Help! My Dog Bit My Son and I'm at a Loss as to What to Do.

There are other options out there. I don't live in your city but I'm sure there are other places you can take him that will keep him until he is adopted. Maybe you could put an ad in the paper or spread the word to friends and family. Your children should come first no matter what and it seems like that is the case. However, I don't think the dog should be put to sleep without an effort to find someone to adopt him. Dogs bite sometimes...but I don't think they should be put to sleep everytime they bite someone. Good luck!

Hi J....here's my take. As an animal lover AND owner, we went through a similar situation. I read alot about having animals when you have a child because we had two dogs when my son was born. Basically, you have to teach the child how to be around the animal. The biggest thing is, when they are playing & the child is playing inappropriately, the ANIMAL must be removed from the situation. You can't just put your kid outside, so, unfortunately, the animal must go outside. We would tell my son, "I'm sorry, I know you love the dog, but since you cannot play correctly, the dog must go outside." My son would get very upset...but he is now 10 and he learned very well how to treat animals.

We had a similar situation where one of our dogs bit my son when he was about 2. This particular dog we had had for about 12 years...she was older, not really playful, she usually went to hide from my son once he came around...but one day, I left my son playing in his room, while I gathered laundry. Next thing I know, my son is crying & screaming...I found him and the dog in the hallway. My son had a scratch on his face and kept telling me over and over "I make Lucky mad...I make Lucky mad"...so of course, I freaked out and screamed at the dog & put her outside. I called my husband determined to get rid of her b/c I was NOT going to let the animals bite my child. So, as I cleaned up my son, he revealed to me that "I bite Lucky's ear". OH NO! Well, then I scolded my son. I think if someone bit MY ear...I'd bite them back too. It really was not the dog's fault. In my opinion, the dog had every right to defend itself in that instance. We laid punishment down for my son regarding the animals. He was not allowed to play with them for a week. The dogs stayed outside so that we could enforce that. We gave them food & water out there & made beds for them. In later years, when this dog was very ill & we had to make a decision to have her put to sleep...my son would bring her food & water & pet her & tell her she would be ok & he loved her very much. Kids and animals CAN learn to live together, but it takes patience & rules. Stick to it if you want to keep them both...but you have to be sure to have an area where you can remove the dog to and keep your eyes on them if they are playing together.

Well, first of all, your son should not be allowed to handle the dog on his own. That includes any and all interaction, only because he is still too young to realize he can do damage to the dog...would you want to be squished like that, or get stepped on? If you were the dog, what would you do to defend yourself?

As an owner of a chihuahua, the kings of snappy tempers, we use a pet muzzle. We know how our dog will react in certain situations, and we let others know. We will even muzzle him to go to the vet. It may seem overly cautious, but I'd rather that than to be responsible for someone's medical bill for a dog bite or give him away.

Also, maybe you can try a little obedience training. Just like with a child, if you put the dog in a routine so that they know unprovoked behavior has a consequence, you might find that the dog will actually be happier. The same should go for the people in the house. Sometimes people need a little training too. Everyone should be mindful of the dog, who is handling the dog, etc. to avoid problems before they start. There are some really informative shows on Animal Planet, like "It's Me Or The Dog" that have good tips on situations like this. After all, 99% of the time, it's not the dogs fault.

Good Luck!

Hi J.,
My parents have a lab. Sweet Sweet dog. They got her when she was three, they didnt have her very long, before they went out of town with the dog to visit their friends, whom had a child about 3 and a dog of their own. Although cocoa (the lab) was good all weekend, she was real nervous, already with a new family and now a new place, with a small kiddo and dog. My friends child tried to hug cocoa bye and was bitten, and drew blood. My dad (a police officer) said had he had his gun he would have shot cocoa himself. Upon returning home my "oldschool" grandma, suggested a mussel. Whenever there were small children my parents put the mussel on her. After years of this training, cocoa whom is 13!, can be in a room with small children without the mussel. of course now she is old, but she was able to do this years ago. As matter of fact, when a small child enters the room, cocoa gets away, either to another room, or her bed. Now I have a ONE year old and although we are careful, cocoa has been trained that if you hurt that baby, you get the mussel. It worked great for my parents because they got to keep the dog that my family had always wanted and has been a great and sweet addition. Hope this helps!

Good gosh this is a hard one. Because its a little dog, my natural reaction is NO!. You son is old enough to be taught not to scare the dog.

But, things aren't always as cut and dried as they appear on Mamasource. When my son was born we had a crazy female german shepherd. We couldn't keep the dog and the kid in the same room at first and we installed all these dog gates. Then when he was old enough to crawl, we had to be extra careful...and so on. By the time our other son was born four yrs later, she was starting to mellow out. But we had two other big dogs to keep an eye on. It was constant watch but it didn't take long to establish a safe routine. We never left them alone with a dog. Now those dogs are gone and we got a standard poodle last year. He is a big dog with a bigger mouth. He likes to use his mouth and even nipped when we first got him. We started working on the biting issue immediately. We say 'no bite' if he puts his mouth on anyone. But one day my son decided to take him for a walk without my permission. Totally stupid. The dog got his foot caught in a street grate and couldn't get out. When my son tried to pull his leg out, he got bitten pretty bad. So what did we do? He was bleeding pretty bad and now has several bad scars on his arm and wrist. We didn't get rid of the dog, we just became more cautious and bumped up the training. That was a year and a half ago. I tried to desensitize him to all the places on his body that he didn't want touched, especially his face. Now we have a puppy that mauls him, bites his ears, cleans his eyes and generally jumps on his back. He is totally mellow and lets me do anything I want now to his ears and face when he used to try to bite.

When watching the training shows on Animal Planet, they try to teach the dog that its a good thing to have your tail pulled, body squeezed...whatever the thing is that the dog doesn't like. Reward him when he has it done and doesn't react. My opinion is to keep the dog and bump up the training. Also, are his teeth OK? Is his spine hurting? Sometimes dogs just hurt! Especially little dogs that are allowed to jump on and off the bed. They get spinal injuries quite frequently.
good luck. Just try not to make a hasty decision because he probably will get euthenized.

just a ps after reading others': I have quite a bit of experience with dogs too from both the perspective of insurance and as a vet tech. But also I train dogs. But there is one thing I never waver on...NEVER leave a child alone with any dog. You are asking for trouble.

From what I gather that your son has played with this dog and nothing happen. He coming from behind must have scared the dog or your son possibly hurt him. This was the natural thing for the dog to do. Of course you do not want the dog to hurt anyone, but to put the dog to sleep is somewhat extreme.
I am sure if you found a good dog trainer, within two or three hours he would be able to show you how to correct this problem. Also it would be great for your son to have the dog for a companion.

God Bless

I wouldn't do the shelter thing. I am a believer that all dogs can be taught proper behaviour even when they have a history of not so great habits. Because your dog is a highly popular breed right now, I highly doubt even if you did put him in a shelter, he wouldn't stay very long. I've just spent the past few months searching shelters throughout the area for a small dog and I know others do the same. You could also try to place him in a rescue http://www.shihtzu-rescue.com/ to ensure he does go to the right home and will not die. Rescues screen families to match the dogs they have.

Hi J.
Have you checked into one of those rescue/adoption organizations that specializes in only specific breeds. I would bet there is a rescue for just shih-tzus. Has he always been aggressive b/c if not his behavior might even be a sign hes sick or hurt in some way that shows no symptoms. Maybe even some training would help him. Turn to a shelter as a last resort b/c it seems to me you would feel guilty if he did have to be put down. So try having him adopted rather through an add or agency but most of all trust your gut, your the mama and only you know what decision you can live with. Good Luck!!

Hi J.. My name is Y. From oklahoma. My mom used to have a dog like yours and she took him to the vet because they couldn't understand why he would snap at people and would bite the groomers as well as my niece and nephew when they'd try to play with him. the vet said these kind of dogs are very sensitive to feeling and their little bodies are tender and they get hurt easily and that is the only way they can let people know they're hurting. to make a long story short, they had to give him to the shelter and he was adopted out that very next day. so they got lucky. good luck in what ever you decide.
about me: I'm a mom of 3 grown children, and i have 1 stepdaughter and 4 grand children that i adore. and great husband. God bless!
Y.

obviously, he needs to go. do they have an animal rescue where you live where they take animals to adopt out but don't put them to sleep? otherwise, you may have to advertise or get the word out that the dog needs a home and just try to keep them apart until you do. no reason to put him to sleep because he is no longer a fit for your home. the grooming issue is not that uncommon. we had that problem with a cat! so, take care and just be patient and try to find him a good home without kids.

oh no! what a tough spot you're in. If hes a biter, Im afraid your husband is right, pup has to go. Is there no family with a quiet life - so hes not startled much, and no kids to worry about? Hopefully he can be adopted out, but unless you have friends or family who already love him the way you do, it will be hard to adopt out a biter. They have to inform. You could opt to put him to sleep and be there with him at his time.
We've been there, it shouldnt be a hard decision you would think from the outside, but it really is

J.,
First off a dog is a good pet for little boys. Second off, maybe the dog doesn't like being hugged so tightly maybe it has a sore or tender point where your son hugged him/her. You must try to see if you can get it to do the same thing by hugging it the way the little one did and if it does it again have it checked as it may have a sore spot where no one can see an apparent reason and only a vet can figure it out.
But as a precaution teach your sons to hug gently and tenderly. Let him know that the puppy/dog loves to be hugged but the key is GENTLY.
I have four grown sons and 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren and am only 58. So I have gone through this before myself.
So I hope this will help you somewhat with your problem.
BB
Gramma D.

Let me start by saying that I love animals. I used to work in a pet store, assisted with dog training, grooming, and puppy daycare. That having been said if you cannot get your dog adopted he needs to be put down. Your human family comes first. This doesn't sound like a one time incident, there is precedence here. Please don't wait until the dog draws blood, that is really not the issue. This dog has an aggression problem and at seven years old that is not likely to change. If you do try to get him adopted please inform any interested parties that this dog should not be around children. You need to get your dog out of the house and away from your children. I know it’s a very emotional issue, but the kids need to come first.

Hi J.!

First let me say that I'm so glad your son is okay!

Wow, do I feel your pain!!!! I too am an avid animal lover.

Our dog Gus bit my youngest daughter who was 1 yrs. old. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and I heard Gus snap and then my daughter cry. He bit her on the face above the eye. She had 3 punctures. There was quite a bit of blood and I first thought he had gotten her eye. Thank goodness not!

We still have Gus. He doesn't have have any history of biting/nipping others. He has always been very loving, very affectionate, etc. He would play with my kids and let them love on him.

I'm not sure if my daughter hit him or what but something made him snap where he felt threatened. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone what he did to my child. My children's welfare comes before Gus.

After he bit my daughter he became an outside dog. We only let him in right before we go to bed and he's back outside before our kids get up.

My husband and I couldn't bear to give him to the animal shelter because we knew that he would be put down. Even though Gus doesn't have a history of biting/nipping, it was still a very difficult decision for us.

If your dog has a history of biting/nipping at people, adopting him out might be the best option for you. However, only you and your husband will know what's right for your household. Good luck! It's a very tough thing to go through.

Well as cute as he sounds cant have a dog biting the kids, and the longer you keep him in the house..the higher the chance is. I would say send him to PAWS and make sure to tell them everything..the prolly would not put him to sleep before trying to find im a home without children in it. Some animals just arent good with kids. We have a harrier beagle mix..there more kid dogs..but i think it really just has to do with their personality like with people. But thats my suggestion, were an animal loveing fam of 6..myself and my fiance our 4 kids and we have a dog, a cat whom just passed :(...2 red eared sliders and anoles and whatever the heck else we find so we have a regular little zoo :). Good luck

C.

I know how important family pets can be and I'm sorry you are having to go through this. If the dog is biting for no reason you may want to consider placing him elsewhere but you gave good reasons to why he was biting. @ people stepped on his tail which made him bite, totally understandable! Also, your son may be too young for this little dog. If he's allowed to pick him up and squeeze him he could really be hurting the dog. You may want to try setting limits with the dog and only have your son pet him not pick him up and have hime learn there are consequences if he hurts the dog. As far as him biting when he's groomed lots of dogs do that and groomers are used to it. We have several animals and have since the day my son was born but he was never allowed to mistreat any of them. He learned immediately that you never hit an animal or pull its tail or take its food. He is 4 now and is best friends with our two big dogs. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!!

You could check with your vet to see if they might know of a child free home to take your dog in. Sometimes they are the best ones to find homes for pets, because they know who is really a animal lover.
Sorry you are having to go through this, it is always hard!

Find out if there is a shih-tzu rescue in your area. These lovers of the breed will do everything they can to find your dog a compatible home. Also any breeders in the area might be willing to take it,even if he is not breedable. You do need to get rid of him. Any animal that harms your children shouldn't be around. I had a dog that almost bit one of my children, and it was gone within the week,to a couple without children.

Unless you just plan to have a dog-free family, your son is going to have to learn how to be appropriate with a dog. I think he got a BIG lesson this week. I'll bet he is more careful. I would monitor. Your dog does not sound visious. She has not hurt anyone unprovoked. She does not continue to attack - just a snap to get her message across. I think they can learn to live together.

I agree with most of the others in that if your dog has a history of biting, he's not a good match for such young kids. But as his owner you have the responsibility of finding a suitable home for him. Putting him down or turning him over to an agency that will put him down is that the only answer! I had a stray dog at my home that I couldnt keep (with two dogs and two kids we couldn't take on another dog...). So I listed him on Craigslist and within a few days I has several people interested. Your dog is a popular breed and will do great in a family without small kids!!! So take a photo of him and list him Free to a Good home on Craigslist, make flyers to post at vets offices and area businesses and screen interested parties until you find a suitable home for him! Good luck - you'll be in my prayers. I can imagine that this is a VERY tough situation for you!

J.,
There is no question here. This is not an isolated issue--he's done it before, and he'll do it again. Are you willing to take the chance on him disfiguring your child? Or worse? What if he went for the throat? I would never keep an animal that might hurt my children, as you say--you love your children 100 times more. What message does that send to the kids? A child has to live in the environment their parents choose for them. They have no choice. YOU must keep them safe--they depend on you for that. Your children MUST KNOW that you would NEVER choose an animal over their safety and wellbeing. I'm SO with your husband on that. I had a cat that took a swipe at my daughter's face when she was a baby. I'd had that cat for 10 years. He was gone the next day--took him to the vet and told them to either find a home for him or put him to sleep and send me the bill. This might sound cold to you, but you can't take a chance with your child's life or their happiness. It all depends on you to take care of them. Get rid of Gizmo, and don't look back. You can get another dog that is more child-friendly.
C.

Are you serious about this question. We ar5e talking about your child or your dog. I love animals to but you are taking it a little to far. The dog would have been out of my house that day, as a matter of fact i've had this issue before with one of my outside dogs and I gave him away the same day. He did even bite my daughter he just jumped at her. Your talking about your kids. Your dog is getting old and it will get worse especially with a shih-tzu, polmeranian, or even a chihuha. They get very snappy with age. GIVE THE DOG AWAY!!!! It could have been so much worse.

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! As much of an animal lover as I am...the dog has to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, I can relate to your story. When my husband and I started dating, he gave me a poodle we named Henry. We dated for three more years, got married and had our son five years later. This means we had been having Henry almost 8 years when my son was born. He wasn't happy with the new addition. I didn't trust Henry with the baby so we took alot of precautions like putting our son in a playpen or swing to play instead of on the floor. One day when our son was just learning how to walk, I forgot to pick up the dog food and our son grabbed the food bowl while the dog was eating. The dog snapped at him, tearing the inside of his cheek. It didn't bleed that much so I cleaned his mouth, tried to disinfect it and tried to talk my husband into forgetting about it. He was angry with the dog but it wasn't anyone's fault. The dog was protecting his food, after all he is a dog. Unfortunately, we could't forget about it. One week later while I was cleaning my son's face, I noticed a lump by his ear. We brought him to an ENT and he asked if we had a cat, which we didn't. He then asked if we had a dog that would have been around a cat. I told him about the biting incident. He was diagnosed with cat's scratch disease. This was caused by the dog bite. We watched the lump for several months but ended up having to have surgery to go in and remove it. Well, needless to say my husband was furious with the dog. Each time he looked at the lump, he wanted to get rid of the dog. I understood how he felt but it wasn't the dog's fault. After all, he is a dog. He didn't understand what children were. He had never been around kids. My husband eventually talked me into giving our dog away. It was just too tense around the house. He said he gave it away to someone he knew. I want to believe this story but sometimes I wonder exactly what he did with him. I couldn't go with him when he left with dog because my heart was breaking. He was my first baby. He was alone with us for 8 years. This was over twenty years ago and it still bothers me.

Before bringing your dogs to PAWS, I would speak to your veterinarian and ask him if he knows someone who may be interested in your dog. Also, put an ad in the paper to see if anyone is interested. I wish I could have been more involved in the give away process with our dog. Maybe I wouldn't still feel so much guilt.

Good Luck!

I think at this point you really have to take him some place where they can try to adopt him out. My sister was mauled by a neighbors dog that had the very same temperament. You cant chance that happening to your little one or anyone else's little ones that might come to visit.

Okay this is a very difficult situation. First of all I am a mom that has four kids and I have always had dogs. We have four dogs. I have been in a situation where I had to have a dog put down. She actually attacked my other dog very viciously because she thought the new pup we got was hers. I had her put down because I was afraid she would attack my kids for getting too close to this new puppy. Any way, do you have TV with the National Geographic channel. If you do you need to watch The Dog Whisperer. He is an amazing man who can do anything with dogs. He will tell you that you have to have the right dog for your family but he has taken dogs that freak out at the groomers and end up doing fine. YOu really need to watch his show. It is very informative and he has worked with dogs just like yours and changed their whole attitudes. Try it first!!!

not really the dogs fault doesn't like to be hugged tightly might be hurting the dog trying separtating the two of them and try to teaching you son not to hug the dog to tight just pet him instead it is real hard to find a family that will treat your dog like you do my grand son and my dog have problems too he like to tease her she nips him she has only done it once in the face I got on my dog but I also got on my grandson and when she growls I holler at my grandson he 10 it works out most of the time they can get a long she will even go to him to be petted it will take time I would just split them up most of the time and put them together and help you son to treat the dog right and not hurt the dog your son doesn't the difference he is to young to know he is doing wrong there is a way to solve the problem with out getting rid of the dog you have had him a long time and he like your son just doesn't like what he does sometimes both can be trained to do it different it just takes time way good luck let me know what you do o.k.?

I would never give my lovable pup to a place that might put him down unless he was sick and need to be put down. I would place a ad in the paper or on the free cycle web site for a new home. We did just this will a little poodle we had when Jeff was little. We place in the ad will not give to a home with kids. You will need to ask them again when they contact you if they have kids since you say no kids in the home because you will be surprise how many people with kids will contact you anyway. This way the pup will be give to a new home that will be a better place for him and you will not have the worry did they put him down.

My husband and I got a puppy and treated him like our baby for several years and then we had our little boy. Within the 1st year, our dog started nipping and by the time our son was also about 2 or 3 we had no choice to give him away. It sounds like you know in your mind what you need to do, it's just your heart is very attached to the dog. Email everyone you know and ask if there's a family without children who might take the dog for free. Give it a week and then move on with the dog. Our 1st priority is to our children and you definitely don't want the nipping/biting to eventually lead to a serious bite that will require stitches and leave a permanent scar. It's hard and we hated it too. But we both knew it was the right thing to do. We had to protect our son.

Hi J., I am a grandmother of 6. Our families have been dog lovers for as long as I can remember. In fact, we have called 2 of our favorites our "granddogs" LOL

On a more serious note, my husband was an insurance adjuster for years. He had numerous claims come across his desk for injuries caused by aging dogs. These dogs had been in the family for years and were well behaved. Just like humans (but without the ability to reason or see humor) dogs get cranky and feel out of sorts as they age. They are more sensitive to their aches and pains and sometimes get hard of hearing so that it's hard for them to interpret their surroundings and the threat of danger. It is sad that this happens, but invariably if the dog lives to a ripe age this will happen.

You are getting many warning signals from your pet. This will not get better with time or training. Before something really serious happens please, please, please send him to PAWS. I speak from having seen pictures of children that were bitten by family pets (small dogs) who have done permanent damage to face muscles, and caused permanent scarring. Your dog is precious, but as you have indicated, your children are 100x's more precious.

Best regards,
A grandmother in Baton Rouge

Hi J.,

We too have a one year old shih-tzu and he too has bitten. Luckly my kids are much older. I have a daughter that is 16 and he has never tried to bite her nor has he ever tried to bite me. As for my husband who adores him and babies him, (as we all do) he has bit him a couple of times now. Also, anyone who comes to our house he will try to attack them and some of them he has bitten. My daughter only has two friends that can come over without him going nuts on them. The rest of her friends are scared half to death. Just a couple of weeks ago my neighbor came over and my dog bit him, but he said his shih-tzu does the same thing, so he was use to it. I know that our dog is very protective when it comes to me and my daughter. But just the other night he was in bed with me and he was laying on the side of the bed were my husband lays and when my husband came to bed he was trying to move him over and my dog went nuts on him and was biting him. It took me to calm him down. Then after my husband spanked him he wouldn't get back on the bed but came over to myside of the bed and laid down on the floor. Later my husband got up and went and got him and he laid down by him and fell asleep. Sorry I just keep going on but I haven't had anyone to talk to about this who has the same problems we do. I do not know what to do. I have tried everything to get him to stop and he won't do it. When I did research on shih-tzu's, they stated that they are a loving dog and loves kids. I am beside myself as what to do. I hate to hear that your dog has bitten your son. If you should find out how to handle it would you please let me know?
Thanks, M.

i would put him down. once a dog bites a kid, he will always bite kids. little dogs are biters. he sounds as if he is a pretty angry little dog, as snuggly as he can be. i would do some serious research into patient breeds of dogs, if i got another one. goldens, labs and std poodles spring to mind. it is a hard decision, but you have to put your son--and other people's kids-- first.