Pets
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advice needed URGENT
So yesterday my 1 year old beagle bit my 3 yr old in the face. It wasn't too bad but now my husband wants the dog gone asap! I feel so bad all my kids are hysterical and I feel so bad for the dog. We have had him since he was a puppy and it wasn't like he went after her aggresivly she pulled his tail. I have contacted a rescue and I am awaiting their response but I feel so horrible about this situation all around!
Re: advice needed URGENT
It wasn't "too bad?" You dog bit your three year old in the face. He needs to be gone within the day and crated until then. I don't see how this is much of a decision. He may be able to be rehabilitated into a kid-free home just fine, and maybe he was provoked, but your home is not the place to try to make this work out. A warning nip on the hand or arm would have been much more understandable, but a bite in the face is something completely different. A dog never makes a mistake in the location or speed of his bite. If he'd wanted to warn her he would have warned her. This would just be far too much for my comfort level.
So, wait, your LO pulled your dog's tail, your dog told the child he didn't like the only way he knows how (it's not like he can say, "Hey that hurts! Quit it!"), your H wants to punish the dog by rehoming him?
I don't agree with pp's at all, but maybe I'm misunderstanding the nature of the bite. By "not too bad" I'm under the impression that it probably didn't break the skin? Or did you mean she only needed 2 stitches vs. 20? The nature of the injury would be helpful.
I firmly believe that a child's well-being has to be a parent's first priority, even when making decisions regarding a beloved pet, but ousting the dog in this scenario seems like a major over reaction. The dog bit because a three-year-old pulled his tail. Since he lives with this kid (and the three-year-old apparently had no qualms about pulling his tail) it seems reasonable to assume that this isn't the first time the child has harassed him. It's entirely possible that the dog has exercised enormous patience and restraint for months or years before getting to the point where he was so fed up that he snapped.
From what you've described, I think you could probably help the situation by keeping them separated and giving your daughter a crash-course in how to treat animals. If nothing else, I think you owe it to the dog to bring in a behaviorist to evaluate the situation and offer some advice.
This would be my advice, as well. Also, if your dog has had any sudden behavior changes (like much more sensitive or short tempered than in the past) it might also be good to make an appointment with your regular vet to see if there's something that's causing him pain.
Best of luck!
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath
My response is due to the fact that there is obviously not enough boundaries in this home to make the dog comfortable. If he has been provoked before and is now to the point of making contact then this is a long standing issue that is obviously not healthy for the dog or the child.
If this is the first case of this type of interaction with the dog and that is the dogs reaction I feel like his actions will only escalate a lot of proper training on both the dog and the child's side. Is it fair to lock up a dog in a bedroom or some back room to prevent interaction with a child?
This dog is obviously uncomfortable in this environment. I am all of keeping dogs in their familes. Truly I am. But something about this post (and maybe I read into it too much) seems like the DOG would be happier in a child free environment. Not every environment is healthy for every dog and I think it is just as important to recognize that.
Dogs make contact when and where they want to 99% of the time. A warning nip isn't typically directed towards the face.
All of this! You need to supervise your children better around the dog, too.
Agree with RHB, need more info. including kids age? How many kids do you have?
I certainly wouldn't go straight to re-homing. Sounds like this was a provoked bite, and not hospital worthy. Ramping up NILIF training, being more vigilant in watching the kid/animal interactions, and, if needed, getting a behaviorist in to see what's going on are all steps to take before re-homing.
My kid fell on my dog and she bit his arm. He shouldn't have been jumping on the bed, as he well knew. He cried, told Chig he was sorry, and all is well. And he quit jumping on the bed (for now).
You could be right...I don't think either one of us was given enough information to accurately judge what's going on. My point is, good homes for older dogs with a bite history aren't exactly a dime a dozen. This is all the more sad if this is basically a good dog who just got fed up with being teased. While he might be more comfortable in a home without children, he also might be comfortable in a home where the children present treat him with respect, and that's something that the OP has the power to fix. I think a professional could help her in making that decision.
My other concern is that usually in situations where people are quick to rehome a pet, it's because the perception is that the animal is the problem, not the environment. So the dog is gone for month, and the family gets a new puppy, and the cycle starts all over again. Regardless of what the OP decides to do, I think it's important to point out that her problem likely didn't sprout up out of the blue. Typically (not always), negative outcomes with pets are facilitated by their owners, even if it's done unwittingly.
Honestly- I think you all are acting out of emotion because it just happened. Your dog gave a normal response to the situation. It is not the end of the world, honestly. It's a wake up call that your child needs to learn the rules and you all need to find ways to proactively supervise.
Your child pulled a tail, it hurt, and the dog "spoke" to the child in the only language it had available. I'm a former regular here and I came on only to address this post. The fact is, *** is going to happen. Today it's the dog, tomorrow it's going to be falling off a bike. Your child will learn with your help of course what consequences and repercussions are for their actions both good and bad. It's how we all learn.
One snap does not make a dog dangerous around kids. In reality, the child is dangerous around dogs because it does not yet know the rules for interacting with a dog. It could have been your own dog, but this also could have happened at a friend's house. The dog isn't the issue so much as it is teaching your children how to safely interact with animals. And no matter the age of the child, it's never too soon to teach them. Even toddlers can follow rules.
My son is 5 1/2. He has been raised with what many would deem "dangerous" breeds. He has been around countless dogs as fosters and transports, more than the average child. Has he been snapped at? Yep. Did he deserve it? Yep. Are we all able to learn our lesson and move on? Yep.
I suggest you implement some kid free and dog free zones to use when you can't supervise. In my experience, 3 year olds are assholes who just love to test limits. I'd use baby gates, maybe give the dog a high value treat in a closed bedroom or crate to make the time apart positive.
Implement the following rules to teach your children the rules for keeping them safe:
Do not touch ears, tails, or noses.
Do not hug a dog.
Do not touch a dog while eating/drinking.
Do not touch a sleeping dog.
Dog beds and dog crates are off limits at all times.
Children also learn wonderfully from social stories. I can suggest the following books:
http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Lick-Dog-Making-Friends/dp/0805087338/ref=pd_sim_b_1
http://www.amazon.com/Tails-Pulling-Board-Behavior-Series/dp/1575421801/ref=pd_sim_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Be-Dogs-Best-Friend-Safety/dp/0615280382/ref=pd_sim_b_9
and a book for mom and dad-
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Kids-Dogs-Without-Losing-Your/dp/1933562668/ref=pd_sim_b_6
Shelby adopted after 9 months!
You need to supervise the dog with the children better and have a place he can go and play with toys, be by himself if you can't supervise. Make it a fun place for the dog.
I think it is a natural and normal reaction that if someone pulled your hair or hit you, you would tell them to stop. For dogs, snapping or growling is their way of saying stop. I have a beagle mix who we occasionally use to interview child victims of crimes. He is excellent with children. But if a kid was pulling his tail and I wasn't around to step in, I couldn't promise you he wouldn't snap at them, too.
Not to mention, if your dog had wanted to hurt your child, he would have hurt your child. This isn't an aggressive dog going after a kid for no reason, this is, you failed to properly supervise, your kid isn't old enough to fully respect boundaries, and your dog was trying to stick up for himself.
It sounds like you got some really good advice and I think you are started down the right path. I would also go over what they learned in the workshop and start enforcing the rules.
Really I just wanted to say best of luck with the situation!
I'm glad you guys are working on it and will continue to work on it. Good luck!
I agree with everything PittieBoo says.
I also agree that rarely is a first warning bite going to result in that. They start with the signals- trying to get away, moving away, growling, a hard stare, a snap...biting is usually the dogs last and final straw.
Honestly? DS pulls the dog's tail. I put a stop to it ASAP and know very well that if she snapped at him, it is well deserved. But it's up to me to monitor their interactions and tail pulling and any rough treatment to the dog is simply not allowed.
If he can't use gentle hands, then he doesn't get to pat the dog. End of story. He can scream and pout all he wants, but those are the rules. You cannot let your guard down. Ever.