dog bit ,what would you do??

pokertalk

ok so a freind of a freind has a 12-13 year old terrier cross. she also has a 10 month baby girl. the dog likes to be on his own alot and does not really like kids that much. but a couple of days ago the dog bit the babys face whilst playing on the floor and left some bad teeth marks on the baby.as far as i know they said it was unprovoked and that as soon as it bit the dog let go.they are not going to get the dog put down because it was so quick and he stopped after one bite . im not too sure what i would do myself .the dog is blind and suffers from incontinence .what would you do??

astra2000

I am shocked. Why if they knew the dog didnt like children would they let the baby near the dog? Are they really planning on keeping the dog after it bit their baby in an unprovoked attack? Just saw the dog is blind and incontinent really really did not make any sense to have dog and baby near each other.

pokertalk

thats the first thing i thought when i heard it
so you think pts??

scudzilla

Firstly i'd try and discover what issues the dog has, i'd book it into training and also get the first available appointment with a dog therapist/counsellor.

pokertalk

i know it needs training but my question is regards to the dog being pts.

Stercus Accidit

WTF, a dog bit a baby and they are concerned for the dog?

It cant be kept in the same house as the baby, thats for sure. As a toddler I pulled the hair and ears of our dog until it would yelp (I was a toddler didn't know what I was at) and it never did a thing, it would follow me around and growl when strangers would go near me, it was protective of me no matter what I did even if I hurt it. This was a dog that had been rescued and it wasn't treated well before. It says alot about a dogs nature how it reacts to a child, not liking 'company' implies an anti-social dog, I hope its kept well away from that child.

Zapperzy

No it shouldn't be pts'd. No attack is completely unprovoked, if the dog is blind then the baby could have startled it somehow and it just gave a warning nip. Training and extra supervision most definitely needed, see what a behaviourist says but maybe a home with a young child isin't the best for a blind dog, children are too unpredictable and move too fast and can easily upset a dog with full vision nevermind a blind dog.

Taceom

scudzilla wrote: »

Firstly i'd try and discover what issues the dog has, i'd book it into training and also get the first available appointment with a dog therapist/counsellor.

I think it's the owner who is in need of therapy! Get rid of dog. Simple.

ISDW

So an old, blind dog comes across an obstacle on the floor that they've never come across before and gives it a nip. Definitely not a reason to put the dog to sleep. The dog has been a faithful companion for such a long time, now is the time to repay that loyalty.

Of course the baby has to be kept safe, but its not that difficult to do. All it takes is a baby gate or two in doorways, or even just keeping doors closed. Get the dog a crate if necessary, then when the baby is out crawling around, put the dog safely in the crate with a nice chew, or with its dinner.

The dog has only got a couple of years left, let the poor thing enjoy them in his/her own home with the people that it has loved for the last 12/13 years.

pokertalk

ISDW wrote: »

So an old, blind dog comes across an obstacle on the floor that they've never come across before and gives it a nip. Definitely not a reason to put the dog to sleep. The dog has been a faithful companion for such a long time, now is the time to repay that loyalty.

Of course the baby has to be kept safe, but its not that difficult to do. All it takes is a baby gate or two in doorways, or even just keeping doors closed. Get the dog a crate if necessary, then when the baby is out crawling around, put the dog safely in the crate with a nice chew, or with its dinner.

The dog has only got a couple of years left, let the poor thing enjoy them in his/her own home with the people that it has loved for the last 12/13 years.

yeah a re home would be out of the wuestion i think on this one

scudzilla

scudzilla wrote: »

Firstly i'd try and discover what issues the dog has, i'd book it into training and also get the first available appointment with a dog therapist/counsellor.

Taceom wrote: »

I think it's the owner who is in need of therapy! Get rid of dog. Simple.

i was taking the piss with my reply Seems that's the sort of thing that people want to hear, anything else is frowned upon

pokertalk

scudzilla wrote: »

i was taking the piss with my reply Seems that's the sort of thing that people want to hear, anything else is frowned upon

what would you really do

scudzilla

pokertalk wrote: »

what would you really do

Against my better judgement, and with the risk of getting flamed, i'd have give the dog an almighty slap (to let it know it's done wrong) then would probably have had it put down

Cherry Blossom

scudzilla wrote: »

i was taking the piss with my reply Seems that's the sort of thing that people want to hear, anything else is frowned upon

Clearly the owners are not responsible enough to have a dog or a baby, they should have both pts :rolleyes:

Serious answer, sounds like the poor dog probably hadn't a clue what it had come across investigated with a little nip, realised and let go. No way the dog should have been in the room with a baby crawling on the floor, the owners need to cop on and realise their mistake and take a bit of responsibility for it. My nephew is walking around the house at this stage and he has absolute minimal contact with the dog as even though she knows the rules at this stage he doesn't and has a tendancy to try to pull her hair and poke her in the eye anytime he gets an opportunity.

lrushe

pokertalk wrote: »

ok so a freind of a freind has a 12-13 year old terrier cross. she also has a 10 month baby girl. the dog likes to be on his own alot and does not really like kids that much. but a couple of days ago the dog bit the babys face whilst playing on the floor and left some bad teeth marks on the baby.as far as i know they said it was unprovoked and that as soon as it bit the dog let go.they are not going to get the dog put down because it was so quick and he stopped after one bite . im not too sure what i would do myself .the dog is blind and suffers from incontinence .what would you do??

My inital feeling on this is, no the dog should not be PTS.
The fault as I can see it lies on the parents of the child, as dog owners it is our responsibility not to put our dogs in situations where we know they will feel threatened or feel like they might need to defend themselves. The owners knew that the dog didn't like kids but felt it was ok to leave their 10 month old baby on the floor with it?
There is rarely a time when a bite is unprovoked, just because we can't initally see a reason for it doesn't mean there wasn't one. The bite to me sounds like a warning, it was a bite and release rather than repeated biting, not the actions of an aggressive dog in the true sense of aggression.
If I were in this situation I would get a crate and crate the dog while the child was on the floor. The dog will feel safer in it own little space and the child will not be in danger when on the floor. As an older dog it will probably spend most of the day sleeping anyway. The dog can be out when going for a walk or when the child is asleep or out of harms way.
As an older dog with medical problems he mightn't be around for much longer anyway. They should just let him live out the rest of his life in peace.

Whispered

They left a blind dog who doesn't like kids, with a 10 month old child? That is very irresponsible tbh. The dog should not be pts, the owners just need to make sure the child and the dog are not left unsupervised again. (That should really go without saying.)

How hygienic can be be to have a toddler (?) on the floor with an incontinent dog?

lrushe

Whispered wrote: »

How hygienic can be be to have a toddler (?) on the floor with an incontinent dog?

God I didn't even think of that!!!!:eek:

TooManyDogs

scudzilla wrote: »

Against my better judgement, and with the risk of getting flamed, i'd have give the dog an almighty slap (to let it know it's done wrong) then would probably have had it put down

Why would you slap it and then get it pts????? Why bother with 'letting it know it's done wrong' if you're going to kill it anyway?

It's an old blind dog, keep it seperate from the baby, no dog should be left unsupervised with any baby, regardless of the age of the dog.

The situation is very managable so no, the dog shouldnt be pts

Hellrazer

Ok as per my post in the feedback thread.Im replying here.

Scudzilla-Your slapping post has been reported.While Im not totally against giving a dog a tap I agree with the last post--Why give it a slap if youre going to put it down??

Can we try keep the comments considered by other posters to be cruel to a minimum?

scudzilla

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Why would you slap it and then get it pts????? Why bother with 'letting it know it's done wrong' if you're going to kill it anyway?

It's an old blind dog, keep it seperate from the baby, no dog should be left unsupervised with any baby, regardless of the age of the dog.

The situation is very managable so no, the dog shouldnt be pts

Hellrazer wrote: »

Ok as per my post in the feedback thread.Im replying here.

Scudzilla-Your slapping post has been reported.While Im not totally against giving a dog a tap I agree with the last post--Why give it a slap if youre going to put it down??

Can we try keep the comments considered by other posters to be cruel to a minimum?

I said the word 'PROBABLY', so that's not a certainty so reporting my post is complete and utter BS

The OP asked what i would do, i told him, andi get reported? some people on here are getting ridiculous, it's not as though i'm a rabid animal abuser!!

pokertalk

lrushe wrote: »

God I didn't even think of that!!!!:eek:

Whispered wrote: »

They left a blind dog who doesn't like kids, with a 10 month old child? That is very irresponsible tbh. The dog should not be pts, the owners just need to make sure the child and the dog are not left unsupervised again. (That should really go without saying.)

How hygienic can be be to have a toddler (?) on the floor with an incontinent dog?

not very i would of thought:eek:
crate is probably the best option for him

Whispered

Yes I think. The dog would probably really appreciate it's own "safe spot" too. They will need to be careful with the training, so the dog likes the crate instead of seeing it as a punishment.

pokertalk

Whispered wrote: »

Yes I think. The dog would probably really appreciate it's own "safe spot" too. They will need to be careful with the training, so the dog likes the crate instead of seeing it as a punishment.

lets hope they do it rite[dunno if they would put the time in do] il say it to them anyway

looksee

If I had an old, blind, incontinent dog I would have had it put to sleep anyway. How long do you wait, how frustrated does the dog have to get before you help it on its way? With a baby in the equation it seems like a no-brainer. (And I have had cats that got to 15 and 20 years so I don't say that lightly).

Whispered

Maybe you could offer to help? It should really only take a few hours with a lot of positive training.

If cost of a crate is an issue at the moment I can lend you one for a few weeks while they get money together. (it's damaged on one end but could be patched up with thick cardboard or plywood)

sharkbite1983

Like most other dog owners, I couldn't put my Buddy to sleep, but saying that, if he was unpredictable, especially with a child in the house, I'd strongly recommend taking serious action.

If he's that old & blind, the chances are his hearing ain't the best either, child probobly startled the dog, dogs instinct can't be helped. Be happy he let go as soon as he realised what he'd done.

Get a kennel for him and make sure he child is never left alone with him. Kids can be cruel to a dog without meaning it, pulling ears, hair and petting them too hard. It's dangerous and alot of people don't realise it untill the dog finally snaps or bites, and the dog gets blamed!!

challengemaster

Zapperzy wrote: »

No it shouldn't be pts'd. No attack is completely unprovoked, if the dog is blind then the baby could have startled it somehow and it just gave a warning nip. Training and extra supervision most definitely needed, see what a behaviourist says but maybe a home with a young child isin't the best for a blind dog, children are too unpredictable and move too fast and can easily upset a dog with full vision nevermind a blind dog.

You're trying to defend an animal attacking a baby. Unbelievable the things you read sometimes.

First off - I'd call child services, then get the dog put down.

pokertalk

Whispered wrote: »

Maybe you could offer to help? It should really only take a few hours with a lot of positive reinforcement.

If cost of a crate is an issue at the moment I can lend you one for a few weeks while they get money together. (it's damaged on one end but could be patched up with thick cardboard or plywood)

yeah will probably have to give em a hand. they are ok for the cash but it was a very kind offer .ty

CoalBucket

scudzilla wrote: »

Firstly i'd try and discover what issues the dog has, i'd book it into training and also get the first available appointment with a dog therapist/counsellor.

WTF, the dog bit a baby !!! I'd be making the first available appointment with a vet to have the dog put to sleep.

If the therapist route is hat you'd suggest i'd recommend the parents go there and try and teach them that they should be looking after their child instead of putting the child at risk with a dog which has already bitten.

pokertalk

CoalBucket wrote: »

WTF, the dog bit a baby !!! I'd be making the first available appointment with a vet to have the dog put to sleep.

If the therapist route is hat you'd suggest i'd recommend the parents go there and try and teach them that they should be looking after their child instead of putting the child at risk with a dog which has already bitten.

where does it say that the dog has already bitten
this is the dogs s first time to bite anyone from what i know he would just give a growl usually if he was not happy. there was supervision but it happened verry quick.im sure now they wont be in the same room anymore. well i hope

CoalBucket

scudzilla wrote: »

i was taking the piss with my reply Seems that's the sort of thing that people want to hear, anything else is frowned upon

Teaches me not to read the rest of the thread before flying off the handle

I couldn't careless what people frown upon though, I completely stand by my response above in relation to both the dog and the parents.