my dog bit my friend---should I put him down?

[BorderKelpie]

Please read through this link (it links to dog aggression/training links) thoroughly and see what your options may be. I wish you the best in your difficult situation.

http://leerburg.com/dominantdogs.htm

 

[chickerdoodle]

Quote:
Agreed. I would have a thorough veterinary exam first to determine there are no medical issues causing this and then consult a qualified behaviorist. Then you will have more information before you assign a death sentence. If you do decide to euthanize him then at least you know you did all you can do prior to doing so.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I have been bitten in the face by a dog. I did not sue the owner to recover medical bills but probably should have. The owner was very irresponsible. I could have caused them a great deal of trouble, and most folks probably would have. The owner wasn't terribly concerned and never apologized or offered to pay the $600 emergency room visit. She didn't want me to bleed on her carpet. The bite went down to the bone on my chin and the dog didn't let go right away. It really hurt a lot.

I went to the emergency room for stitches and the doctor photographed everything and was preparing for a lawsuit and told me I should take the owners to court. He was very angry somebody's dog bit me in the face.

Put the dog down. It is a bite risk and if it bites the "wrong person" ya'll are going to be in a world of hurt.

Lots of nice loving dogs out there that desperately need a home.

If ya'll just can't put the dog down outright and are made of money, go ahead and do the vet and behaviorist thing. But you need to know you can NEVER EVER trust that dog not to bite. It has been allowed to go on too long.

 

[PuppyBantamCochin]

thanks for all the responses....we ended up putting the dog down last week. it was hard to see him go down

RIP ''Toadie'' 2/4/08-6/21/10.

 

[bock]

Quote:
I am sorry

, But you did the right thing.

Think about it this way, there are SO many great dogs that would never bite, are so obedient, and would love to live with you that are being put down in pounds every day. I rescued a beautiful Lab mix, 9 years ago when she was a year old. She was scheduled to be put down the following day, and now she is my very best friend in the world. She lays her head on you'r knee and give you kisses when you'r sad and plays with you when you are happy. I hate to see her aging, but no matter how old I get I will NEVER forget the day I brought her home, even though I was only 5 years old. Look into rescuing a shelter dog, when you'r ready, if you choose wisely you won't regret it.

 

[Wifezilla]

You did the right thing

 

[redhen]

You did the right thing!

 

[dirtdoctor]

its a tough call, but what is more difficult, putting your dog down or paying a huge fine and lawsuit for having a aggressive dog.

I have a rule with our dogs, (security dogs and pets), the security dogs can bite who ever threatens them, (they are on patrol and know when to do their job), they also know when it is not TIME to bite. but they are trained dogs, so I will move on to the pet rule that I have for our household.

!. was the dog provoked, kids taunting, pulling tail bla bla bla... if yes, then it is training time, and the dog lives.

2. If it happens again, then the dog is put down. So it is really important to determine is it a pinch, nip or a BITE TO TEAR and destroy.

we have cattle dogs, they use their mouths like fingers to pinch, or even just nudge, so if someone calls that a bite, nope it doesn't classify as a bite. its a pinch or nudge, just a cattle dogs way of saying, "Hey, move it".

If you have been reported as having a biting dog, the first time you can be warned, but the second time a dog has bitten someone, you run the risk of being sued. And yes the emotional trauma part of the lawsuit can be outrageously expensive.. for years to come. I know of a young girl that was bitten on her face,,,, after the surgery, she ended up looking just beautiful, and she has her college all paid for. (the owner of the dog volunteered the trust fund account for her college education).

Plus putting it down ends all other worries, I know of a dog that bit its masters kid, instead of putting it down they REHOMED IT!!! What is wrong with that picture?

Best to you

 

[The Lisser]

Sorry that you had to go through this difficult situation. I've been there a couple times. It is very hard, especially when you love animals. But I think you did the right thing.

Case in point: a couple years ago we decided to adopt 2 adult rescue dogs. One was supposedly a lab/boxer mix, a neutered male, very large dog. When I visited him at his foster home, he was nervous but he warmed up to me pretty quickly. The foster home woman said that he was great with her but had growled at her husband a couple of times. Most dogs LOVE my husband so I thought it would be okay.

The second day the dog is at our house, my husband is walking them around the yard and the female (a husky mix) got her paw tangled in the leash. She cowered when my husband bent over to untangle her (she had been abused before we got her) - and the male dog bit my husband. It didn't break the skin, but my husband was adamant - the dog had to go. Our daughter was a baby at the time, and my husband said the dog had to be returned that day. We could have made excuses for the dog - it had led a very difficult life before going into rescue, the female dog signaled fear, etc . . . but we weren't in a position to work with this dog. The animal rescue was not happy with us returning the dog (they didn't have it put down because they had spent so much money on heartworm treatment and they said it wasn't a "real" bite because it didn't break the skin). They sent it to a dog trainer who wanted dogs to train for flyball . . . it bit again. So then they decided it just had issues with men, so they found it a female-only home with a disabled adult - well, things were going great - until it bit her. I don't know what happened after that, I guess it was put down. Anyway, moral of the story is, even a trainer couldn't get the dog out of it's biting behavior.

Melissa

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I'm sorry for your hurt but glad you & your family were strong and made that tough decision. The right thing to do is not always the easiest thing to do. But you can take comfort in knowing that you did the right thing.