Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was pregnant with our first, my husband and I took a course called "Dogs and Puppies, Play it Safe" to learn how to prevent dog bites from day 1. Part of it is preventing the opportunity, and part of it is training the young child how to interact with dogs so as to reduce the risk of getting bitten.

Our daughter is 3, and she is very careful when interacting with our 85 lb shepherd--we don't think he'd bite since he's very sweet, but still, not taking any chances.

Husband works in pediatric ER and sees the results of bad dog bites from time to time--not anything we wanted to have on our hands.

That's crazy. You should not expect that a young child (a baby or toddler) can possibly learn how to interact with a dog without making mistakes.

The only way to not have a bitten child on your hands is to 1. just be lucky and have a very gentle dog or 2. not have a dog. PERIOD.

Well, of course. But that wasn't the intent of the class. The class teacher emphasized making sure that your child is not "magnetized" to the dog--basically, she was saying that you shouldn't permit your baby/toddler/young child to get too comfortable with teasing the dog, rolling all over the dog, getting in the dog's face, etc.--basically, all the stuff that people think is so cute when they post dog/child videos on Youtube. They also taught us how to recognize signs that the dog is uncomfortable, to try to prevent bites before they happen. Too much to summarize here, but good stuff--especially for me as a first-time dog-owner (our dog was exactly 1 year old when our daughter was born, so still a high-energy puppy in many ways.

So our 3yo knows not to stare lovingly in the dog's eyes, not to jump/yell/speak in a high-pitched voice while close to the dog (our dog gets uncomfortable with this), not to pull his tail, hit him, etc.--and we give her constant feedback so she knows what's okay and what's not with the dog. Less fun photo opps, but that's fine.

Of course your response is totally reasonable. Having a dog is a responsibility and teaching our kids is another.

Posters on this board want to get a dog and then forget it, no work, no adapting, no training. If it isn't perfect, you get rid of the dog.
You know what? Dogs have been living with humans for about 30,000 years. And yeah, sometimes humans get bitten. It's actually good for children to learn limits -- on horses, with dogs, ice-skating etc. And unless we're talking aggressive dogs who display that behavior, getting snapped at and rolling with it is actually a pretty good lesson for a kid.

It's such a cliche, but I was thrown off a horse when I was young -- thankfully not seriously hurt -- and no one even thought twice about putting me back on a horse. Today? They'd probably shoot the horse.

OP here. I assume your post is directed at me, which is fine. You don't know me so I don't know why I feel the need to defend myself but I have to say that we have been working with a trainer. This dog has had a lot of behavioral issues that we've been working hard to deal with. She is bitey, she jumps, she could not walk on a leash in the beginning to save her life, the only command she knows is sit (and that's only if you're holding a treat), the list goes on. Those are all things we've been working on and I've been happy to do it. We were told that she needed 2-3 hours of exercise, so I've been out there walking her two time a day, for at least an hour each time, plus having her play outside with our neighbor's dog multiple times a day. Or taking her to the dog park. In other words, I've spent the last two months trying my best to accommodate the dog's needs. And I was prepared to spend the next 10+ years doing so! But when she snaps at my son's head, that's game over for me. This happened on Sunday, which happened to be the first day when she didn't get out for her usual amount of exercise due to the ice storm. If this is what I can look forward to on days when she's not worn out to the point of exhaustion, that is too much of a risk for me.

Thanks again for all the posts and input, it's been helpful. In the meantime, I contacted the rescue yesterday and spoke to the coordinator about what happened. She said it was my son's fault (essentially), but she'd check the paperwork and get back to me. They still haven't. We've been keeping the dog away from the kids in the meantime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was pregnant with our first, my husband and I took a course called "Dogs and Puppies, Play it Safe" to learn how to prevent dog bites from day 1. Part of it is preventing the opportunity, and part of it is training the young child how to interact with dogs so as to reduce the risk of getting bitten.

Our daughter is 3, and she is very careful when interacting with our 85 lb shepherd--we don't think he'd bite since he's very sweet, but still, not taking any chances.

Husband works in pediatric ER and sees the results of bad dog bites from time to time--not anything we wanted to have on our hands.

That's crazy. You should not expect that a young child (a baby or toddler) can possibly learn how to interact with a dog without making mistakes.

The only way to not have a bitten child on your hands is to 1. just be lucky and have a very gentle dog or 2. not have a dog. PERIOD.

Well, of course. But that wasn't the intent of the class. The class teacher emphasized making sure that your child is not "magnetized" to the dog--basically, she was saying that you shouldn't permit your baby/toddler/young child to get too comfortable with teasing the dog, rolling all over the dog, getting in the dog's face, etc.--basically, all the stuff that people think is so cute when they post dog/child videos on Youtube. They also taught us how to recognize signs that the dog is uncomfortable, to try to prevent bites before they happen. Too much to summarize here, but good stuff--especially for me as a first-time dog-owner (our dog was exactly 1 year old when our daughter was born, so still a high-energy puppy in many ways.

So our 3yo knows not to stare lovingly in the dog's eyes, not to jump/yell/speak in a high-pitched voice while close to the dog (our dog gets uncomfortable with this), not to pull his tail, hit him, etc.--and we give her constant feedback so she knows what's okay and what's not with the dog. Less fun photo opps, but that's fine.

Of course your response is totally reasonable. Having a dog is a responsibility and teaching our kids is another.

Posters on this board want to get a dog and then forget it, no work, no adapting, no training. If it isn't perfect, you get rid of the dog.
You know what? Dogs have been living with humans for about 30,000 years. And yeah, sometimes humans get bitten. It's actually good for children to learn limits -- on horses, with dogs, ice-skating etc. And unless we're talking aggressive dogs who display that behavior, getting snapped at and rolling with it is actually a pretty good lesson for a kid.

It's such a cliche, but I was thrown off a horse when I was young -- thankfully not seriously hurt -- and no one even thought twice about putting me back on a horse. Today? They'd probably shoot the horse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was pregnant with our first, my husband and I took a course called "Dogs and Puppies, Play it Safe" to learn how to prevent dog bites from day 1. Part of it is preventing the opportunity, and part of it is training the young child how to interact with dogs so as to reduce the risk of getting bitten.

Our daughter is 3, and she is very careful when interacting with our 85 lb shepherd--we don't think he'd bite since he's very sweet, but still, not taking any chances.

Husband works in pediatric ER and sees the results of bad dog bites from time to time--not anything we wanted to have on our hands.

That's crazy. You should not expect that a young child (a baby or toddler) can possibly learn how to interact with a dog without making mistakes.

The only way to not have a bitten child on your hands is to 1. just be lucky and have a very gentle dog or 2. not have a dog. PERIOD.

Well, of course. But that wasn't the intent of the class. The class teacher emphasized making sure that your child is not "magnetized" to the dog--basically, she was saying that you shouldn't permit your baby/toddler/young child to get too comfortable with teasing the dog, rolling all over the dog, getting in the dog's face, etc.--basically, all the stuff that people think is so cute when they post dog/child videos on Youtube. They also taught us how to recognize signs that the dog is uncomfortable, to try to prevent bites before they happen. Too much to summarize here, but good stuff--especially for me as a first-time dog-owner (our dog was exactly 1 year old when our daughter was born, so still a high-energy puppy in many ways.

So our 3yo knows not to stare lovingly in the dog's eyes, not to jump/yell/speak in a high-pitched voice while close to the dog (our dog gets uncomfortable with this), not to pull his tail, hit him, etc.--and we give her constant feedback so she knows what's okay and what's not with the dog. Less fun photo opps, but that's fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was pregnant with our first, my husband and I took a course called "Dogs and Puppies, Play it Safe" to learn how to prevent dog bites from day 1. Part of it is preventing the opportunity, and part of it is training the young child how to interact with dogs so as to reduce the risk of getting bitten.

Our daughter is 3, and she is very careful when interacting with our 85 lb shepherd--we don't think he'd bite since he's very sweet, but still, not taking any chances.

Husband works in pediatric ER and sees the results of bad dog bites from time to time--not anything we wanted to have on our hands.

That's crazy. You should not expect that a young child (a baby or toddler) can possibly learn how to interact with a dog without making mistakes.

The only way to not have a bitten child on your hands is to 1. just be lucky and have a very gentle dog or 2. not have a dog. PERIOD.

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with a dog who never snapped at anyone or anything. There are dogs with the right temperament for families, whatever breed.

If a dog is a biter or a snapper - that's who they are, their instinctive response.

I strongly believe you should remove the dog from your home.

Anonymous wrote:When I was pregnant with our first, my husband and I took a course called "Dogs and Puppies, Play it Safe" to learn how to prevent dog bites from day 1. Part of it is preventing the opportunity, and part of it is training the young child how to interact with dogs so as to reduce the risk of getting bitten.

Our daughter is 3, and she is very careful when interacting with our 85 lb shepherd--we don't think he'd bite since he's very sweet, but still, not taking any chances.

Husband works in pediatric ER and sees the results of bad dog bites from time to time--not anything we wanted to have on our hands.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Super irresponsible to have a dog (especially a rescue!) in the home with young kids. I'd take the thing out back and put it down myself if it snapped at one of my kids.

Her kids are 7 and 10, not that young. Old enough to know how to treat a dog, if they've been taught. They only had the dog for a month or two.

Kids make mistakes. I wouldn't have a dog in the house (for many, many reasons) with kids under 12. I have a hard time respecting people who put their dogs before people.

I have a hard time dealing with people who make sweeping judgments and rendering opinion as fact. Trying to find a solution that works for a family, such as trying to see if you are able to keep a dog who HAS NOT BITTEN ANYONE, is not "putting dogs before people." We get it. YOu don't like dogs. But, your bias is coloring your posts. And, makes you sound silly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Super irresponsible to have a dog (especially a rescue!) in the home with young kids. I'd take the thing out back and put it down myself if it snapped at one of my kids.

Her kids are 7 and 10, not that young. Old enough to know how to treat a dog, if they've been taught. They only had the dog for a month or two.

Kids make mistakes. I wouldn't have a dog in the house (for many, many reasons) with kids under 12. I have a hard time respecting people who put their dogs before people.

Sure they do. My mother tells me I used to teeth on our golden retriever's tail. I was horrified that she let me!

No dogs for a family with children under 12? How will children learn how to behave around dogs if there's no dog at home?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Super irresponsible to have a dog (especially a rescue!) in the home with young kids. I'd take the thing out back and put it down myself if it snapped at one of my kids.

Her kids are 7 and 10, not that young. Old enough to know how to treat a dog, if they've been taught. They only had the dog for a month or two.

Kids make mistakes. I wouldn't have a dog in the house (for many, many reasons) with kids under 12. I have a hard time respecting people who put their dogs before people.

Anonymous wrote:^ They'll figure it out. Frankly, I'd prefer a much less dog-crazy society than we have now. Keep it in your yard, but I don't want to see dogs everywhere when I'm out and about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Farm owner here -- send the dog back. You have to be practical about these things. But you also need to teach your kid to back off the dog's space.. they don't like kids to get up in their face, it is threatening, so their is blame on both sides here.

The appropriate response is to walk away, not snap, and that would not be something I'd look over in a new dog. IF I were you I would also learn my dog breeds and be able to recognize a Rottie vs. a lab when I see one before I adopt again.

OP here. I hear what you're saying. In my defense, I trusted the rescue when it said the dog was a lab/shepherd mix. She does look labby-ish, but has the rottie/Doberman coloring. Of course, given that rottweiliers and Dobermans were nowhere near my frame of reference it never occurred to me.