Biting Dog - Page 3

[lonegirl]

Originally Posted by freestyler

I am ITA with Mom2Jesse. You must protect your child. A dog is just a dog, and, well, can be replaced later. your child cannot be replaced and you MUST protect her and keep her from being maimed or worse. Why is there even a question??

While I agree the dog must be removed from the home....I totally do not agree with the bolded area. People go through the grieving stages with pets as they do other family members. Having seen many animals put down for varying reasons the people doing so respond with such grief that you can't just have the frame of mind that a dog is just a dog.

[geekgolightly]

I put my dog down for biting. He bit my son twice. Warning bites. I rationalized it at first because the bites didn't break skin, but soon enough my dog began to go after my husband as well. I tried behavior sessions, I tried to find a shelter who would take him. I begged the final shelter to put him through a behavior test before I made the decision to put him down, which he failed absolutely.

People who love their pets sometimes have to make this decision. All of the behavior experts who spoke with me told me that it was unrealistic to think my dog would be safe around my family ever again. Biters are not to be trusted.

[samikashi]

The day a dog decides to put his teeth on a child is the day that dog decided not to be apart of a family. My thoughts anyway.

And please... don't think a 20 lb dog is harmless. A 12 lb doxie left scars on my son's cheeks and even a 5 lb dog would have no problem snagging (and tearing!) a lip, eye, nose, or ear.

ETA:
The 12 lb doxie I reference above was my Mom's decade long companion/shadow, before he was put down. It was, unfortuntely, the last resort.

[geekgolightly]

Originally Posted by lonegirl

While I agree the dog must be removed from the home....I totally do not agree with the bolded area. People go through the grieving stages with pets as they do other family members. Having seen many animals put down for varying reasons the people doing so respond with such grief that you can't just have the frame of mind that a dog is just a dog.

I still cry about it. I know some animal lovers can't fathom having to do what I did. I couldn't fathom it before I did it. It took me months and months of having him in the house intervening in his aggression and wishing it away with behavior experts and training, but in the end nothing worked.

I understand wanting to try and make it work, but the outlook is grim once a dog has bitten people.

[nudhistbudhist]

We have two American Pitt Bull Terriers, and I have a 15 mo and I'm 8 m pg. Our first pit was a rescue. We were not looking for a pit bull, just a dog but this one was in a very crappy situation, and the guy was selling her for party money for the weekend. Before deciding to buy her, we did a LOT of research... Wow, if there is one breed out there that I have SO MUCH empathy and compassion for, its Pit bulls. Most people think pitbulls are viscous dogs, vicious to humans, etc. They are not. They have been selectively BRED BY HUMANS to produce dogs who will fight another dog to death, no matter how hurt they are, because that is what their owners asked of them. This characteristic is called "gameness." ITs so cruel that humans would use these dog's big hearts and need to please in this way

These dogs are DOG AGGRESSIVE. In dog fighting, the two opponent handlers actually trade dogs, and wash the opposing dog down before the fight. This is to ensure the dog has not been sprayed with any kind of deterrent that would make the other dog not want to bite him. Point being, these dogs are dog aggressive, not human aggressive, by nature.

The reason I'm telling you this is because as a dog owner, you must be aware of the characteristics of your dog's breed, so you know what you are dealing with. Spaniels have extremely an extremely high prey drive. You should do some research on prey drive and children. Also, talk to a behavioralist if you want further information on your dog in particular.

Anyone who says you have to get rid of any dog you don't trust is WRONG. Wrong because you should NOT EVER TRUST any dog with you children. Problems happen because dogs are trusted 200% around their children, especially when the breed is not one people consider "vicious." We use baby gates and fences to keep our son and dogs separated. This is not stressful for us. We know its what we do while the children are little. We also keep our dogs separated from each other because we know the breed, and would not want either dog getting hurt. Wrestling is great exercise for them, but the nature of the breed is that is a disagreement ever occurred, neither one is likely to back down, because they are game-bred.

Would you get rid of your child if he/she bit other children? Or would you, knowing your child, keep your child from getting into those situations, until the phase past? What is going on with your dog will likely be resolved when you child is older and has more respect for the dog's boundaries. Also, If your dog is not enjoying being chased by your child, it isn't fair to expect the dog to just sit there and take it. The dog is communicating a need to you. It is up to you to resolve this for the safety of your dog and child. My dogs did not particularly enjoy my ds's presence until recently. DS can pet them and give them treats now (with our help, of course). They have also learned how to walk past him slowly... in the past they would run past him because they were unsure of him, and he would get knocked over by accident, or get hit with a tail (pitbulls have very strong, whiplike tails lol). It's a matter of keeping everyone safe so they can all grow and learn together

Don't give up. Just get more informed and get a plan together I also disagree with the death penalty for animals and people. I think a lot of people who totally disagree with the death penalty for human violent offenders haven't really though it through for dogs. The argument that its for the safety of others applies to both situations, yet we have different morals regarding both animals (yes, humans are animals!!)

[Pepper44]

I would keep the dog *only* if I could be committed to keeping the dog blocked in a room away from my child, or crated, or outside. It would be so stressful to worry over the dog and the child every second, otherwise!

That being said, my 60 pound coonhound once bit my DD when she was 2. It was a nip on her hand, no blood. The dog was napping at the foot of the bed and DD flopped onto his back from behind his head. I wanted to give him away for a few days and started looking for a new home. Then I talked to a trainer and realized that he nipped as a warning, because he regarded DD as lower in the pack than him and he wanted her out of his space.

DD fed him lots of treats, she filled up his food bowl and handed it to him, he's no longer allowed on the bed or the couch, and he totally knows his place now. I don't trust him 100%, but he and DD are fine together. At age 3 she knows not to clamber all over him, and he knows that he has to sit quietly and take treats from her and so on. We had zero problems since.

I still will not leave my coonhound and our new baby alone, when she's born. I'll probably keep him gated in another room, outside, or crated when I'm not right there. The dog knows to go lay down in his spot in the living room, so it's not a problem to keep a crawling baby away from there when you're watching closely, and since I will wear the baby a lot there won't be to many instances when the dog has to be separate.

To the OP, if I were you, honestly, I would just look for someone else to take the dog so you don't have to worry. You can probably find an older couple or a single person or a family with no kids. If your dog is biting the baby, the dog probably isn't happy and would be better off!

[geekgolightly]

Nudist, you said that I was "WRONG" to think I need to get rid of a biting dog because I can not longer trust him, and that the answer is to completely separate the dog from anyone he may bite, is that right? Or, what exactly are you saying? Because a dog who has bitten is far different from a dog who could potentially bite, which is, of course, all dogs.

I think maybe you are taking my word "trust" and using it to further the point that you can work out a biting situation with animals and humans. Your dogs have never bitten and it isn't because you have taken precautions. You assume I didn't take precautions, I think?

I never trusted Gizmo to be with Seth alone. I did trust Gizmo to be with my husband alone until he attacked my husband. And then I was on alert whenever they were in the room together, but these things didn't help the situation. My dog bit both my son and husband while I was in the room, while I was trying to control the situation.

I was using the word "trust" in a relative way. I do not absolutely trust any dog, as you have confirmed; dogs can not be trusted absolutely because of their pack mentality. But I certainly trusted him to not behave pathologically, which he began to do. Unfortunately, when a dog begins to behave pathologically, enough so that he is biting his own pack, he needs to go.

[geekgolightly]

As for the death penalty for dogs. If there were a place I could have taken Gizmo where he would be safe and others would be safe from him, I would have. We don't have doggie detainment camps. Or at least not anywhere near where I was. I tried every single shelter in town. No one would take him. He couldn't stay with us because his behavior was unsafe and not getting any better. I suppose I could have kept him in the kennel his whole life, but I consider that much more cruel than putting him down. I wasn't going to set him loose in the woods to fend for himself, so what then?

The best thing I could have done for him is put him down while holding him in my arms and telling him he was a good dog. Which I did.

[SamiPolizzi]

I don't think you're a bad parent AT ALL for not immediately getting rid of your dog. I'm starting to have the same problem with my dog and my 8mo, and I'm calling a behaviorist tomorrow. I've considered the possibility that I may have to get rid of my dog if it doesn't get better, but I'm going to try every other possible solution first.

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by nudhistbudhist

Would you get rid of your child if he/she bit other children? Or would you, knowing your child, keep your child from getting into those situations, until the phase past? What is going on with your dog will likely be resolved when you child is older and has more respect for the dog's boundaries. Also, If your dog is not enjoying being chased by your child, it isn't fair to expect the dog to just sit there and take it. The dog is communicating a need to you. It is up to you to resolve this for the safety of your dog and child. My dogs did not particularly enjoy my ds's presence until recently. DS can pet them and give them treats now (with our help, of course). They have also learned how to walk past him slowly... in the past they would run past him because they were unsure of him, and he would get knocked over by accident, or get hit with a tail (pitbulls have very strong, whiplike tails lol). It's a matter of keeping everyone safe so they can all grow and learn together

Don't give up. Just get more informed and get a plan together I also disagree with the death penalty for animals and people. I think a lot of people who totally disagree with the death penalty for human violent offenders haven't really though it through for dogs. The argument that its for the safety of others applies to both situations, yet we have different morals regarding both animals (yes, humans are animals!!)

Thank you. Our dog is not just a dog to us, she is part of our family. I'm not willing to give up on her so easily. We can at least have a behaviorist come and work with her before killing her.

I am keeping them separate while we get a trainer. So everyone can calm down about that part.

Originally Posted by Pepper44

That being said, my 60 pound coonhound once bit my DD when she was 2. It was a nip on her hand, no blood. The dog was napping at the foot of the bed and DD flopped onto his back from behind his head. I wanted to give him away for a few days and started looking for a new home. Then I talked to a trainer and realized that he nipped as a warning, because he regarded DD as lower in the pack than him and he wanted her out of his space.

My dog's bites were warning bites. She did not attack my daughter. I realize that warning bites are telling me that she will attack, but that is why we're trying to solve the problem as you did.

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by SamiPolizzi

I don't think you're a bad parent AT ALL for not immediately getting rid of your dog. I'm starting to have the same problem with my dog and my 8mo, and I'm calling a behaviorist tomorrow. I've considered the possibility that I may have to get rid of my dog if it doesn't get better, but I'm going to try every other possible solution first.

That's exactly what we're doing. I think that putting her down is the last resort and I will do everything else possible before having to do that. It seems like everyone here just jumps to the dog needing to be put down.

I posted this because I wanted advice on what other people have done to solve the problem, not discard it.

[Dandelionkid]

My parents got rid of their cocker when it bit their oldest kid as a baby.

[finn'smama]

Your dog is biting your baby! Either get rid of it or keep them separated 100% of the time.
This dog is giving warnings and one of these days it'll be serious. Do you really want to wait for that day?? Because it will happen. And you can avoid it by getting rid of the dog right now.
I honestly can't even believe you have to think about it, I really can't

[meisterfrau]

If person after person is telling you, asking you, BEGGING you to get rid of the dog before it seriously injures your baby, maybe you should consider that probably not all of them are crazy. I think the person that said CPS would take the baby if they knew you were allowing him/her to be bitten repeatedly is probably right. It would look to them at the very least like poor judgment, and at worst like callous disregard for your child's safety.

The time to work with the dog to improve the behavior was BEFORE the dog began to bite. That ship has sailed, and now the responsible thing is to rehome the animal to a home without children.

[freestylemama]

I agree with everyone else that it's time to rehome your pup.

I remember being devastated when my parents put down our beloved dog after he nipped the neighbor child. It was sad, but necessary. Aggressive dogs and children do not mix. Please get rid of your dog. Your child deserves safety. I know you love them both, but kids win. It's really that simple. You need to get rid of that dog. You can be sad about it and you can miss that dog, but you really need to put your child first. This isn't about people "trying to make you feel guilty". It's about people trying to protect your child and urging you to do the hard, responsible thing.

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by finn'smama

Your dog is biting your baby! Either get rid of it or keep them separated 100% of the time.
This dog is giving warnings and one of these days it'll be serious. Do you really want to wait for that day?? Because it will happen. And you can avoid it by getting rid of the dog right now.
I honestly can't even believe you have to think about it, I really can't

I just said I'm keeping them separated.

[Eman'smom]

Would you like to see the scar I have across my face from where "most gentle dog" in the world bit me, the scar is 32 years old and it's still there clear as day. After the dog bit me and the ER stitched me up my mom took me to a plastic surgeon who told her there was nothing more they could do. I was 18 months old........


We have 2 dogs and 3 cats, I'm a big believer in animals are part of the family, however dogs aren't people. If your dog has already biten the BABY I fear for what would happen when she becomes a toddler.

[nudhistbudhist]

I was saying that getting rid of a dog based soley on the fact of "trust" is wrong, because you shouldn't ever trust a dog. That's all I was was saying. As in, we should keep this dog because we trust her around the kids, she'd never bite, blah blah blah means nothing. Young children do not have authority over pack animals. Its a given. I also wouldn't leave my toddler with a baby chicken. The chicken has no authority over my child, and is likely to get hurt

As for wether to put down a dog or not after it has bitten someone, I truly believe that for myself personally, even if my dog bit someone, I would prefer to have a dog kennel area where the dog was contained, than put it down. I think that humans have a tendancy to think of so much of our world as disposable, even precious life itself. Many times the easiest solution is to get rid of something than spend the time or energy or money to fix the problem. Many of us don't have the time, money, energy or space to care for these animals properly. But if that's the case, it should be ok to be honest and say that, rather than say it was better for the dog that it die. Perhaps one of us will feel inspired by this problem and create resources such as this one: http://www.endangereddogs.com/

I think many dogs that have bitten have been disposed of before anyone had looked deeply into the reason for the bite. Some dogs may have undiagnosed medical conditions, but because they cannot speak for themselves, it's very hard to know whats going on. I have seen horses sold for slaughter for the same kind of thing. A horse with a back problem can become a real A** and dangerous to be around. But from the outside, everything appears normal. And what about parents who have absolutley lost control and spanked their kids even when they are not "spankers" by nature? A lot of people on this board believe that spanking is child abuse. Would we lock this person in jail or put them on death row, because it's a warning that this person may do something worse in the future? Hopefully we would try to find the reason, and provide the person with the tools and resources to heal.

I am not saying no animals should ever die by human hands. I am a compassionate meat eater. We raise animals on our farm, and they are all treated with love and respect, and we are grateful for the nourishment they provide. And while its sad, we do kill and eat them. To me, its just as sad, but fair and right if an animal kills and eats a human. It happens. It's sad but ok. But if a grizzly or a cougar were to kill every human that it thought was violent or dangerous to them, there would a lot less people on his planet, and we would have a huge problem with that. Humans are THE most dangerous creature on this planet. Our violence is so much more broad.. we destroy everything around us for our silly creature comforts... We are permanently killing off species EVERY DAY!!! yet.... we aren't executing oil executives, or fish farmers, or loggers... Strange, isn't it!

[meisterfrau]

Originally Posted by nudhistbudhist

Humans are THE most dangerous creature on this planet. Our violence is so much more broad.. we destroy everything around us for our silly creature comforts... We are permanently killing off species EVERY DAY!!! yet.... we aren't executing oil executives, or fish farmers, or loggers... Strange, isn't it!

I didn't mention execution in my post, but rest assured if a human was repeatedly harming her baby, I'd certainly advocate she keep them apart in that case also.

[nudhistbudhist]

Originally Posted by meisterfrau

If person after person is telling you, asking you, BEGGING you to get rid of the dog before it seriously injures your baby, maybe you should consider that probably not all of them are crazy.

If everyone was telling me to CIO and formula feed, should I do that too??
People are often misinformed!!!!