Help: dog snapped at DS' face

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've posted here a few times recently about my new dog, a rescue, who we adopted in January. Things have been going pretty well but tonight I am so upset because G (the dog) snapped at my 7 yo DS' face. He's physically ok but was crying and very shaken up. They were laying on the floor right in front of me but I didn't see exactly what went down because I was talking to my DD. But my DS said that G was licking his face, and when he pushed her head away to stop her, she lunged to bite his face. I am so distraught. We are very much bonded to this dog now and i can't imagine not having her but my trust in her is shot. I love her but my kids come first, obviously. My DS was asking to get rid of her after this happened but by the end of the night they were sitting together and cuddling on the couch (with me right there of course). but I'm not always going to be right there. My kids are 7 and 10 and G is supposedly 2 years old (though I think she's younger) and it's just not the norm for me to always have my kids in my line of sight. I think I know what we have to do but am looking for reassurance that maybe giving her back to the rescue isn't a given and we can work through this. She does have a habit of biting during play which we are working to train her out of. I'm so confused right now, any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

No question the dog would be given back to rescue.

[Anonymous]

When my sister was born she kept pulling our dogs hair which put him on edge and when I played with him he snapped at my face and broke the skin. Now I Still remember looking in mirror and seeing blood on my face ( I was 7), we kept the dog and he was a good pet and I still love dogs. Now convincing DW to get one, that's a challenge.

[Anonymous]

Kids need to be trained too - and adults need to supervise/step in if needed.

A snap is a warning, not a bite. I don't know if I would give the dog back or not, I don't know the full situation. If you do keep the dog it's time for a dog trainer and time to teach your DS how to safely interact with the dog.

[Anonymous]

I understand your situation. Our dog bit my child. I know everyone on here would say get rid of her, but we didn't.

The context is she is a very laid back non-aggressive dog and our child was seriously bothering her. The dog had growled several times but our child had ignored this. I had told the child to move/stop doing it when the dog growls but he is very stubborn.

We all learned a lesson from this, and our child now does not harass the dog and knows to move away of the dog should she growl, which she will do if our child "cuddles" too aggressively.

If your dog snapped with no warning, that would be scary. Are you sure the dog did not growl first?

I grew up with dogs, but the lesson I learned as an adult is that young children need to be taught how to behave even around the most relaxed, mild-mannered dogs and how to treat the animal with respect.

They are NOT toys. I know you don't want to hear this, but lying down on the floor with a dog is not the wisest idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

No, no, no, wrong wrong wrong. Your child's safety comes first. The dog must go, today. I am a dog lover for sure, and have had them most of my life, but this is the end of the dog in your house, OP - it has to be. Dogs who snap are dogs who bite, period. Call your vet and s/he will confirm this. When I was a kid, we were duly warned by our vet about a German shepherd we got as a puppy from a well-known breeder. The dog bared his teeth and snarled at the vet on every visit, from puppyhood on, and did the same to our family. The vet said he was a high-strung fear biter who was totally unsuited for family life and we should take him back to the breeder. My dad blew it off. Before the dog was 2 he bit my hand when I tried to put a leash on him to walk him, and I got three severe puncture wounds form his teeth that show to this day. Email the rescue coordinator NOW, please, for the safety of your child. You'll never forgive yourself when, not if, the dog bites someone. The dog can have a more suitable home with someone who doesn't have kids. Please.

+1 Dog lover here, but this dog needs a different type of environment.

[Anonymous]

We have a very large lab-shepard mix we got from a shelter before my two were born. Since we got him we trained him to be with kids. Tugging on his tail, poking him, taking food out of his mouth, putting our hands in his food dish. We didn't do it meanly, but just to have him get used to kids. It wasn't easy but we did not leave him alone with the kids until they were 2. We also have my oldest feed the dog. He makes him sit before he feeds him then releases him when he is done filling the dish. We love him dearly. We do realize that he is a pet. If he snaps at a kid we will be looking for a new home for him with a family that does not have kids. He is getting older and anything can happen. If he gets sick he could bite one of them so we are extra watchful of him.

[Anonymous]

OP, this is a no brainer. Get rid of the dog. Now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand your situation. Our dog bit my child. I know everyone on here would say get rid of her, but we didn't.

The context is she is a very laid back non-aggressive dog and our child was seriously bothering her. The dog had growled several times but our child had ignored this. I had told the child to move/stop doing it when the dog growls but he is very stubborn.

We all learned a lesson from this, and our child now does not harass the dog and knows to move away of the dog should she growl, which she will do if our child "cuddles" too aggressively.

If your dog snapped with no warning, that would be scary. Are you sure the dog did not growl first?

I grew up with dogs, but the lesson I learned as an adult is that young children need to be taught how to behave even around the most relaxed, mild-mannered dogs and how to treat the animal with respect.

They are NOT toys. I know you don't want to hear this, but lying down on the floor with a dog is not the wisest idea.

+1

op, you've had the dog since January, which means your kids have had 2 months to learn how to interact appropriately with her. They still need a lot of training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did your son push her away? Maybe by the face, and his finger tip went in her eye? Or maybe the dog is just head-shy and his going to push her face away spooked her.

I tend to assume human error. I would not get rid of the dog based on this. I would retrain all family members in how to command the dog, how to touch/play/pet the dog, and would firm up the training of the dog.

This is why you pet people are psycho. You'd rather your child be traumatized and eventually mauled than give up a pet you just got.

I'm not at all psycho. Her dog didn't bite the kid, the dog snapped at him. It was the dog's way of giving a warning, which is why I asked HOW he pushed the dog away. You helicopter moms are psycho. See how that feels? Don't call names. Once, when my son was around 1, he wanted to pet the dog. They were both on my bed. He kept crawling after her and she kept moving away from him. Finally, she snapped at him. He cried. He was not traumatized. We changed the way we allowed them to interact, and she never snapped or bit anyone again in her more than dozen years past that.

Yep, if the dog wanted to bite the kid she would have. Every dog groaner Ive been to has told me that. I would get the dog evaluated and trained asap. And I would school your kid about how to treat the dog (some dogs, esp if new to a family which yours is) may not like being touched or pushed on the face. You also don't know the dogs history. Your kids need to be taught the proper way to handle the dog and you need to watch them.

The dog has not bitten. I won't get rid of the dog. Yet. That doesn't make me a psycho.

[Anonymous]

We had a dog for six years that never showed even a hint of aggression. Then one day he snapped at our four year old with no provocation at all. He was gone before the sun set that evening. I love dogs and was sad to have to let him go. But I won't have an aggressive dog in the house with young children.

We have a German Shepherd now. He's almost 10 and I cannot imagine life without him. However, if he ever snapped at a child (or anyone, unprovoked) he would be gone. When he has had enough of the kids', he'll just leave. He has never so much as growled at them.

OP-This is how all those horrible stories in the news start. A dog that shows any aggression (especially towards a child in the home) needs to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand your situation. Our dog bit my child. I know everyone on here would say get rid of her, but we didn't.

The context is she is a very laid back non-aggressive dog and our child was seriously bothering her. The dog had growled several times but our child had ignored this. I had told the child to move/stop doing it when the dog growls but he is very stubborn.

We all learned a lesson from this, and our child now does not harass the dog and knows to move away of the dog should she growl, which she will do if our child "cuddles" too aggressively.

If your dog snapped with no warning, that would be scary. Are you sure the dog did not growl first?

I grew up with dogs, but the lesson I learned as an adult is that young children need to be taught how to behave even around the most relaxed, mild-mannered dogs and how to treat the animal with respect.

They are NOT toys. I know you don't want to hear this, but lying down on the floor with a dog is not the wisest idea.

+1

op, you've had the dog since January, which means your kids have had 2 months to learn how to interact appropriately with her. They still need a lot of training.

I think it's very likely that the OP's kid did something careless. I also think it's irrelevant. The reality is that a 7 year old is going to make mistakes as part of the learning process, and with an animal that's willing to snap at a child's face as a first warning, a mistake can quickly become a tragedy. This dog needs to live in a home with adults who are generally more predictable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I understand your situation. Our dog bit my child. I know everyone on here would say get rid of her, but we didn't.

The context is she is a very laid back non-aggressive dog and our child was seriously bothering her. The dog had growled several times but our child had ignored this. I had told the child to move/stop doing it when the dog growls but he is very stubborn.

We all learned a lesson from this, and our child now does not harass the dog and knows to move away of the dog should she growl, which she will do if our child "cuddles" too aggressively.

If your dog snapped with no warning, that would be scary. Are you sure the dog did not growl first?

I grew up with dogs, but the lesson I learned as an adult is that young children need to be taught how to behave even around the most relaxed, mild-mannered dogs and how to treat the animal with respect.

They are NOT toys. I know you don't want to hear this, but lying down on the floor with a dog is not the wisest idea.

You are out of your mind. I've been raising and training German Shepherd Dogs for nearly 20 years. We have two right now- both rescues. A dog that snaps at a kid does not get to stay in the home. The only exception might be an ill or seriously injured dog. My dogs will simply walk away if they get sick of a kid (or anyone). I could reach into their mouths and remove a steak bone and they wouldn't so much as look at me wrong.

OP - Ask any reputable trainer. The dog goes.

[Anonymous]

I've rescue many dogs and because of their history several are not appropriate with small children. Its really not fair to the dog to keep him if that is the case. If children agitate him you should allow him to be placed in a home that is a better match for him.

[Anonymous]

Holy shit, if this were my family that dog would have been gone yesterday.

This is NOT normal behavior in a dog and it's NOT worth risking your child's life or health for.

[Anonymous]

After OP gives this dog back to the disreputable rescue she got him from (the one that lied about his breed), she should train her children how to treat strange dogs. A rescue dog counts as a strange dog.