Ours started with the warning signs (with hindsight):
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rehoming-our-beloved-dog
Post attacks then rehoming:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/our-westiepet-that-attacked-our-sonan-update
@ uwe-r - I agree. I was only trying to convey that the dog may not have been in the best of places with a sore paw before the bite.
When I was a kid I used to pull ears, slap its 'ass - alsorts. Our dog just used to run off or paw at me to stop me.
My Dad is a vet, as child we always had 2-3 dogs.
Our springer at 6 months old bit my 4 year old sister, just a small nip on the face. Dad put him down straight away.
I've just asked him, he said the dog needs to go, because whislt anyone over the age of 10 could probably handle him, being a small breed, he is obviously a danger to small kids.
Whenever one of our much loved dogs die or needs to be put down I'm sad for a day. As much as I totally love dogs ,it's still justa dog. Get rid of it. You have new priorities now.
Ps my dad didn't come to my wedding as he didn't want to leave the dog. My friend was also spurned by his parents in favour of the dog at his wedding. Get some perspective,people.
Keep the dog, put the child up for adoption. The only logical choice.
RSPCA officer friend says they routinely have to put down dogs with a history of biting as they're near impossible to re-home, recent experience of the DogsTrust is that they'll take dogs that bite and carefully assess potential new owners for age of kids etc etc and try to rehome with a suitable family, and they'll keep them until they're rehomed as they dont put dogs down.
Scienceofficer nailed this in the last page - the dog is not properly trained. Either get it down the pecking (possible poor word choice) in the 'pack' or get it to someome who can to look after it.
Ps my dad didn't come to my wedding as he didn't want to leave the dog. My friend was also spurned by his parents in favour of the dog at his wedding.
😯
Dogs can be dangerous, as can be steps, walls, sharp knives, corners of hearths, electricity, etc.
Manage the dog in the same way you 'manage' these other risks ?
I have friends who modify their holidays as they say the cat gets pissed off if they leave it with family or a kennel (or whatever the cat version of a kennel is) and that it's moody with them for days when they get back. As such, most of their holidays are shorter or in the UK so the cat can come. I can see how people become attached but sometimes it's a bit much.
Manage the dog in the same way you 'manage' these other risks ?
I'm not sure you can have knives put down though and they tend not to get pissed off because their handle is a bit sore.
[i]Scienceofficer nailed this in the last page - the dog is not properly trained. Either get it down the pecking (possible poor word choice) in the 'pack' or get it to someome who can to look after it.[/i]
I think this is the post I most agree with on here (missed scienceofficers) - I have a large dog and a 10 year old (Kid came first). From the start we made sure the dog knew it's place.
But that's by-the-by, I've tried to put myself in the same situation - what would I do? As the dog hasn't shown any aggression whatsoever towards our son, I think I'd give her a chance - would take excessive teasing from the kid to cause anything... so the kid would be warned too. The tiniest signs of aggression subsequently, the dog would be re-homed. But you know who would be most upset by that? The kid!
I guess, it comes down to individual circumstances - only YOU know what is the right thing to do.
Dogs can be dangerous, as can be steps, walls, sharp knives, corners of hearths, electricity, etc.
Dogs don't stalk or jump/attack like electricity though.
In addition, you wouldn't leave a carving knife on the sofa yet a dog with an issue/grudge/dislike for a child is left there?
We tell her off for teasing him and try to watch them together all the time, but sometimes it's just not practical.
surely this is a troll? it has to be, right???
edit
I read a paper once that suggested daschunds as the most aggressive breed. Anyway 12 year old dog. Would be unfair to rehome imo. Put to sleep or keep it away from child for the last year or two of its life.
or keep it away from child for the last year or two of its life.
A family friend.
Double post.
Blimey - let's have some perspective please. Jekyll, "some" sympathies to you mainly due to the predicament and the fright of "what might have happened" tempered with the recognition that you have to shoulder some of the blame IMO.
But it is important to be very clear about what your dog did before the lynch mob mentality kicks in. Dogs use their mouths in many different ways ranging from play, taste to outright aggression. Watch two dogs together at play and they will nip each other on the legs etc. This can, but shoudn't extend, to humans if they play incorrectly with their dogs or start being stupid with them. You refer to several incidents. - were they nips or real aggression? I see no reason to put a dog down merely because it nips someone. of course, a scar or a loss of an eye may result, but that could be true for any animal - a horse can kick and bite and kill unintentionally, cats can take your eye out and don't forget goldfish! Do we put them down as a result? Do we stop MTBing when accidents happen? Plus, animal owners should know not to tease their pets/animals.
But remember you have chosen to bring a dog into your home that was originally bred to be aggressive and to hunt. It is our fault is we forget that. Ready to be flamed for the next bit, but (1) why was the dog on the sofa - the easy bit and more seriously (2) why are you putting a baby and a dachshund together on the sofa? Another poster has already been labelled judgemental for pointing this out, but sorry, I think the dog is not solely to blame here.
I think an error has been made and that it is probably a great shock to you because of the "what might have been." but by the sounds of it you have a 12 year old dog that has been largely well behaved and that you seem to love. From what you have said, I see no reason why you can't use a different approach to dog care and ensure that you all have more happy years together. I hope that is the conclusion rather than the long needle, knee jerk response advocated by others.
Now where's the flame suit......?
he's as healthy as larry, no signs of dieing yet (unfortunately) & dachshunds do generally live a shorter life than most breeds. The breed do have a problem with their backbone in later life so we keep him really trim and he's very energentic, even after I take him out for 6 miles along the canal.
& no I'm not a troll either unfortunately. When I said it's not practical I meant like if I'm the house without the wife and both kid and child are there, it's not practical to pick the kid up and take her with me everytime I want the toilet or something.
The dog was on the sofa because that where he likes to sit. I agree that dogs shouldn't be on the sofa but if we told him off for sitting on it we'd be shoving him off it all day and anyway he just goes and sits on the other one anyway and he probably sits on them all day when we are out. The baby was there because she likes to sit on the sofa too, they sit together all the time without any previous incident and they get on fine (mostly)
The other time he bit her it was in the conservatory and on the floor. Some of the other times he has bitten people I would say yes real aggression with snarling. I agree that dogs do 'bite' other dogs just as communication or playfulness but of course my daughter is not a dog and a 'nip' could puncture her eye or similar.
Ok but there is an obvious contradiction between the final sentences of both paragraphs. But enough, I am not meaning to be rude or to troll and fear that this may be the perception if I continue. Sorry to hear about the incident and the predicament you have. The second para suggests that finding a rescue home for your dog may be the best solution. Good luck and I hope that you find a good solution.
Dogs get agitated just like people do. Some more than others. How many fights do kids get into? And how many pick up a 12 inch blade and start stabbing other kids to death? Dogs are pretty much the same. They nip and pinch. Even in serious fights with other dogs they rarely tear each other to bits in the way people would lead you to believe.
Not saying the dog in question is not dangerous. There's no way I could possibly say that, not knowing the dog. But some of the responses in this thread are a bit extreme.
Teamhurtmore sums it up perfectly imo.
"Daddy, why do I have this scar on my face"
"It wasn't practical for me to separate you and the dog, which had already bitten you, and other people. But, to be fair, I did tell you not to tease it, when you were two"
I've been in almost the exact situation the OP finds himself in: We had a border collie and when our first child was born, he flipped. Obviously a heirarchy thing. He never bit the boy, but he took a chunk out of the doctor who came to check on the baby and he tried to bite people on the street a couple of times. I spoke to the RSPCA and the vet about rehoming and both suggested I was just moving the problem on to someone else. We put him down. Tough to do but the only decision really.
Daddy, why do I have this scar on my face?
...because you loved rugby, hockey, but you had an accident....
...because you loved MTB and you had an accident....
...because accidents happen.
In hindsight, they can all be avoided but....
but if we told him off for sitting on it we'd be shoving him off it all day
This tells me you're not prepared to put the work in required to bust him down to his proper pack position.
Move him on or have him killed.
I've just rung the vets for advice and a couple of rescue homes. They all said the same thing, he can't be rehomed due to his age and for having a history of biting. So the only choice we have is either find a family friend who might have him or give him the needle. His name is Cabbage by the way, Cabbage the dachshund. 😥
Can you just put a stair gate between kid and dog.
I insist on that when I take my little ones to my parents and they happen to be looking after my sisters dogs (border collie and some mongrel thing)
He can be quite an aggresive dog, he's bitten me before trying to get him out from under the bed, he bit a stranger out on a walk once, my neighbour when he was dropping off some post and he's also bitten my daughter before, just a little nick on the arm when she was teasing him.
Four bites before this incident?
Get rid. Now. Dog not to blame, the owner is. However, the owner hasn't dealt with the problem so the dog has to go.
Its a shame but its unlikeky imo that your going to be able to change the dog if its an older one, plus if its got a sore paw its not going to be overly pleased by anyone going near it, weve always had labs and there great with kids our little girl is four now and the dog six i would deff be looking at re homing him, If your little en is anything like ours it will happen again as they forget so quickly
...just read above post guess re homing out of the question then...
It sounds unlikely that your dog will be able to be retrained and it bites people. I'd try and avoid having it killed but you should get it re-homed. For now you need to put up a physical barrier between it and your child like a baby gate etc.
As a dog owners - Sympathetic to your problem
As someone who has been repeatedly bitten by dachshunds - my sympathy is tempered by experience.
The in-laws have had dachshunds as long as I have known them. The current pair are barky, but have never shown any inclination to bite. The previous pair were very, very snappy.
It is down to training and where they see themselves in the pecking order. The IL's older dogs were allowed on beds / upstairs / on sofas etc.
They are unpredictable and agressivley territorial. Even if the FiL or MiL tried to move one of the older ones of a bed, they would get bitten. Stranger in the house, such as myself - bitten. Child in the house - well, luckily theyy had gone before our children arrrived. wife and myself were clear we wouldn't have taken kids to see her parents with those dogs in the house...
ETA - as for retraining - not too bright are they??
ETA - as for retraining - not too bright are they??
I think this is a common misunderstanding.
Ours are very bright. We do a lot of training with them (agility, scent work etc).
Stubborn yes, but stubborn and bright.
Stubborn yes, but stubborn and bright.
Yes, I can see that
I was sitting squarely on the fence about your issue until I read that the dog has bit 4 people before. Time for it to go.
This tells me you're not prepared to put the work in required to bust him down to his proper pack position.
Or that he agrees with a large proportion of the dog training society that pack theory is a load of old hogwash?
The dog knows that it’s a dog. It still knows it’s a dog whether it sits on the sofa, your bed or the floor. It sits on the sofa because it’s comfortable, and because you are likely to stroke it when it does, not because of some sinister master-plan to take over the family. It knows very well that it’s not one of the family, because the family aren’t dogs. If you don’t want a dog sitting on your sofa then that’s your decision but it has nothing to do with anyone’s position in some mythical pack.
This has probably been said already, but if you can't guarentee the dog won't bite her, or anyone else again, then unfortunately you don't have a choice do you?
Or that he agrees with a large proportion of the dog training society that pack theory is a load of old hogwash?The dog knows that it’s a dog. It still knows it’s a dog whether it sits on the sofa, your bed or the floor. It sits on the sofa because it’s comfortable, and because you are likely to stroke it when it does, not because of some sinister master-plan to take over the family. It knows very well that it’s not one of the family, because the family aren’t dogs. If you don’t want a dog sitting on your sofa then that’s your decision but it has nothing to do with anyone’s position in some mythical pack.
Not sure that I agree with that, at all - based on direct observation... 🙄
Our little westie was a bit of a nipper when he was trodden on/food snatched away/jumped on from the sofa etc..etc he nipped both of our kids , we still have him....he's ancient now and just stinks.
[list]DONT[/list] ask for advise off the forum. This will just throw up a lot of polarized views and end in a big debate or thread closed scenario, just thrash it out with the family and be at peace with your decision..it's your call.
stick a muzzle on him?
the options arn't just kill it or let it tear your daughters eyes out ffs
my old staffy (10yrs) tried to bite my 1st child through the baby gate, a day after that he started snarling whenever my son stood up (whilst learning to walk, previous to that no aggression or problems(never ever left alone though).
I phoned the vet and discussed this, I then phoned the local c&d home (they did not re-home dogs who had shown aggression towards humans) and then I took him to the vet and had him put to sleep, easy decision.
the mrs was at the time a theatre nurse in plastic surgery, lots of kids/people with mauled bits and pieces by dogs, so the decision was perhaps easier for us..
because you loved rugby, hockey, but you had an accident.......because you loved MTB and you had an accident....
...because accidents happen.
yeah, you did something you wanted to do, you know? That thing called choice. Being bitten by an aggressive dog, when you're two is not a choice you make is it.
Some accidents can be avoided, maybe in this case by acting the first time the dog bit someone?
Hey,
Ignoring your daughter - what risks you put her in are your problem and up to you, but no one has yet pointed out how antisocial it is to take a dog that you already know is a biter, out for walks and runs unmuzzled, when you are clearly incapable of stopping him biting people (if you were capable of stopping him, he wouldn't have managed to bite 4 people so far).
Every time he bites someone, do you say to them "he's never done that before", like every other person who owns a biting dog seems to?
As for the comments above about dogs being a bit like sharp knives. I've just checked, and none of my knives will jump out of the knive block and attack any passing toddlers. I don't let kids sit on the sofa playing with kitchen knives either.
