Dog bit my son, need advice.

Lisha

TheBegotten wrote: »

Was it a small dog? A westie or terrier or god-forbid a jack russell. They tend to be more...on edge. They also can see small children as threats. After a hyper-active party it was most likely adrenilin, etc. Dog should get punished though, whatever the situ. What's the politically correct way now?
p.s. it sounds like an atika (spelling?)

WE have a 10year old jack russell, lovely quiet dog but can be snappy with kids, as kids are pokers,. So neither get the chance. Also have alsatian she would only hurt kids by play jumping, again she would not be out of her run when kids are out.

strandroad

Akitas should not be kept around children unsupervised, they can be territorial and controlling and probably don't enjoy birthday parties much. Very smart dogs though. It's disgraceful if the owner hit the dog also. If there's a chance it's not only improper training/control but also animal cruelty, perhaps the dog could actually be taken away from such irresponsible owners. Not sure if there are any better options for the dog though... it would probably end up in the pound?

WolfgangWeisen

poledebruin wrote:

Quite the contrary - I know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not confusing the issue or muddling the argument as your long and sometimes ridiculous post did.

Sorry but you clearly don't. A dog bite does not automatically warrant destruction, which is what you've implied. I provided proof that studies have shown that it's the owners fault and that progressive systems are moving to taking action against the owner, instead of the dog.

Anyway, if the dog has been seen to be beaten, the Protection of Animals Act 1911 deems this to be cruelty to animals and is punishable with up to 6 months in prison. The later amendment adds that anyone convicted of animal cruelty can have their animal seized and destroyed, at a cost to the owner, and the owner will be banned from owning dogs for as long as the court sees fit.

I would start at this point and built enough of a threat to bring to the neighbour to deter them from letting their dogs loose again.

A dog that is being disciplined with violence will end up being an unstable and violent dog, coupled with being free and perhaps provoked by entities that don't know any better, this will only lead to more incidents.

If there is a language barrier, write it in a letter and have it translated by someone who speaks their language. Have it signed by the rest of your neighbours with the ultimatum of either they control their dog and aren't seen to be abusing it in the future, or steps will be taken to ensure they can't own a dog again.

TheBegotten

Lisha wrote: »

WE have a 10year old jack russell, lovely quiet dog but can be snappy with kids, as kids are pokers,. So neither get the chance. Also have alsatian she would only hurt kids by play jumping, again she would not be out of her run when kids are out.

Exactly. My granny had 3 JRT's and I loved them. But she would always say "careful they bite." I was careful, and they didn't

poldebruin

WolfgangWeisen wrote: »

Sorry but you clearly don't. A dog bite does not automatically warrant destruction, which is what you've implied.

I'll not get into a tit-for tat with you on it. I'll just clarify that what I said is that I'd report the matter to a warden or the gardai and leave it at that. What they do in these circumstances I don't know.

I also said that I think the dog(or indeed any dog that bites a child's face)should be put down

I never implied that any dog bite warrants automatic destruction, however I'd be surprised if a dog, that bites a small child's face, would not be put to sleep if reported.

planetX

I wouldn't ever leave kids in the care of a man who can punch a dog in the face. There's something wrong there, and the dog bite is just a symptom. End of friendship if it was me.
I would also report the dog bite, at least if it happens again there'll be a history.

clappyhappy

Lisha wrote: »

Wonder was it a japanese akita? Could have been a cross with this and another too

Yes, thats the breed of the dog, she is about 18 months old.

clappyhappy

planetX wrote: »

I wouldn't ever leave kids in the care of a man who can punch a dog in the face. There's something wrong there, and the dog bite is just a symptom. End of friendship if it was me.
I would also report the dog bite, at least if it happens again there'll be a history.

I agree, told our kids they can't go over there again. I called to the guards yesterday to know what I should do. They said that if I officially complain to either them or the dog warden, they will visit and speak to owner. I really wanted to know that if it happened again to some other child would I be responsible for not reporting him or doing nothing, I really couldn't stand the guilt if something were to happen.

I think I will go over later speak to him of my concern and judge his reaction, if I think he isn't going to train the dog or take responsibility then I will contact dog warden.

trishasaffron

Well done and good luck OP.

Please don't regard this as "back seat modding" (if I have the term right) but this forum seems to have a predetermined approach to any issue involving animals. And in only the most egregious case of bad animal behaviour is there any sympathy for the victim. In order to get help this OP had to suffer a level of cross examination about the facts of the case that you would not see in the High Court.

seamus

poldebruin wrote: »

I'd be surprised if a dog, that bites a small child's face, would not be put to sleep if reported.

The warden or the gardai don't have the power to put the dog to sleep. They have to go to court. Since most of the wardens outside the major urban areas are incompetent and lazy jobsworths, they will usually not bother pursuing the first offence if the owner kicks up a big enough stink.

loveisdivine

Quite a timely and relevant bit of the news from the UK this morning.

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16228081

Owners of dangerously out of control dogs that harm others in a public place will be jailed for up to 18 months under new guidelines for judges.

ppink

clappyhappy wrote: »

I agree, told our kids they can't go over there again. I called to the guards yesterday to know what I should do. They said that if I officially complain to either them or the dog warden, they will visit and speak to owner. I really wanted to know that if it happened again to some other child would I be responsible for not reporting him or doing nothing, I really couldn't stand the guilt if something were to happen.

I think I will go over later speak to him of my concern and judge his reaction, if I think he isn't going to train the dog or take responsibility then I will contact dog warden.

I think you are being very reasonable about the whole thing. I thought perhaps they did not contact you because either they were mortified and worried or they thought it was just a nip and no harm. I know when I was young this type of thing was common and my parents would not have even thought twice about it. (thats not saying it was right!)

you could just approach it exactly like you have here and tell him you are very concerned about it happening to another child and ask if he intends to get help to sort it out. If he plans on doing nothing tell him you will have ot report it as you could not have it on your conscience if anything happened again.

miss.aok

my jackrussell used to hate vistors or people walking by our road (rural area) one day he nipped a women in the leg who was pushin her baby in a pram. while it wasnt a serious bite my mum made the decision to have him put down i guess it was for the best in the long run.

Bullseye1

ceegee wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of owners on this forum who can never admit a dog may be liable for its actions. Where exactly are you getting this prodding and ear pulling from? From what the op has said the child hadnt been interacting the dog prior to being attacked. Sometimes dogs attack without provocation, making s**t up to justify the dogs actions doesnt make it less guilty. The op believed both dogs were restrained, its possible they had been - why tie one up but not the other? Sometimes its not the victims fault, or the owners, its the dogs fault.

As Sherlock Holmes would say we need data.

The OP did not see the interaction or the bite so we don't know what actually happened. So how can we really give proper advice on the incident. So while some people are quick to intervene on behalf of the dog others are quick to condem the dog.

Hopefully the child makes a full and complete recovery and does not let this incident create a fear around animals. Keep us updated on his recovery OP.

clappyhappy

I hate being in this situation, I am not a confrontational person, but I know that if the situation was reversed I would have called over to see the child, offered to pay doctors fees and sought advice on what my options were in how to deal with the dog. I just feel real sick over the whole thing, especially when I see the bruised marks on his cheek.

clappyhappy

Bullseye1 wrote: »

As Sherlock Holmes would say we need data.

The OP did not see the interaction or the bite so we don't know what actually happened. So how can we really give proper advice on the incident. So while some people are quick to intervene on behalf of the dog others are quick to condem the dog.

Hopefully the child makes a full and complete recovery and does not let this incident create a fear around animals. Keep us updated on his recovery OP.

My eldest son and a friend saw it happen, the dog came at my son. We had only been there for 2-3 mins when it happened, collecting my older kids from party.

monkeysnapper

Bullseye1 wrote: »

As Sherlock Holmes would say we need data.

The OP did not see the interaction or the bite so we don't know what actually happened. So how can we really give proper advice on the incident. So while some people are quick to intervene on behalf of the dog others are quick to condem the dog.

Hopefully the child makes a full and complete recovery and does not let this incident create a fear around animals. Keep us updated on his recovery OP.

this was my view on it although i probably voiced it in the wrong mannor, you have to look at the facts, we know a few more facts now, i think the op has been very reasonable on this, i really think it warrants a kind visit and see what happens, if they show her no respect what so ever then maybe the op should take it further. but as i said before you need to be carefull because you dont want a big neighbor feud to start from this, its just not worth it and as much as the bite was bad you dont want this to spill put with the children invoked, as from what i have read it was a childrens party.

Bullseye1

clappyhappy wrote: »

I hate being in this situation, I am not a confrontational person, but I know that if the situation was reversed I would have called over to see the child, offered to pay doctors fees and sought advice on what my options were in how to deal with the dog. I just feel real sick over the whole thing, especially when I see the bruised marks on his cheek.

How about asking them over to see you and the condition of your child? Did any adult or older child see the actual event? It is hard to give proper advice without knowing the full facts.

1. Was the attack unprovoked?
2. Did the child unknowingly cause the reaction?

They are the same kinds of questions you would ask if it were another child was involved. The people who held the party had a responsibility towards their guests and their dogs. They should never have let the opportunity arise regardless of what or who was at fault. Ultimately the responsibility lies wih them.

monkeysnapper

clappyhappy wrote: »

My eldest son and a friend saw it happen, the dog came at my son. We had only been there for 2-3 mins when it happened, collecting my older kids from party.

the one thing i feel you should have done when you posted this thread was put all this info into it, you held back on a lot of info and it was turning nasty at one point.

Ayla

trishasaffron wrote: »

And in only the most egregious case of bad animal behaviour is there any sympathy for the victim. In order to get help this OP had to suffer a level of cross examination about the facts of the case that you would not see in the High Court.

IMO, that's not really fair. Obviously everyone has sympathy for the child who was bitten and cares very much for their physical and emotional recovery.

However, there is more to this story than just the fact that a child was bitten. There is the very crucial key question - why was the child bitten? That's where the details of the story gets blurry - the family's having a party of 8 yr olds, they restrain one but not the other dog, a toddler's playing on the ground (and sorry, OP, but facing 20 ft away from a toddler kneeling next to a pond of whatever size is not being safely supervised), no one actually witnesses the exact moment of the bite to know what happened (did the dog charge from a distance or was s/he casually passing by & then snap, did the child reach out to the dog?), but immediately after the bite the dog's owner is right there to pull the dog away and then he hits the animal in the head.

It's hard not to do the blame game, but it's not usually 100% the fault of either the child or the dog. Sometimes, it's a combination of both, and sometimes it's just wrong time/wrong place & last straw scenario. That said, I have to sympathise with the dog as well - large groups of energetic people causing chaos with their territory, running, screaming, playing. It's easy to see why they would have been stretched too tightly and they should have been contained/restrained for their own benefit (and, consequently, for the benefit of the children at the party).

OP, from what you've said, it seems to me like you've done the best you can with this situation. All you can do from this point on is ensure the safety of your children, which unfortunately means that they don't go over to the neighbor's house (maybe the neighbor's can just come to yours from now on?).

Bullseye1

clappyhappy wrote: »

My eldest son and a friend saw it happen, the dog came at my son. We had only been there for 2-3 mins when it happened, collecting my older kids from party.

So the dog ran over and bit your son without any other interaction? Sorry for all the questions just trying to get a clear picture.

dodderangler

I wouldn't of thought twice about killin the dog with my hands mate and I wouldn't rest until I got an answer from the owners and some result
What breed of dog was it I know it's not really an issue if a dog attacks two kids in one day should be put down I have an Akita and I can't take my eye off him around my kid as any dog can just snap and with height of kids bein in direct eye contact with a dogs eyes that's a challenge to certain dogs hence reason for most attacks
It's up to yourself now to constantly knock on their door over it what if it wasnt just a bite on face what if it was worse thank god it wasn't but I wouldn't rest mate
Hope the kid is alri
Atb

ISDW

miss.aok wrote: »

my jackrussell used to hate vistors or people walking by our road (rural area) one day he nipped a women in the leg who was pushin her baby in a pram. while it wasnt a serious bite my mum made the decision to have him put down i guess it was for the best in the long run.

I know it was your Mum and not you that made the decision but actually the best thing would have been to have your dog contained in your own property. It also is the legal thing to do.

I took a pointer in here in exactly the same situation, she had apparently nipped someone pushing a pram past their house. She is now living in a home in England with another pointer having a very happy life. She was an escape artist, the new home had to keep making the fencing higher, its now 10ft, but she goes out for walks, and plays off lead with no incidents whatsoever.

star-pants

Just to reiterate - advocating violence is not allowed, nor is personal abuse.

Bullrush

Have a word with them first. If they don't seem to be taking it seriously then I'd suggest reporting it.

DamagedTrax

clappyhappy wrote: »

My eldest son and a friend saw it happen, the dog came at my son. We had only been there for 2-3 mins when it happened, collecting my older kids from party.

i havent seen this question asked but when you say the dog came at your son, do you mean aggressivly?

did the dog actually attack your son or was it playing that went OTT? dogs play by mouthing and if the dog got excited it may well not have been intentional at all.

either way its good your son is ok. the owners should definitly be paying any costs that you've incurred.

tk123

DamagedTrax wrote: »

i havent seen this question asked but when you say the dog came at your son, do you mean aggressivly?

did the dog actually attack your son or was it playing that went OTT? dogs play by mouthing and if the dog got excited it may well not have been intentional at all.

either way its good your son is ok. the owners should definitly be paying any costs that you've incurred.

I wondered if the dog may nipped since the little boy was by the pond - like herding it away like some dogs do? I don't mean that in defence of what happened btw.

Anyhoos I'm shocked that the neighbours haven't come to see how the little boy is or offered to pay bills etc. No matter how worried they are about the dog and what might happen there's no excuse!? The sound like crappy irresponsible owners.

Evac101

A quick couple of things:

Firstly, Claphappy you have my admiration for your reasoned and moderate response to this whole situation. You've approached this whole situation with a level headedness that, given the circumstances, must have been extremely difficulty to maintain. I have faith that whatever action you take going forward will be a compassionate balance of the dogs welfare versus the potential of future incidents in the dogs current circumstances.

Secondly, and a little off-topic (though it's a topic mentioned several times in the thread), sometimes the frequent posters on this forum can come off as caring more about animals then humans. I honestly don't think that that's the case but many of the posters here are accustomed to feeling that no blame is attached to owners or circumstances and that the dog's welfare is the last thing that enters the equation in the aftermath of these incidents. It tends to make for 'aggressively defensive' posts which can come off as being very light in sympathy. Please don't read these posts as anything but people rushing to attempt to prevent a dog, perhaps needlessly, being destroyed before a proper assessment of the circumstances and history surrounding the incident have occurred.

SingItOut

TheBegotten wrote: »

Was it a small dog? A westie or terrier or god-forbid a jack russell. They tend to be more...on edge. They also can see small children as threats. After a hyper-active party it was most likely adrenilin, etc. Dog should get punished though, whatever the situ. What's the politically correct way now?
p.s. it sounds like an atika (spelling?)

I have an occasional hyper two year old jack russell female, kids pull her around, poke her, have dropped her and she has NEVER once growled or snapped at them. The same goes for all the jack russels I had when I was a child. They had the same people/children loving personality. . . Jack russels are starting to get as bad (and definetly undeserved) a reputation as restricted breeds. Its bad ownership not dogs or breeds.

Sorry that your son was bitten OP, hopefully the owners take some responsibility for their carelessness in training this dog and show you some compasion

DamagedTrax

SingItOut wrote: »

Jack russels are starting to get as bad (and definetly undeserved) a reputation as restricted breeds. Its bad ownership not dogs or breeds.

we have 2 in the local flats that roam together and will go for any dog that walks near them. i swear they form a pincer movement little shytes!