What would you do if your dog, cat, snake, whatever you have bite DC?
I personally would have to rehome the dog (thats what I have). I would love to rehome it to family, but to me DD would still have interaction with the dog therefor that would not be an option. That being said the dogs do not currently have access to DD unless she is in my arms, they are outside, in the kitchen or kenneled.
Re: Poll: Dog bite posted related from last night
Unless the dog was defending herself against a beating, I'd rehome our dog if she ever bit my child in the face.
Dogs give out warning growls when they are being bothered. A bite to the face that drew blood because they were being bothered by a toddler is a bad sign.
Totally depends on the circumstances.
If it was 100% unprovoked and aggressive, I would probably consider contacting a rescue organization to see if they could take the dog and try to rehabilitate it.
I think animals bite, most of the time, because they are provoked. So in the case that the baby/child did something, even if they meant well, to provoke the animal - then I would be reconsidering how well I'm supervising and how well I'm teaching my kids to treat their pets.
Completely agree.
9/24/2011 Plymouth Firefighters 5k: 47:13
11/12/2011 Diva Dash 5k: 45:45
5/5/2012 STEM school 5k TBD Coming up in 2012:
6/10/2012 Walk to Remember SIDS foundation 5k
(in memory of a sweet baby boy)
11/10/2012 Diva Dash 5k
Oh, and please don't ever simply "rehome" a dog who has bitten in an unprovoked situation. Because most likely, they are going to a completely unsuspecting family, and the reason for the dog's aggression may never be treated properly. And another child will probably be bitten.
A dog who shows aggression needs to go to someone who can deal with the issue and try to correct the behaviour.
It really depends on the circumstances (flame away if you want). For example, one of my dogs is a herding breed so his instinct is to nip the heels of whatever he's herding - not an attack bite by any means but it could certainly at least scratch a baby or small child. Of course he will be taught not to heard the kids and of course we always supervise the dogs and children. But what if despite that he got a nip in and broke the skin? I would be upset but I certainly wouldn't rehome him.
My dogs are allowed to hang out with kiddo already (supervised of course!). The more they are allowed to interact, the less likely any negative incident is. Already kiddo has more to learn about how to treat them (he likes to pull fur) than they do about how to be around him.
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Oh, I'm assuming most people would know not to rehome them to a house with kids. It's best to inform the rescue group of the behavior and they can find a home that will be a best fit.
A shelter would most likely put the animal down if aggressive behavior is listed, so I don't recommend leaving the dog at the pound.
Ditto this too!
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Yeah, cats are a different story. Some just don't like being messed with (ok, most don't like being messed with) and those will defend themselves against even a baby.
this exactly
I would try to rehome in a child-free home. It would be a bit difficult to rehome an APBT with a bite history though.
If an appropriate home couldn't be found, she would be put down.
I would never give away my dog for any reason- she is a part of our family. ?In most cases it is the owners fault if their dog bites their child.
That said, we were VERY careful when we got our dog that it would be a child friendly breed. ?We also went through two rounds of dog training, did a lot to prepare her for the baby before her arrival and keep a constant eye on them when they are in the room. ?We encourage them to interact, but we never let Lily pull her fur or grab her face. ?We also give our dog lot space away from the baby- she has two specific "safe" zones.?
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My cat is a work of art. He has settled down a lot since DD. But I had a Pomeranian he passed away when DD was 7mos, he nipped at my husband because he was afraid of him. We got him from a family that use to let their kids pinch and pull on him. It was how he defended himself. So if my child was doing that and the dog bit, chances are I would NOT get rid of the animal, but if the animal attacked for no known reason, then yes. I grew up with horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters etc and have learned respect for animals and am teaching my kids the same.
9/24/2011 Plymouth Firefighters 5k: 47:13
11/12/2011 Diva Dash 5k: 45:45
5/5/2012 STEM school 5k TBD Coming up in 2012:
6/10/2012 Walk to Remember SIDS foundation 5k
(in memory of a sweet baby boy)
11/10/2012 Diva Dash 5k
This. And I would get a trainer/behaviorist, a good one. When my dog was an out of control biting puppy we spent 1k on dog training. It sounds like an insane amount of money, but we committed to a dog to live with us for next 10-15 years and he had to learn some manners. It was worth it for a peaceful happy household. We would do it again if my dog started acting aggressively or displaying any other unwanted behaviors.
Say goodbye.
You don't get another chance to bite my child.
I can't believe how many people on here are so closeminded about animals. In her post, she said 1 - they just moved. 2 - they had previously let the kids be rough with the dog while they were there. In the situation last night, it was CLEARLY owner error. Obviously the safety of your child comes first - that's why you teach them how to treat animals properly and always supervise them. No matter how well-behaved your animal has been in the past, you are a fool if you forget that it is an animal and that you can't hold it to human standards. If you push it far enough (pulling, slapping, etc) it will snap. It's YOUR responsibility as a parent to prevent this.
I am disgusted by those who are saying the answer is to shoot it.
EXACTLY!!
All I can say about LOTR is that she is a special breed.
9/24/2011 Plymouth Firefighters 5k: 47:13
11/12/2011 Diva Dash 5k: 45:45
5/5/2012 STEM school 5k TBD Coming up in 2012:
6/10/2012 Walk to Remember SIDS foundation 5k
(in memory of a sweet baby boy)
11/10/2012 Diva Dash 5k
This!!! Our sheltie has been part of our family for 13 years and there is no way I would ever give her up! She has nipped our DD but it was because DD pulled her hair. Do I blame her or DD...no I just supervise them better which is what a responsible pet owner and parent should do.
My thoughts exactly!
Two dog bites by the same dog = CPS situation. Not that this would be my first concern (my baby is my first), but something to think about...
I completely agree. When I started the thread I was referring to an unprovoked dog bite. I am amazed that some people hold there dog at the same level of importance as their child. My dog is part of my family and it would break my heart to let her go but I wouldnt think twice over the safety of my child.
To me there is a big difference between a bite and an attack. I don't trust my little dog enough to ever let DS play around her or pull on her at all. Anytime DS is with our dogs we are right next to him teaching him Gentle and nice. I don't think I would get rid of one of my dogs if they bit DS unless unprovoked.
BUT If my dog attacked my son regardless of being provoked they would be put down period.
It happens, I heard a news story about a baby being killed by a dog while the mom was out of the room. The dog took the baby out of the bassinet and killed him. Here's the story.
https://cbs13.com/national/dog.kills.baby.2.951110.htmlTotally depends on the situation. In this case the poster said she let her child roughhouse with the dog. When dogs are playing they bite. This wasn't a malicious thing, it was playful. I think in her case the first step that needs to be taken is serious training, both on the dog's part and the child's. If there was any indication that there was aggressive behavior toward the child then I would have to seek out a new home for my dog, very last resort being a no-kill shelter. But I think to insinuate that the dog is at fault here, when it was simply PLAYING like dogs do, is ridiculous, and uneducated. And to anyone who agreed with LOTR abut taking the dog out back and shooting them, I have not one ounce of respect left for you. Anger or not you don't treat any animal like that. It is disgusting. The child wasn't bleeding. This wasn't a vicious attack. It was a small bite that didn't break the skin. To react in a way that makes you shoot an animal says you have some serious control and compassion issues. And it's illegal just FYI.
eta: IF the situation was different and my dog bit my child in a scenario where my child wasn't roughhousing with the dog then the dog would be gone. my first attempt would be to find the dog a child-free home, and my second would be to take them to a no-kill shelter. however not only a bite would provoke that, any serious aggressive behavior would. i think that is responsible and aware pet ownership.
A dog is an animal & you should keep that in mind before even bringing one home.
DH & I both fully believe that when you bring an animal home, you are investing in them for life... they become part of the family.
We had a golden retriever that we had to put down in 2007 because she had cancer in her leg. However, if she were still here today, I would not doubt her disposition towards DD... she was great with kids. I brought in a stray cat that my mom started to feed in November 2006. She too is a very loving cat (possibly because she had already been abandoned twice), and she loves attention. She has been very loving and protective towards DD, from the moment we brought her home.
Has she scratched/bitten DD? On a couple of occasions, ONLY because DD was pulling at her and it was causing her pain. We're now teaching DD to be soft & gentle with the kitty.
The best thing to do is to always supervise when they have access to each other. To me, getting rid of an animal is not the answer... how else is your child going to learn to behave and respect animals?
So it seems to me that many on here are assuming/counting on the fact that they have 100% control of every situation. You are counting on the fact that your child and your pet will never end up in the same room alone together on accident. I don't count on that. I could be as protective as I wanted, but this is bound to happen. (I'm referring to pets with a history of biting here.)
A little girl that I have nannied for since she was a baby got bitten by her dog when she was 6 mos. old. They had gates up in their house and everything to seperate them. They slipped once and she pounced on the dog and he bit all the way through her foot. She almost lost her foot. He was a very "gentle dog," but he gave in to animal instinct. And they definitely made every effort to teach her to be gentle. But, she was 6 mos. old, so let's be honest...
My dog is like family to us. I would be absolutely devasted if we had to give him up. But, my daughter is my life. If he bit her, provoked or not, he'd be given to a very loving family (actually, my parents would most likely take him) because I would not trust myself to be able to make 100% sure that they were never alone together.
JMHO.
Another
here. Our dog is part of our family and we would not be giving her up
This exactly. When LOTR entered the argument, that was when I left. I remember her ignorant statements back when southern's dog peed in Kenley's pnp, so there was no way I was going to give myself an aneurysm reading her responses.