Had the dog put down today after it went for a child.....
- Thread starter Scania
- Start date
I put this point of view to my dog and he made a very rational case for the reverse to be true as it applied to him.
Terrible choice for the OP to make but I agree with it. Feel very sorry for him.
why would he put his child down? his child wasn't the one attacked.
don't you regularly bitch and moan about people not reading OPs?
then the father of the girl would have reported it and it would have been put down against your will anyway.
The OP made the right and obvious choice.
It's already been done, so the "I've not have had it put down" comments will only made the OP feel worse than he already does.
It can not have been an easy choice for the OP and I think all should respect him for making it.
It's already been done, so the "I've not have had it put down" comments will only made the OP feel worse than he already does.
It can not have been an easy choice for the OP and I think all should respect him for making it.
Man of Honour
My work colleague came in today and on Friday her 7 year old was attacked by a friends dog. She said she had superficial cuts but on seeing a picture of her she had 6 butterfly stitches over 3 separate wounds on the left cheek which doesn't look superficial to me. She has left the decision to her friend about the dogs life and so far nothing has been done. The sad thing is they had a dog from a dog's home about 5 weeks ago and they are taking it back because they don't feel they can trust a second hand dog and the daughter won't go near it. I did suggest that the daughter gives the dog it's food and hopefully it won't bite the hand that feeds but they are still not happy and made their decision.
Just because there are issues with society doesn't mean it's right...
Associate
Terrible choice, but I think you did the right thing. I don't have a dog but I know they are like a part of the family for some people.
If it was my daughter the dog would have been put down - either by the vet or me via whatever means was available.
If it was my daughter the dog would have been put down - either by the vet or me via whatever means was available.
So what about guide dogs, then? They give guide dogs to some of the most vulnerable people, blind people.
Has anyone ever heard of a guide dog attacking someone? If you google it you just find attacks on guide dogs.
Would seem to indicate that the right dog with the right training is as far removed from a dangerous wild animal as can be.
As others have said tho, disease or illness can lead to changed behaviour. I know dogs can get epilepsy and during an attack are confused and can be dangerous, even if they're normally totally soft.
As much as I love animals, there doesn't seem to be much choice here at all.
It's as much about trust as anything else. I wouldn't want to live with an animal that I couldn't trust anymore. Who's to say it wouldn't decide to chow down on my face whilst I was sleeping?
If the trust is gone, and it's attacked a little child, what else can you do? What you give it away to a relative? What if that relative was attacked? Surely it's a risk that most people wouldn't want to take if they didn't have to?
If it went for the child seemingly without reason (because you were there at the time and you saw the whole thing so its not just a child saying 'I didn't do anything' when in reality they were aggravating it or something) then you have to be worried, but it could've been a one off. Based on that alone, either you would've never let the dog near the kids ever again or you would've had to get rid of it.
But then going for its owners, you were left with no real choice.
There's a difference between a dog having a bad day or maybe getting a little too excited and going too far and the dog properly going for 2 different people at different times.
But then going for its owners, you were left with no real choice.
There's a difference between a dog having a bad day or maybe getting a little too excited and going too far and the dog properly going for 2 different people at different times.
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Nope, he didn't have bones - I've experienced what you mention previously with a German Shepherd, she was fine again after we stopped giving her bones.
Incidentally, it's still raw, we still miss him, but we (myself and my wife) feel we made the right choice.
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Soldato
I understand why you did what you felt was necessary and at the end of the day, you know your dog better than anyone here.
Personally, if my dog ever switched like that, I'd exhaust every avenue of investigation to find out why before I resorted to a death sentence.
But then I know my dog and for her to snap at ANYONE would be a complete and utter polar shift from her normal, incredibly lovely self.
Could be many reasons for what happened. Something as simple as a toothache for example.
Either way, it's a terrible shame and you have my sympathy fwiw.
Personally, if my dog ever switched like that, I'd exhaust every avenue of investigation to find out why before I resorted to a death sentence.
But then I know my dog and for her to snap at ANYONE would be a complete and utter polar shift from her normal, incredibly lovely self.
Could be many reasons for what happened. Something as simple as a toothache for example.
Either way, it's a terrible shame and you have my sympathy fwiw.
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I know I would never forgive myself if my dog had bitten a child and I did nothing, only for the dog to later bite my child's face and do serious damage. I could also not rehome a dog I knew had snapped like that. I for one believe you made the right choice.
Soldato
What a ***** situation man, sorry for your loss. I have made the same trip to the vet several times but for different reasons. It was the right choice but heart breaking none the less </3 
That's actually a fairly bad idea, even well behaved dogs can tend to "resource guard" as it's natural behaviour for them. Which means anyone near their food, even putting it down for them will be told to get away from it.
Man of Honour
I'm not an expert, just a suggestion.
Anyway, the owners of the dog that bit her have decided to keep the dog and not their friendship.
Associate
Really sorry for your loss OP.
When I was 3 a neighbour's Irish Setter grabbed me by the head and left permanent scars on my cheeks and in my hairline (I'm 35 now). My dad was right next to me when it happened and to this day does not know what triggered the dog to attack. Our neighbour put the dog down.
I've been around dogs most of my life and have never had a problem with them otherwise. But now with young kids of my own I've hesitated to get another dog until they're a little older.
When I was 3 a neighbour's Irish Setter grabbed me by the head and left permanent scars on my cheeks and in my hairline (I'm 35 now). My dad was right next to me when it happened and to this day does not know what triggered the dog to attack. Our neighbour put the dog down.
I've been around dogs most of my life and have never had a problem with them otherwise. But now with young kids of my own I've hesitated to get another dog until they're a little older.