Our Family Dog Bit Our Daughter and Other Recent Aggression Issues! H-E-L-P!

I don't have a lot of advice, but I have two kids and two dogs so I feel your pain. After much consultation (maybe too much), I also had to have a small dog put down once for aggression (he bit children unprovoked and broke the skin). I would probably start with having the dog examined by your vet to make sure there isn't a physical problem going on and perhaps consult a trainer/dog behavior specialist. In the meantime, I would keep the dog separated from the children at all times unless you are within inches of the dog. It does sound like your dog was stressed that day by the party and some dogs susceptible to stress can be helped with medications such as Prozac. I suspect you may ultimately have to find him a new home for him and specify that he can't live with other children or pets. He might be the perfect dog for someone in that situation. Good luck.

I was raised by parents who had a professional breeding kennel and have had experiences with hundreds of dogs. I have also done extensive obedience training, too.

Guess what? You have a biter. You must take him out of your family. Once they bite like this, it only gets worse. With all the kids you have in the family, I'm guessing you don't have the time it will take to rehabilitate your pet. HE WILL BITE AGAIN and IT WILL BE WORSE. Two-year-old kids do the dumbest things around animals. Also, two-year olds can't help but literally "be in the dog's face" because they're short. Putting your face in the dog's face is SO asking for it!

By the way, despite my years on the kennel, I was never once bitten by a dog. Until later when I was an adult and I moved next door to a family who was overwhelmed by their lab. My neighbors, who had kids exactly the age of your kids, mentally neglected their dog too long (when the baby twins needed attention). That dog turned into a constant barker and a biter, jumped the fence into MY yard and tried to attack my 2-year old son. I got in the middle (what would you do?) and got bit. Hard and bloody. I was PISSED. Believe me, if your dog is barking all the time, and sulking around growling, your neighbors are PISSED at you now.

Please do the right thing. Or pay for a really good homeowner's insurance policy. If you get a dog again, make sure you have the time to give it the attention it needs: physically and mentally. Good luck. I know it's tough.

I am not a dog person so will struggle not to immediately go with "the dog's gotta go" response. Try the vet first, the dog could be ill. The other common problem is over-breeding. I so rarely see a mutt go punk but the inbred/overbred expensive dog breeds sometimes go a bit mental. I know there are reputable breeders out there but there are also plenty of puppy mills.

A couple other things come to mind:

1.) You have a huge liability here if this dog bites a non-family member. You could be sued and the dog forcibly put down.
2.) Your children might mention to friends or teachers that your dog has bitten them. A teacher hears that and perhaps gets SS involved.
3.) Disciplining the dog isn't working. Try working on the children that they get a time out if they bother the dog. Let's be honest if someone pulled my tail or grabbed my ear while eating, I'd snap too.

We had to get rid of a lab mix a few months ago for the same reason. She was growling and snapping at my son, who was 14 months old at the time, and was way too protective of her food and toys. I wish that I had brought her in as soon as she started showing the aggressive behavior because she ended up biting my son on the face. She didn't break the skin either, but was 2cm away from biting his eye! It was a traumatic experience for my son and I. I realized even though I felt terrible, I was not going to let that dog hurt my son ever again and I brought her to the shelter immediately. It's not worth the risk to your children- I would just take him to the Humane Society, or at least keep him away from your kids until you can find a new home.

Is your dog fixed? Our lab became aggressive/dominant as he became older and has gotten much better since we got him fixed. (I have also noticed this with my neighbors dogs.)
I feel so bad for you. I know how much kids love their dogs but agree that you have to always put your childrens safety first. I had a very large cat that we had to put to sleep when my first daughter was an infant because he continuously "stalked" and aggressively bit everyone after the baby was born. We were truly scared for her safety. While I felt horrible at the time, I do not regret the decision. It sounds terrible but I have heard that once a dog bites... they most likely will again.

i would take him to the vet-have him checked over-tell the vet whats going on.thats pretty scarey-i went thru that with a rot weiler-he attacked my son out the blue-latched onto the back of his kneck wouldnt let go..i had to beat him with a baseball bat to get him to stop-then we put him to sleep...the whole thing was pretty gruesome.they always played together-slept together then bam...luckily my son was ok-a few stitches..but it was scarey.your dog could be sick...good luck