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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, I am not a dog expert.  But I am a mom to a 10yo boy who still has a scar on his cheek from a dog bite that he got when he was 2.

The dog who bit my child was friendly, well-known to us (belonged to extended family, we'd known the dog for years), no history of aggression to people.  But he was not well socialized to other dogs and had a tendency to react to stranger dogs, barking and lunging.  He'd never actually attacked another dog; his owners were good at keeping him away from any opportunities.

The dog was also starting to lose his eyesight.  And so when he was standing on the sidewalk, on a leash at his owner's side while we chatted, and heard a dog barking across the street, he reacted quickly and violently by lashing out at the first living thing near him.  Which happened to be my toddler, who of course was the perfect height to be face-to-face with the him.  It took 12 stitches at the ER to sew his cheek back up.

We are incredibly lucky that it wasn't worse, that he didn't hit an eye or anything unrepairable.  I'm very thankful that he only bit once, and then turned tail and tried to run - it was not a prolonged attack.  I'm thankful that DC was young enough that he doesn't really remember it.  He knows the story because he's asked us about the scar, but he (mercifully) has no memory of the blood-soaked, screaming car ride to the ER or being held down for the doctor to give a local anesthesia so they could stitch him up.

You know this dog has the potential to do the same, or worse.  Please do not ever let this dog be around children.  Don't put yourself or another parent through what DH and I went through 8 years ago.  I don't know if the answer is medication, euthanasia, or rehoming - like I said, I'm not a dog expert - but I know you have to keep him away from children.[/quote]

I’m so sorry this happened to you, that sounds terrifying. I’m also doubly sorry because I know how many insane dog people are quick to blame a child for “provoking” an attack. I hope that didn’t happen in your case. I agree OP should put this dog down. [/quote]

Most of the time, the child does provoke the dog.  Not on purpose—the child wasn’t taught how to behave around dogs, because the parents don’t know themselves.  I know of a couple who put their dog down after it but their child...who hugged the dog while it was sleeping.  The startled dog bit the child.  The parents said—and I quote—“but all she did was hug him!”.

And I’m not a crazy dog person; in fact, I have never even owned a dog.  [/quote]

Agreed. A very young child is certainly not "to blame" for provoking a dog, but they often do provoke dogs. In the sad case of the toddler being bitten by a nearly blind, leashed dog, the dog's owner is clearly to blame for being unable to control the dog and for allowing the dog to be face to face with a toddler. Parents should also try to have their children stand back from a dog, especially a leashed dog, because these dogs feel vulnerable, trapped, and protective of their owners.[/quote]

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