State of illinois and they have done nothing (I was hoping that they would make the decision for me). He is so cute-small and sometimes wonderful but if he desides that he doesn't want to do something watch out. My vet will not even discuss putting him down because even though he has health issues he is on med's and not life threating. I am not sure what I or you are suppose to do. I also think my 4 kids love the dog and never forgive me if I got rid of him. So I am sympathic but also have no anwers.

Dear S.: I am a canine behaviorist and thought I should respond
the best I can to your post. The first thing your whole family should know is NEVER RUN from a dog.
The dog will then chase you and bite, especially if he is in pain.
You don't know, but the dog's tail may have been fractured or
otherwise severely hurting him. Dogs react to pain with
aggression in most cases.

you don't mention the age of the dog or the breed. But 30 stitches is a lot. I would not expect your children to want to be around this dog again either. If you want to give the dog a second chance, you will need to have behavioral evaluations and
training sessions to see what the nature of this dog's temperament
truly is.

I don't blame you for not trusting him but also consider
that he reacted from pain. Especially since this had never
happened before. Reasonably, the humane society is not
going to be able to place an older dog who has done this
kind of damage, even to a home with no children. Morally, ethically, to just give this dog away to someone would be wrong
unless the new owner knows exactly what the dog did.

If you would like to talk more about his, drop me an email
at ____@____.com

Good luck
B. McNinch

Seems there is two sides to every story and the dog can't talk. If the dog never did anything like that before, why now? What aren't you being told? This is a terrible thing that happened and thankfully everyone is OK.

Its very hard to find a home for a dog that cannot be around children.

I understand your fears. Is going to dog training together an option? Learn to trust again, as you would a human?

But if the dog has a history of violence, then it is time for him to find a new home as you said.

My prayers are with you and your family.

There are so many responses already, I admit that I did not read through them all, so you probably have already heard anything I have to share.

I can understand your unwillingness to keep the dog in your home because of what has happened, but also APPLAUD you for not taking the easy way out and having the dog euthanized.

I have worked in animal rescue for many years, and have lived with as many as 15 dogs and 10 cats at one time.

Something to consider is that the animal was in pain. While you say that the tail being clipped in the door has happened before - each incident is individual. The door may have been shut with more force or on a different part of the tail than other times. There could be other factors as well - had the animal just eaten? Maybe he was tired and thus a bit cranky. Perhaps there is an underlying illness that you are unaware of, or maybe his tail had already been shut in the door that day and the second time was more painful. the truth is, you weren't there, and although your 19 yr old neice is probably very responsible - she was there caring for multiple children - as all of us mothers know - you can't always see everything, everywhere - so one of the children may have injured or upset the dog at your neice may have been unaware of it.

Instead of putting the dog in the bathroom, another solution would have been to purchase a dog crate and use it (anyone else reading this who has dogs SHOULD crate train their animals - do a search for crate training to learn more about it, it will take too much space to explain here.) Dogs that are crate trained learn that the crate is their safe space. The dogs that I have shared a home with (various breeds, ages, sizes) have always been crate trained. All of that being said, I do understand not wanting to keep your dog - you will always be afraid of another attack and animals can detect fear. before the dog is rehomed, he really should be taken to the vet to determine if there was anything else that could have contributed - like an illness or injury. if the dog has never bitten before and has always had a good temperment, chances are there is something else that you are unaware of. This dog should be given every opportunity to find a new home and should not be killed because of one mistake (I understand there were multiple bites, but it was one incident).

I have been bitten by dogs in the past (when you're active in rescue, things happen) - and ALWAYS - the fault was NOT the dogs.

One dog had a sore on his foot (I didnt know about it) and was in pain - so when I was brushing him and brushed his leg, he snapped and bit my arm. That was a cairn terrier. There was a yorkie that had a sore in his mouth and had just eaten, so when I went to pet his head, he attacked my hand. Another dog (black lab) bit my leg when I accidentally let a door tap his behind when we were coming in - his glands in his bottom were swollen and the door tapping caused additional pain. I continue to work in rescue (though admittedly, not as actively since getting divorced - I'm gone (at work) long hours now (used to be a SAHM)and dont have the financial resources that I used to).

good luck.... I hope you are able to find a new home for your furry family member, and that your neice and child don't develop a fear of dogs or other animals as a result of their experience.