@thad So don’t rehome it to a family with a child. Have you ever visited rescues or shelters? They are rife with animals that are listed as not okay for families with kids. It’s very common.
@naturalgraham4 It shouldn't be. Who's to say that while out walking that a dog that has previously bitten a child comes into contact with one and hurts or even kills a child? I couldn't have that on my conscious. A childs safety, even potential safety, should be first and foremost.
@agilefeet OP, if this is recent enough and if you are in the US, you can request the dog be held in quarantine for observation by a veterinarian for ten days at the expense of the dog owner. Even if you choose not to do this, you can use the protocol to remind the dog owner that dog bites are viewed legally as the responsibility of the dog owner and you would appreciate full cooperation in preventing contact between this dog and your child in the future. If ever bites anyone requiring medical treatment, the owner will be fully financially responsible for all treatment, as the dog will be considered a “known threat”. This separation is for their protection as much as for your child’s.
@agilefeet I’m going to get downvoted to hell. Here we go!
I personally think it’s up to the parents to keep kids away from dogs. I wouldn’t let my child near a dog I didn’t personally trust. That I know for certain isn’t a danger to my child. Because you can not guarantee that the owner of the dog is going to understand how kids are. Why was the dog allowed near this kid to start with? It seems like you weren’t completely sure this was a safe situation. It sucks this happened and thankfully your child is okay. But at the end of the day it’s your duty to make sure your kid is safe.
As for them sending pictures of the dog with other kids. Eh, I’m sure they feel entitled. It doesn’t excuse that the dog can’t handle all kids. Make your boundaries known and don’t allow the dog anywhere near your kid. You’re the only one who can ensure the safety of your baby. Let it be awkward, people seem to value dogs of humans way too much at times.
Edit: dude this is kinda on you. You knew the dog was an issue why was he allowed to sit near your child in the first place?
@lee5126 I have to disagree with your edit. Having bitten a cat does not translate to biting babies. OP did not ‘know the dog was an issue.’ Yes, it will be OP’s duty to keep this dog away from their baby, but where I live, any healthy dog who bites someone can be held in quarantine for ten days for observation to rule out rabies, at the request of either party (owner or bite victim), at the expense of the owner. If the CDC views dog bites as the responsibility of the owner, OP should feel fully justified sharing responsibility for this mishap with the dog owner and expecting full cooperation of the dog owner to avoid future incidents.
@katrina2017 I think having your own dogs and knowing that this dog has little training and aggression issues with other things they are not used to is a pretty obvious red flag. I own dogs and if I saw this that would only lead me to believe that owners have done little to socialize the animal. Therefor it’s not trustworthy around my small child. Of course it’s on the owners to train the dog. But at the end of the day this could have been avoided if the parents had paid attention to the traits of this animal. And made a educated guess.
@agilefeet This is such an overreaction. You can easily keep the dog away from the baby or the baby away from the dkg without dramatically getting a hotel room and causing a scene over the holidays.
@agilefeet I have had all kinds of dogs through out my life so obviously love them. However IMO some dogs don’t recognize babies or small children as potential adults. Little kids stare at the dog, they pull ears or tails, they walk funny and can fall on the dog. So many ways things can go wrong.
So tell family dog no longer comes to your house, you won’t stay at theirs and dog goes in another room when you are at their house.
@agilefeet You’re the parents and get to set your boundaries. If the family prioritizes a dog being in close contact and not in another room or the yard then y’all can just skip the event. You don’t owe them your presence or another nipping incident.
Also edited to say your family clearly isn’t aware that multiple bite incidents like you’ve described could be grounds for euthanasia. They need to train him now before someone else calls the authorities and their dog is put down.
@agilefeet I’m really confused by why the family with the dog has to be so weird. I have a dog, super sweet large dog, and I put him outside or gated in another area of the house just because he’s sometimes annoying and wants to jump on people or he’s trying to beg for food when people come over. It is no big deal to have the dog somewhere else during a visit especially when he bit your baby. If my dog bit a baby you bet any child that came over that dog would be behind a gate. Again, I don’t understand why they are making it such a big deal. The dog doesn’t care about being left out of the holiday party. He probably would rather be sleeping in a quiet place.
@agilefeet Dogs are incredibly loving animals but they can also be dangerous weapons and we always treat them as such. You aren’t asking that the dog be put down, only setting a boundary to protect your child from a proven issue.
@agilefeet I was bit by a relative’s dog as a baby and while I don’t remember it I have a serious fear of most dogs and feel super anxious around any dogs I don’t know ( and many I do know!) The dog who bit me was put down after and it was super traumatizing for everyone and caused some family drama. Trust your instincts and don’t get into a situation that could end up much worse for everyone!
