2 Year Old Bit by a Dog

Sounds like the dog didn't so much bite as nip. Either way it needs to be addressed. The dog cannot be allowed to continue in that manner. It sounds like the dog is stressed around children and considers them lower on the totem pole than it. Behavior such as this can be modified but not when the owner contributes to the bad behavior. The dog needs to be trained. You are right, the dog may come into contact with other children and that would be bad. A little effort in training would go a long way to saving the dog's life. I recommend Cesar Milan's site. It has a lot of info about how dogs react and how to train.

If it was my father in law's dog, and one of my kids, The dog would be put down. I wouldn't even have to discuss it with him.

I just want to let you know that I disagree with most of the posts that have been sent to you. The dog was chained and your son ran to him. You need to teach your child that not all dogs are nice and to be careful until he is sure the dog is not mean. Imagine if it was a bigger more aggressive dog at a park your son ran towards. My husband used to have a Chow who bit a little boy who stuck his hand through his chain link fence. Again, the child was not taught not to try to pet barking/growling/fenced dogs.

I think you have every right to keep your child away from the dog (and your parents if you choose), but you have no right to make your parents get rid of the dog, or put it down. If the dog chased down your son, then your reaction would be just, but because your son ran to him, it is not the dogs fault.

Hi A.,

I am sorry to hear about your son. It does sound like he will be alright and the wound will heal without problems.

I don't believe the answer to this issue is getting rid of the dog or having the dog put down. Mutual respect must be taught and enforced.

Your child ran toward a chained dog. The dog may have felt threatened or trapped and bit your son through a defense mechanism that all animals possess. The dog must be taught respect for people through training and discipline.

Secondly, your son MUST be taught respect for animals. No child should approach any animal without parental supervision - especially a dog that is unfamiliar with the child and vice versa. Secondly, the child should approach the animal slowly not in a rushing manner. This helps to eliminate a threat to the animal and a resulting injury to the child.

Setting boundaries and guidelines for your child regarding animals is an excellent safety precaution. What would happen if your son would approach a strange dog at a park? Rules must be set to ensure safety.

I don't think your parents should get rid of the dog. However, if the dog has the tendency to bite, your parents need to consider the risk they are taking should someone get bitten and decide to sue. Yes, it happens all the time (I know, I am in the insurance industry). It even happens when it is clearly not the dog's fault. If people are at your parents house, the dog should be confined simply for safety sake. If it is too stressful for all concerned then it is your parents' decision, not anyone else, on how to handle it.

Please remember to teach your son animal safety. Not just because of this but to prevent issues in the future.

Good luck.

L.

No, you are NOT overreacting! I also do not know the protocol for putting the dog down, but you are entirely right about not bringing your child around that dog anymore. You have to protect your children, and like you said, it could be much worse next time. You are a good mom, so follow your instinct.

I think you are over reacting to the situation.

You need to teach your child not to run up to a strange dog.

Since you didn't teach your child not to do this you shouldn't ask someone to give away a beloved pet.

I have a long history of working with dogs and have trained "untrainables". The bottom line in your case is this: The dog was chained in his terriroty and your son, although not intending any harm, came running toward him with arms outstretched. The dog perceived a threat and protected himself. However, if this dog has a history of biting, he will not stop without the proper training. Proper training does not include chaining a dog. If this were my family, I would tell my parents that they need to make a decision about the dog; who is more important, the dog or children? A dog is basically a loving and loyal companion, but the rules change in many cases when the dog is tied outside. A high strung dog such as a Jack Russell Terrier will quickly respond in an aggressive manner, but even a Golden Retriever can be made mean. I doubt that your parents know how to train this dog so the alternative is to keep all children away from the dog. By the way, I always said that I would never have a mean dog and would sooner put him down than allow a situation where he could bite anyone, especially a child. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I think it's perfectly normal to feel the way that you do. However, I think you need to first try to understand the dog. Many smaller dogs are actually afraid of children, which is why they will bite. If the dog is not around children much, this would explain its reaction. You had said that your son was running toward the dog. It's possible that the dog, being chained, might have felt threatened and trapped.

I would not ask your parents to put him down or even to get rid of him. Instead, I would simply ask that he be put away where he cannot reach your son when you are visiting. Also, you need to be proactive as well and make sure your son knows that the dog is off limits. In other words, don't let him go into a room where the dog might be. Or don't let him go within proximity of where the dog is chained.

Deaths that have occured as a result of dogs attacking, generally are from breeds such as the pit-bull and Rotweiller. These are very powerful dogs. Jack russels are not known for killing children (at least not by themselves.)

I have three dogs and a six year old daughter. One of my dogs is a great-dane/lab mix. The other one is some kind of lab mix, and the last one is a chihuahua mix. My daughter has been injured a few times because of rough play. Twice, when my daughter was younger, my older lab mix showed some aggression toward her. Both times she literally pinned her down and barked into her face... looking as if she were biting her (but thankfully she only yells and has never bitten anyone). This is how my dog shows her dominance. Both times this occurred when my daughter was younger (about one or two years old) and both times my daughter was going into my dogs personal space/territory. Additionally, my dog was simply not used to kids and was used to being the center of my attention. She didn't hurt her though, but I remember being very angry and frightened and grabbing her by the neck and tossing her 85 lbs body out the door. I still have the dog, and today they are both best friends and the dog totally obeys and even protects my daughter.

Finally, I would understand giving the dog away if it was yours. I had always said that the first time my dog bites my child, she's out of here. However, the dog is not yours and you do not live at your parent's house. Don't punish your parents by making them get rid of the dog or by refusing to visit. Simply maintain control of your environment and your son and understand the dog's point of view. He's obviously not used to children so don't impose any child on him.

Oh, one last thing. I've also taught my daughter to never go up to a dog unless she first asks permission from the owner and then to proceed carefully. Of course, your son is still young, but he's almost at the point where he should understand this. I think my daughter was about two or three when she figured it out.

I hope your son is feeling better and I hope this incident does not make him afraid of dogs. Dogs sense this and can react when they sense someone is afraid. Whenever my child has a friend come over and play, I always ask, "Are you afraid of big dogs?" If the answer is uncertainty or yes, I will always put my two big dogs out of reach.

I hope this helps.

Make a report of the incident to Rabies/Animal Control. They will quarentine the dog for 10 days, during that time his temperment will be evaluated and they will make the decision about his future. Your parents can surrender rights to him at that time.

Better to let the professionals make their assessment.

I'm really sorry your family experienced this! I know it was scary and thank goodness your son is ok. Not defending the dog's behavior in any way....but the fact that it was tied, may have left it feeling vulnerable and defensive to begin with. Knowing that the dog isn't kid-friendly, it really should have been off-limits to any children (put in a separate room, etc). But, it was definitely an eye-opening lesson that this dog shouldn't be around kids in the future. I don't think it should be put down because of its' behavior. It may have been taunted by kids as a young dog/puppy, or had some other kind of traumatic past with children that made it this way....so being empathetic to all posibilities is important.

My best advice is to find it a new home where it wouldn't be in contact with kids, and can live out its' life in a home where it and others, are safe.

In the meantime, I think it's important to socialize your son to kid FRIENDLY dogs, so he doesn't develop a fear, or hold on to a bad experience. Try not to let this one incident feed your fear into him....he has a lifetime of enjoying dogs ahead of him :)

Best,
C.

I once had a Scottish terrier who started biting (only)men in Wellington work boots (I suspect after a kick from the meter reader?). He was pretty vicious about it and I took him to the vet to have him put to sleep. The vet suggested I try muzzling him first because otherwise he was a good dog. I got a wire framed muzzle that he had to wear whenever he wasn't securely confined. It didn't take very long for him to figure out he couldn't bite and it broke the habit. I think your parents could do the same thing, taking the dog on walks with the muzzle and exposing him to kids, and in the meantime keeping him in a crate whenever kids are around. If it gets down to it, and that doesn't work, kids always come first.
Oh... and also we moved to where our dog had more room to run and exercise and that ended some other bad habits, like being the Houdini of the neighborhood. Jack Russells are extremely active dogs, so a Jack Russell on a chain sounds like a recipe for disaster.

My parents' dog also bit my son. He was attacked on the forhead and had three puncture wounds that had to be stiched up. I too was very angry with my parents. I know my parents love this dog very much and he is part of the family. This dog has never been around children before and is very skiddish. I did not want my parents to put the dog down or even get rid of him. I simply told them, that we will not be over unless the dog in put in a pen. They have since bought a kennel. Now when ever anyone is over, the dog gets put away.

Hi A.,

Sorry to here about your son getting bit. I do think you might be over reacting just a bit on wanting to put the dog down. Think of it from the dogs point of view. He was chained up and some stranger starts running towards him that he has never seen or been around before. He didn't know what your son was going to do. So his normal instinct was to protect himself. I don't think this would have happened if the dog wouldn't have been chained up. He had no where to run to or go because he was chained up. So he stood his ground and protected himself. Even though your son is only two he is still bigger than the dog. So please think about it. Your mom has said she would give the dog away, to avoid your family from not coming over. So please just think about how drastic that decision is.

dp

Hi A.,
Oh my! I know people love their pets, but you have to draw the line at attacking and biting! How is it that this is your parents and you were not warned!
My daughter had a dog that's breed was known to be dangerous. However, we had no sign of him ever being agressive to us or anyone else. The vet told me this breed is unpredictable and can turn at anytime. Well that was enough for me and I begged my daughter to give the dog away.
She did not and my first grandson at 12 months old was taken to the ground with this dog at his neck. However, the dog did not break skin, did not bite. But that was enough for us!

How could we relax and enjoy our pet?

But, you KNOW! Now the dog owners are 100% liable because the dog has a history and they KNOW! They have to make sure that he is never around children again, there is no possiblity of getting out, they have to protect children!

I could not keep that dog! People before pets everytime!
good luck!
S.

Hi A.,

I'm so sorry to hear that your little boy was bitten. If I was in your position, with the dog biting other children and will attack children that it doesn't know, I would have the dog put down. You're not over-reacting because I would do the same thing in your position. You're protecting your child and that's the most important thing to do. I hope that your son is feeling better really soon and that he won't be afraid of dogs as he gets older.

I. K.

It's an unfortunate situation and I'm glad your son is okay...Remind yourself that you can't insist people to do something at their own house...What you can do is what you did which is saying that I can't come over until the dog is not around.
Good Luck.

Hi A.,

I would be furious of their lack of compassion for your son and for you having been put through this. You can suggest that your parents call Cesar Millan from Dog Whisperer. He's done amazing things with aggressive dogs! I watch his show all the time. If they don't want to do that, then they need to give their dog up to the pound, because he is not stable enough to trust around people/kids. I love animals, but by far I love children more! And no child should be attacked by a dog! Your parents will end up with a huge lawsuit one of these days. If they give away the dog to other people, then they are still not protecting other children from being bit by this dog. Shame on them. I can understand that they don't want anything to happen with their dog, but unless they are willing to give him up to the pound, or try educating themselves and help the dog with Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer, then they should be held accountable for their dogs actions.
Did you have any medical bills from it? They should pay your out of pocket expenses on that, and you shouldn't even have to ask.
I'm very concerned with your mom's lack of compassion for what happened. You yourself can call Cesar Millan and ask for his help. I'm going to paste his website for you in case you decide to call him and talk with him.

http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/

I hope your son feels better soon and I really hope this doesn't traumatize him to the point where he doesn't trust dogs anymore. And that too can happen.

You are not overreacting!!!! That is cause to be GREATLY concerned especially if this is a habit. Maybe you can have the vet that your parents use reason with them. That is very scary. Thank God your child was okay.

Hey A.,

I totally understand how you feel, because the same thing happened to my daughter at my mother's house when she was just a baby. I agree with the woman who wrote that some dogs just aren't meant to be around children. I wouldn't take your son around the dog, but I wouldn't insist that it be put down, either. My mom's dog lived to a ripe, old age, and my children visited with my mom at her house and the dog was put in a room away from my kids. We never had another problem. My husband thought my mom should get rid of the dog, but I knew how attached my mom was to the dog, and I just made sure that the dog was contained whenever my kids were around. It's upsetting, to say the least, to see your child hurt-my daughter was bitten on the face and all our Christmas pictures that year show her with a bruised red mark on her cheek. But, we all got through it, and my daughter is fine and still loves dogs, although she's learned to be cautious. That's okay with me.

Take Care,

A.

You are not overreacting and there are laws regarding situations like this. If a dog has attacked a person, the dog will be taken away and put to sleep. Find out what to do by calling the police department or animal safety, etc. and then offer to take the dog for your parents. If your parents are not going to take safety precautions, then you need to - you will be preventing a serious situation in the future. Thank you.

I have two dogs of my own and as much as it would break my heart to have to do so, if they ever bit a child I would report it and have them put down or rehabilitated, depending on the county's decision. If you don't want it to be your fault, take your son to the doctor to have the bite checked and report the dog to the doctor. That way the report to the county will come from his office, not from you. This shouldn't have happened to your or any other child and shouldn't happen ever again. The dog needs treatment.

Hi A.,
Here's my concern: if your parents knew this dog has already bitten other people, including children, how is it they did not warn you before you ever let your sweetie get anywhere near him?

That is not just an oversight. Make sure the person they give this dog to is well aware of these incidents.
T

First problem, the dog is chained up outside - an obvious sign that your parents KNOW the dog is dangerous. They haven't socialized or trained the dog, and now it's aggressive.
Do not take your child over there again until something is done about the dog. Unfortunately, it's your parents decision to make, not yours, on what to do with the dog.

Well, unfortunately this is a great time to teach your son about ever approaching dogs that don't know him. My son was bit on the stomach when he was 11 by my mother-in-law's dog. The dog was always very friendly, and approached my son first and appeared to be just fine. Out of the blue the dog spooked and bit him. It was shocking and painful for my son, but he gained a lot of respect for dogs - even dogs who already knew him.

I'm really surprised you parents have kept a dog that has bitten other children if they still have young kids at home??? What are they thinking! That is absolutely disaster waiting to happen when their friends visit! I would be very upset if one of my kids was bitten by a dog that HAD A HISTORY OF BITING KIDS at their friends house!
Seriously, if they want to get rid of the dog that's fine, as long they disclose the dog not being able to be around ANY children and the dog's biting history. I could not imagine how heartbreaking it would be to have an elderly couple get a nice dog, only to have it bite a grandchild or great-grandchild. No one deserves that!

If they won't agree to get rid of the dog, you need to weigh whether to report the dog's history and the fact that he's still around children every day to animal control. I don't know how close your relationship is with your parents, but I imagine this would probably strain things.

Hope your son feels better!

A. -
I'm so sorry that happened to your little one. Glad to know he is fine. You are ABSOLUTELY correct in your position that your son will not visit that home again until the dog is gone. It is your duty to protect your son no matter if feelings get hurt. If your mother knows someone who will take the dog, and if that person takes the dog with full knowledge that it has bitten children and that no children should EVER come into contact with it, then it seems cruel to insist that the dog be destroyed. I'm glad I read your story. I have three small children and we've considered getting a dog. A Jack Russell was one of the breeds we were considering. I had already been told they were too high strung, but now after reading this.... no way.

There are some things that went wrong all the way around.

Your parents should have taken it more seriously. It's their dog, and they should have warned you that the dog has bitten children.

You also need to make sure your son learns not to run up to anyones dogs, even if it's a family members dog. Even if he knows them or has been around them before. Some dogs find it a threat if something is coming at them looking like they might get hurt.

Dogs personaalities change as they age. Something you do with it when is was younger, they might not tolerate when they are older. I've had a lot of dogs do that.

What you decided is up to you, just make sure you've thought about everything from all sides.

I myself don't let any children near my dogs, until I'm standing right next to them and everyone is calm. Then I decide from there if the kids can play with them or not. Some peoples personalities don't mix with others, Same goes with dogs. I don't let kids that a grabby, and rough around my dogs. I don't want to take the chance that the kid will hurt my dog (by accident) and then my dog nip or bite them. Hope my info helps some. Good luck with whatever you decide.

A.,

First - I hope your 2 year old heals quickly. That is most important.

Second, please understand the dogs position. A child was running toward him with him having no escape. Being bitten in the chest instead of on the hand is just the difference in location to outstretched arms to the side or front. If this dog has chased down your son, it would be a totally different scenerio, with a totally different view on how aggressive the dog is.

There are many dogs out there who shouldn't be around children - that doesn't necessarily mean they all need to be put down. Owners need to keep children away from such dogs just as parents need to teach children how to approach a dog gently and with permission of the owners.

It sounds to me like the bite was a warning nip of leave me alone, not an attack of greater aggression.

Though you need to go with your feelings on how to handle this, please try to look at if from all perspectives first.

Best to you.

I am glad your child is ok and that you will not take him over there while the dog is there.
However it is highly irresponsible to give the dog away, even to an elderly couple that rarely sees children. The problem is there might be another child around at a park or on the street that the dog will attack.
I would push for it to be put down. The dog is dangerous, think if it was a bigger dog - what would you do? If this was a pit bull or german shepherd you would not think twice to put it down because of the breed. This is a question of viciousness and the dog is vicious.
(not all pits and shepherds are dangerous - they are just large and have very strong jaws)

I would like to share a story of my husband when he was 13 he was visiting his father, new step mom & her dalmatian dog. He had been playing with the dog (had been for awhile) when the dog bite his nose off. My hubby hadn't done anything to provoke the dog it just snapped. After some reconstructive surgery my hubby was fine other then a his nose turns purple when it cold & has a scar. His dad didn't wont to upset his new wife so he kept the dog. Every year my hubby would visit him the dog had to be locked away from him because it would try to attack. When i was introduced the dog tried to attack me through a window. The step mother said it was because i was wearing white shorts and the dog doesn't like white. My question was what if the dog got out or something happened and medical emergency personal where called. People need to be responsible for their dogs.
We had a wonderful dog that we loved to death but she was very protective of the house. At first it was not bad but then we moved and my parents had to stay with us. My dad had been paralyzed from the neck down so everyday we had medical people coming into our home we couldn't take the chance to let her hurt one of them so we had to put her down. It was the worst day ever yet we couldn't give her to another family to make her their problem. I feared we would hear of a fatal dog attack that included her. She never tried to attack kids just grown ups she didn't know & my hubby didn't invite into the home(if he shook there hand she was fine.
I say it doesn't matter the breed if a dog bites a child something must be done. As one lady pointed out if this had been a pit bull or rottweiler their would be no defending it behavior. The people posting of small dogs scared of kids & it was expected would have a complete other story if it had been a big dog. Either take the dog to training or put it down don't pass the buck to some other family what if the dog gets out and kids are playing in the street. Plus this is not a one time incident it is a reoccurring problem.

that dog should be put down. it is a danger to children as it has not only bit your child but other children. it is a risk to any child. you are correct, next time it could be deadly.
my husband works for animal control and i can't tell you how many dogs come in that have attacked young children and have done serious damage. it is really sad.
if you report the bite, the dog will be put on quarentine for a minimum of 10 days by the authorities.