In a couple of hundred years time when folk are looking back at the current era, what do you think they will find more bizarre? That we let unlicensed people loose with incendiary devices or that folk in towns had animals in their houses?
Precisely Druidh, here's my very scientific statistical analysis....
http://www.cgsystems.co.uk/ncfs/
vs
http://dangerousdogsact.com/43/dangerous-dogs-act-information/uk-dog-attack-statistics/
Fireworks aren't THAT far off are they?
Niece (when she was 5) got bitten by our old pet dog in the face (18/19 yr old dog - half deaf and and half blind) when she accidentally stepped on it's tail. Went to hospital for general anaesthetic to stitch up wound etc. We did not put the dog down as it's our pet. No big deal. She is now 16 and has a dog of her own.
I was bitten by another one of our pet dog (deep scratch wound but with some blood) this summer because I was trying to take away one of it's food snack. I nearly gave it a good hiding if not for my nephew.
In both instances there were not the dogs' fault but rather accidents. Well, the second case should not happen if I were the one that train it. I think we got it when it was 1 or 2 yrs old.
Putting down has never been the option for us.
Ignore 90% of the utter twaddle spoken here. Firstly keep the child and dog separate until you have a chance to talk to a dog behavior expert. Get to the Vet and get something to calm the dog over the next few days. Borrow a cage if you can and put dog in it with a cover leaving a small area so the dog can see out. It will feel more secure this way. Leave a radio on not to loud to try and disguise the bangs etc. Stay with the dog if you can and don't react to the fireworks. Speak to your son and wife and get their feelings about the dog and what they think about the attack. You maybe flogging a dead horse with this one but they may give the dog a chance once you have all spoken with a dog behavior expert. We have had many dogs, several rescue dogs including a greyhound and all of them have had some baggage of some sort. We had a Lab that removed a kitchen in about an hour. Turned out she was trying to protect us from the de humidifier when it beeped to say it needed emptying. Best 70 quid I spent on dog behavior expert.
Good Luck.
Mate I'm sure you know, never take food off a dog. Ever. Even if it's a pug....even if the dog absolutely know's who's the boss and even if they are soft as hell....at best it will irritate them and at worse cause them to hang off your face/bollocks if they are unstable.
The dog laid teeth on your little boy! Wtf are you waiting for?
Where are your loyalties, some mutt or your own flesh and blood? I can't understand 90% of the rubbish written here, if something or someone hurt my little boy then I would do whatever it took to ensure it could never happen again! Dog or jimmy saville then you are going down...,.,and I'm a dog lover
Dog as part of the family I accept, dog before your little boy makes you stupid and reckless! If you can't trust it then get rid of it. What is the world coming to when we can't celebrate hundreds of years of human tradition because we can't trust the wolf in the living room?
Dog or jimmy saville then you are going down...,.,and I'm a dog lover
And I don't care if you're Muhammad "I'm hard" Bruce Lee, I'm a person that thinks you're another reactionary that's never heard of a muzzle.
if something or someone hurt my little boy then I would do whatever it took to ensure it could never happen again! Dog or jimmy saville then you are going down...,.,and I'm a dog lover
If he ever gets into a wee scuffle at school, are you going to turn up and start windmilling a 6 year old?
if something or someone hurt my little boy then I would do whatever it took to ensure it could never happen again! Dog or jimmy saville [b]then you are going down[/b]...,.,and I'm a dog lover
I bet we're not. Do you over react to everything?
The dog needs to go. In fact, it should already be gone.
All the comments no matter how varied are helping so much thank you.
Putting the dog down had never even entered my head, that would be for the Trust to decide I'm not even sure we can do that without letting them know first at least, but personally for me that isn't an option, I don't think its necessary. To be brutally honest the dog has never been great with the kids, it can be domineering especially without me around. But it deserves the chance to be re-homed more suitably.
Obviously yesterday was grim, we ran through the entire gamut of emotions as a family, but the responsibility is mine, the final decision is also mine. The general consensus from children/wife is the dog can stay but in all honesty I get the feeling it's reluctant and driven by a desire not to upset me. He has always been considered by them to be my dog. I have made the point that if he was to stay that would need to change as I think that's creating more problems.
I thought I'd be better this morning, but I'm worse, failing miserably to hold it together if I'm honest, incredible how dogs can get to you like that. I am closest to the dog, it was my idea to get it in the first place, and to be honest I accept I am totally responsible for this. Through perhaps my own inexperience and poor handling I'm going to lose my dog
I know in my heart he has to be re-homed. I'm away often with my work and without me around to manage the dog in the past it has been often tricky at times, but now it'll be impossible.
He's had a muzzle on frequently since the incident, especially when asleep. Because of the fireworks he's taken to sleeping on the landing. So I've had mostly a sleepness night worrying that my son would step out of his room in the darkness straight into the dog.
The house is tense obviously, I know in time this could heal, but I cannot square that in my head without it feeling selfish, and maybe foolish. To be honest, I only have to look at my sons face, it's just crushing me to be honest, absolutely devastating.
I want ot take an active role in finding him a new home if I can, but no idea whether that's possible. My wife mooted the idea of fostering until he can be found a new home, but not sure how that works with the Greyhound Trust yet, I guess I'll need to make that call later. Once I've pulled myself together 🙂
Thanks again input has been massively appreciated by me and my family
Someone up there said "double tap".
I bet he's bloody awesome at first person shooters.
peterfile - Memberif something or someone hurt my little boy then I would do whatever it took to ensure it could never happen again! Dog or jimmy saville then you are going down...,.,and I'm a dog lover
If he ever gets into a wee scuffle at school, are you going to turn up and start windmilling a 6 year old?
"Wee scuffles" rarely end up in a trip to A&E to get your face stiched, unless you're from the Drum.
OP, I think you're upset because something YOU brought into the house has hurt your son and upset the family. I also think you already know what to do, but admitting it was [i]your fault[/i] is hurting you.
Be the big man and get rid of the dog, your family will respect you for it. And you will be able to sleep at night.
Oh, and apologies for being a bit harsh earlier.
pop psychology//
taking child away from doggy contact right now will leave child scared of dogs for life.
//pop psychology
just my 2p.
taking child away from doggy contact right now will leave child scared of dogs for life.
My thoughts exactly.
OP isn't "putting the dog before his child" as so many seem so quick to accuse him of - it could be more damaging to the child to take the dog away.
A friend of mine was bitten by a (non-family) dog as a child and she's still poo-scared of them now as a 30 year old.
could never happen again! Dog or jimmy saville then you are going down...,.,and I'm a dog [b]owner[/b]
FTFY
OP isn't "putting the dog before his child" as so many seem so quick to accuse him of - it could be more damaging to the child to take the dog away.
indeed. muzzling, isolation of dog during stressful periods, and careful and well-watched reintroduction would be my course of action.
how does the child feel about the dog?
taking child away from doggy contact right now will leave child scared of dogs for life.
Alternatively, given the dynamic expressed in his most recent post - "the dog has never been great with the kids, it can be domineering especially without me around" - taking the dog away now will allow the child to *understand* that his dad values him more highly than the dog (something I'm sure the child already *knows*).
OP isn't "putting the dog before his child" as so many seem so quick to accuse him of - it could be more damaging to the child to take the dog away.A friend of mine was bitten by a (non-family) dog as a child and she's still poo-scared of them now as a 30 year old.
From his last post, I'd say the family have allowed the dog to be put before them for some time now. I'd argue it would be in the child's best interests to take the dog away immediately and then, as appropriate, start introducing them to other dogs in more relaxed situations.
The child can then regain confidence in dogs in general, whilst feeling secure that the dog that bit him is no longer a threat.
Alternatively, given the dynamic expressed in his most recent post - " the dog has never been great with the kids, it can be domineering especially without me around"
sorry team. TOTALLY missed this bit.
Dog has to go. and it sounds like this was preventable. why was your dog that normally displays odd behavior allowed to be with young child when in frantic post-fireworks state?
we had our rage-fueled spaniel put down in 2009 due to continuing and worsening behavioral issues. (she had drawn blood on about 4 occasions in 2 months)
it broke my heart. the mrs was petrified of dogs as a result for a good 2-3 years.
but it's a choice you have to make.
if it's a one off due to extraneous conditions then i'd let the dog off with a warning. if it is part of their general behavioral problems then they have to go.
EDIT: after a 3 year break we tried again with a new puppy (non-rescue so we could have him from day 1) things to date are going well. there is nothing to say you can't replace doggy in future. exposure to a good dog has helped the mrs immensely. I'm still very sad that the old dog had to go, but you have to put these things aside some times.
Many years ago we had a cracking dog (looked like a fox); first child born and dog didn't change. Son could do anything with him, no probs.
Second child born and the dog was never quite the same with him, one day out of the blue I got a call from my wife to say that the dog had bitten the youngest.
Seemed that there was no hassle, he just bit him - on the face. I took the dog to the Vets to have him put down. Vet agreed as he said you just can't trust him...
Sorry.
Sorry to hear this happened.
Hope you can find some useful advice amongst the clueless garbage on this thread!
(Feeling lucky to have a gun dog, who hears a bang and looks around for birds to retrieve 🙂 )
Where did the out it down voices stand if another child hit the kid I the playground? Dog gets second chance from me. Fwiw this is something that you will get very little helpful advice from stw behaving like the daily fail caught a pedo
Hope your lad's on the mend.
As has been mentioned before, you now have a dog that, no matter how much behavioural guidance it gets, you are unlikely to trust again. The best thing for the dog, you and your family is to get the Trust to take him back & attempt to rehome him.
With regards to your lad & the family, those that have said he'll retain his new-found fear of dogs unless it's dealt with are probably right. Counselling is one way or, alternatively, getting a puppy but involving him in the process from the outset. If he can help chose, name, care for & train a different dog it should restore his confidence. Just a thought, it's what I'd do.
feel for you OP, my childhood dog was put down after biting the babysitters girlfriend 🙁
+1 on the rescue places
dezb, did you train my gun dog to react like that, did it grow up around gunshots? i'm struggling to see how that would be bred into the dog but thats awesome if its just natural
1: Talk with family
2 Talk with Greyhound trust
2= Talk with Vet
2= Talk with dog behaviourist
3 Discuss with family again.
and then if still concerned ask for advice from a bunch of strangers on the internet some of whom seem unable to empathise whatsoever. (double tap anyone?)
Just to lighten the mood a bit, I once had a massive rottweiler throw up all over my face (whilst I was lying on my back) and I'm now fine.
wallop - Member
Just to lighten the mood a bit, I once had a massive rottweiler throw up all over my face (whilst I was lying on my back) and I'm now fine.
Are you really sure that you are fine now? 😈
[i]dezb, did you train my gun dog to react like that, did it grow up around gunshots? i'm struggling to see how that would be bred into the dog but thats awesome if its just natural[/i]
I think you mean "my"... but yeah she grew up on a farm and got used to it there, some of it is in the breeding though.
I'm not a dog person, so not really qualified to make recommendations. But it strikes me that if you have a dog in the house which requires muzzling, the correct solution probably isn't a muzzle.
Why would you [i]choose[/i] to have a potentially dangerous animal in the house? Either the dog's trustworthy, in which case a muzzle is unnecessary, or it's not, in which case it needs to go, surely?
Hope your lad will be ok. Sounds like a horrible situation and I don't envy it.
Logged out to live in the real world for 24 hours. Dogs can be great companions, friends and buddies, but they are not your son! This opinion doesn't make me reactionary it just makes me human. I'm not Bruce lee just lee.. This experience resulted in your little boy going to hospital for stitches that will leave a scar for the rest of his life. I can't support any opinion that puts the welfare of a pet above that of the welfare of your own child, sorry if that upsets anyone but it certainly is not reactionary. If you want to muzzle a dog then fine but accept that means that you choose to allow an animal into your home that sometimes wants to attack you and your family. Live with the consequences of that choice and don't look for absolution on the Internet..
A dog or the well being of your son? I still don't understand how you would have trouble solving that equation? Maybe I am just a reactionary?
mikewsmith - MemberWhere did the out it down voices stand if another child hit the kid I the playground?
Much the same. Though I'd expect it to be done for free on the NHS, rather than having to pay a vet.
Davidjones15
That's a very literal way to take my post, and not the way it was intended, It was supposed to be emotive but also to clearly take a moral stance. I accept that many points of view exist but you must accept that I don't understand yousr!
A child is a gift, what message do you send that wonderuss gift when you are willing to risk its like on a pet?
My kids have been out in the playground for a while now but have never been in hospital with facial injuries? Maybe other kids can be trusted more than semi wild animals?
Previous posts littered with I pad related spelling issues that I humbly apoligise for 🙂
[i]A dog or the well being of your son? I still don't understand how you would have trouble solving that equation?[/i]
+1
And to add onto my previous post. While I was in the Vets someone said what a lovely dog I had, I said what he'd done, and what I was going to do. I nearly got lynched. The majority of opinion was that I should either just let him go free or take him to the Dog Pound and say I'd found him...
Luckily there was one other sane guy there who asked them all what they'd do if they read the news about a stray dog that had badly bitten a child!
dogs gone...
bad times. probably best decision if he has behavioural aggression and is in a household.
Greyhounds - Nippy? WTF are you talking about? They are the LEAST nippy breed I know of and one of the only breeds renowned to be good with children.
I've just rehomed two. I've had them 5 weeks. 5 weeks in which their entire lives have been turned upside down. For them everything has changed. Nevertheless, I can put my fingers in their mouths and take food out, I can touch them anywhere, they travel in the car without a murmur. I am sorry if your little boy got bitten but PLEASE don't blame your dog. Take him back to the kennels if you must - actually, where do you live? I know someone who will take him.
...I can touch them anywhere
too much info thanks!
I am sorry if your little boy got bitten but PLEASE don't blame your dog.
While I hear what you're saying, the dog is responsible for biting his son. Not a lot of choice IMO other than to get it re-homed, since he can do nothing about the fireworks.
