Advice needed, dog went for child,.

goods

Right i have a 9 year old collie/lab cross, usually kept in our back yard,
last wk she was outside our house and ran into the neighbours driveway as they were walking around house, The dog went for them and they say that she bit one of their kids, but on the inside of their lip,
We seen the child after obviously in distress but no sign of any bite,
Im wondering if the dog did actually bite,
Anyway my question is this , should i have the dog put down, this isnt the first time that she has viciously went after the neighbours and she has bit a few people already but only when feeling threatened,

The dog has displayed strange behaviour from day one, barking at a spot on the ground, or at a wall, and she is very nervous of other dogs and strangers ,

Not sure what the best thing to do is as i def do not want her attacking another child.

Any advice would be appreciated

mathepac

I'm not sure why you bother asking.

You have a dog which is not socialised around other dogs or people, which you cannot control, which displays strange almost psychotic (in human terms) behaviour, and which has bitten a number of people most recently a child. In all seriousness does this dog have to cause major injury to someone, particularly a child, physically or psychologically before you take the only responsible option and have it destroyed?

pokertalk

goods wrote: »

Right i have a 9 year old collie/lab cross, usually kept in our back yard,
last wk she was outside our house and ran into the neighbours driveway as they were walking around house, The dog went for them and they say that she bit one of their kids, but on the inside of their lip,
We seen the child after obviously in distress but no sign of any bite,
Im wondering if the dog did actually bite,
Anyway my question is this , should i have the dog put down, this isnt the first time that she has viciously went after the neighbours and she has bit a few people already but only when feeling threatened,

The dog has displayed strange behaviour from day one, barking at a spot on the ground, or at a wall, and she is very nervous of other dogs and strangers ,

Not sure what the best thing to do is as i def do not want her attacking another child.

Any advice would be appreciated

ok not having a go but y was the dog running around freely when you know it has a history of being agressive:mad: how often do you walk the dog did you get her when she was a pup or rescue?? your dog needs to go to a behaviour specialist asap to find out y she has all this aggression towards people . until you sort this out please keep the dog on a short leash and muzzeled because its you that is responsible for what your dog does but it is the dog that will suffer eg being pts but def see a behaviour specialist.dont jump the gun and get her put down.
usually a fearfull dog will bite as a last resort eg when cornered .but an aggressive dog will attack straight away and stand its ground so it sounds like its agression more so than feeling threatened because the dog did run into their garden.
do you have the dog 9 years??

boxerly

An agressive dog should not be allowed to run around in public off a lead.The fact you know she is aggressive is even worse !The poor child could have had her little face dsetroyed and is prob now terrified of dogs.I feel sorry for the dog also as you said she is usually in the back yard,is she alone all the time?is she walked,does she get cuddles etc?You said she was always like this?sorry but you really sould have dealt with her problems before now.I hope your dog gets the help she needs and I hope the little girl is ok x

seamus

goods wrote: »

Not sure what the best thing to do is as i def do not want her attacking another child.

Well for a start, don't let the dog get out on her own! I would have thought that was obvious.

If the dog was actually attacking people with the intention of doing damage, there would be more to show for it than an invisible bite mark on a child's lip. Chances are the dog is getting over excited, and without having been properly trained and socialised, many dogs will nip and use their teeth when they get excited. They're playing, not being vicious.

I'm guessing that you don't have the dog for all of the nine years, mentioning strange behaviour since "day one". If you rescued her, then she's likely not been properly socialised and so is anxious and excited around other dogs and people.

I don't see any particular reason to put the dog down. Work on her problems - get her out meeting people and other dogs in a controlled manner and not when she accidentally escapes.
Speak to a behaviour specialist who can asses the dog and teach you how to teach the dog to act appropriately.

yolanda

Here here on the behavioural issues or classes of some description prior to putting down the dog. Would be interested to know more info though with regards to
how long you've had it
exercise
socialization
knowledge of parents etc.

You should act sooner rather than later as imagne the neighbours informing you their child was in hospital with serious injuries from the dog? Would be very difficult to deal with both for you and the neighbours and the option of classes would simply not be an option at that stage.

mymo

I agree with above, the dog shouldn't be out alone or running around off the lead. It needs to be seen by a behaviorist, ring your local spca or rescue and ask their advice on a good behaviorist for your dog, tell them she's fearful and they may recommend someone. Also consider training classes, these are as much for the owner as the dog, it will help you to know how to react when she does something she shouldn't, often you think you are doing something to help when in-fact you could be reinforcing the behavior.
Please don't allow the dog out when you know it can get into these situations.

Guill

Seriously?

You have a dog that may attack kids.
Even if you see a behaviourist wll you be 100% sure that he wont get out and savage a child?
I couldn't have it on my conscience if my dog did that.
Also is chaining/muzzling acceptable for a dog that is already stressed?

the_syco

goods wrote: »

Right i have a 9 year old collie/lab cross, usually kept in our back yard,
last wk she was outside our house and ran into the neighbours driveway as they were walking around house, The dog went for them and they say that she bit one of their kids, but on the inside of their lip,
We seen the child after obviously in distress but no sign of any bite

How can a dog bite you on the inside of your lip?

seamus

Guill wrote: »

You have a dog that may attack kids.
Even if you see a behaviourist wll you be 100% sure that he wont get out and savage a child?

Well he hasn't done so yet, and going by the OP's story, all indications are that the dog has no intention of "savaging" anyone.

Child + Bite does not equal "savaging". It doesn't even necessarily mean "aggression". This is what the behaviourist is for.

In any event, it is perfectly possible to ensure that there is no chance the dog can do any damage by ensuring that you have supervision over all of the dog's interactions with other peopel.

Also is chaining/muzzling acceptable for a dog that is already stressed?

Chaining? As in the back garden? Is never acceptable. Any dog can learn to tolerate a muzzle without feeling irritated or annoyed by it, just like they are trained to wear collars and leads.

Guill

you sure the dog just didn't knoock the child over or the child got frightened and bit their lip?

Seramus, my statement 'Can you be 100%'

You can....but would never be, behaviourist or not.

Also please note that the chaining mussling question was a question, not a suggestion.

seamus

How can a dog bite you on the inside of your lip?

you sure the dog just didn't knoock the child over or the child got frightened and bit their lip?

Distinct possibility. The inside of the mouth has thinner membranes than the outside and a much higher concentration of blood vessels - hence the pink/red colour. Any kind of trauma to the inside of the mouth can burst blood vessels and look like a cut or a mark and the skin is more prone to tearing. Something as simple as the dog banging off the child's face with his nose (my dog headbutts me all the bloody time) could easily cause a minor trauma inside the mouth which appears bloody and sore at first but will go away in a matter of hours.

Guill wrote: »

Seramus, my statement 'Can you be 100%'

I think that's a philosophical question as much as anything - it's come up a few times here before. Can you ever be 100% sure that any dog will not attack someone? And no, obviously you can't. Just like you can't be 100% sure that your brother will never hit his wife, even though you would happily bet everything you own on that never happening.

But I wouldn't write off any dog that you're "unsure" of, I would simply take extra precautions. If a dog is knowingly and demonstrably aggressive (once-off incidents don't really count), then you have a much tougher decision on your hands.

Also please note that the chaining mussling question was a question, not a suggestion.

I know

Linguo

You need to make sure that your dog is properly guarded and not allowed run around freely if he is nervous or unsure of strangers. Behavioural classes may help also to address what perhaps frightened your dog or made him act aggressively but you have to be VERY careful about this. You obviously don't want to have your dog put to sleep over this so please take the time and measures to ensure your dog is happy and settled and is safe around people.