Dog attacks

#1

larjoranj

I CAN'T REMEMBER
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#1
An in-law's 10 month old grandchild was recently attacked by the family dog, had to be life-flighted to a hospital and required some fairly extensive surgery to the face. A very sad thing. Thankfully it wasn't fatal.

I'd like to point out that there is no such thing as a dog that will not bite. No such breed and no such individual dog has ever existed.

If you have a child it is not a good idea to have a dog that is too big for that child to defend itself easily in case of an attack. That means if you have a 1 year old, there is no dog that is safe to own.

Use common sense about the age of your child and the size of your dog. I'm sure every dog owner has an anecdote about how safe they feel with their child around their dog. I assume in every dog attack case the owners felt before the fact that it wouldn't happen to them.

That's got to be a hard thing to live with.
 
#3
#3
An in-law's 10 month old grandchild was recently attacked by the family dog, had to be life-flighted to a hospital and required some fairly extensive surgery to the face. A very sad thing. Thankfully it wasn't fatal.

I'd like to point out that there is no such thing as a dog that will not bite. No such breed and no such individual dog has ever existed.

If you have a child it is not a good idea to have a dog that is too big for that child to defend itself easily in case of an attack. That means if you have a 1 year old, there is no dog that is safe to own.

Use common sense about the age of your child and the size of your dog. I'm sure every dog owner has an anecdote about how safe they feel with their child around their dog. I assume in every dog attack case the owners felt before the fact that it wouldn't happen to them.

That's got to be a hard thing to live with.

Feel the same way! Praying for the family.
 
#4
#4
Just watched my sister raise her two kids around 3 dogs all of which were different breeds and sizes from 16lbs to 89lbs with absolutely no incidents. Trust me when I tell you that those are just terrible dog owners.
 
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#5
#5
Just watched my sister raise her two kids around 3 dogs all of which were different breeds and sizes from 16lbs to 89lbs with absolutely no incidents. Trust me when I tell you that those are just terrible dog owners.

Most dogs don't attack kids in the home. Only a tiny percentage do. Trust me when I tell you in 100% of the cases where there is no dog in the home, it doesn't attack the kids.
 
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#6
#6
Most dogs don't attack kids in the home. Only a tiny percentage do. Trust me when I tell you in 100% of the cases where there is no dog in the home, it doesn't attack the kids.

I'm sorry it happened but you're basically admitting this would be considered a fluke occurance. You're also leaving out any details; I find it hard to believe a family pet just snaps and attacks a child because as you just admitted, it statistically doesn't happen. Me thinks the parents/dog owners are the ones to blame here.

I'm not really sure what you're trying to warn everyone here about because the vast majority of us already have the common sense to know this and at the moment, it sounds like your in laws may be the ones you need to preach this to.
 
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#7
#7
Just watched my sister raise her two kids around 3 dogs all of which were different breeds and sizes from 16lbs to 89lbs with absolutely no incidents. Trust me when I tell you that those are just terrible dog owners.

No. That kind of thinking is what put kids in dangerous situations. The OP is correct. Any dog can attack. There have been numerous incidents where a dog that has been raised well and with no history of aggression gets up and attacks/kills a child. Obviously, most dogs don't, but to pretend that it's always a case of a bad owner is not the least bit accurate.
 
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#8
#8
So in the game of life, you must choose to either have a child or have a dog?

I agree with you that sure, all dogs can bite and all have the ability.

However, there are usually warning signs when there is a potential situation, and it's rare that a dog with no history of aggression would attack unprovoked.

I'm really sorry this happened to your family, and I hope everyone recovers fully, physically and emotionally.
 
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#12
#12
Some dogs do well with children. Some dogs do not. A dog that previously did well children that attacks a child does not do so for no reason. Something triggered the dog, or the dog could have been suffering from neurological problems, etc.

As previously mentioned in this thread, there were probably warning signs that were missed. Painting all dogs as violent towards children is reckless and asinine.
 
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#13
#13
I have seen "Good" dogs bite young children. The most frequent trigger is food aggression. Small child getting to close or grabbing at the dog while it is eating. This is the most common trigger but this is usually more of a snap bite then a full fledged attack.

I work with German Shepherd rescues on my farm. I usually put them in our kennels when children are visiting.

Praying for the child's recovery and the family.

CH_V
 
#14
#14
Quite simply in dealing with animals there is no such thing as "always" and "never". Stating any absolute is just expressing a bias.
 
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#15
#15
Anything with teeth can bite. I have teeth, I could bite someone, doesn't mean I'm going too. Dogs don't typically bite for no reason especially one that hasn't done it before. There's been something to cause it and the fault probably lies with the owner/parents.
 
#16
#16
Some dogs do well with children. Some dogs do not. A dog that previously did well children that attacks a child does not do so for no reason. Something triggered the dog, or the dog could have been suffering from neurological problems, etc.

As previously mentioned in this thread, there were probably warning signs that were missed. Painting all dogs as violent towards children is reckless and asinine.

I don't see the OP as doing this; however I do think they are being over-dramatic with the warning considering it's been pointed out how rare it actually happens.
 
#17
#17
I have seen "Good" dogs bite young children. The most frequent trigger is food aggression. Small child getting to close or grabbing at the dog while it is eating. This is the most common trigger but this is usually more of a snap bite then a full fledged attack.

I work with German Shepherd rescues on my farm. I usually put them in our kennels when children are visiting.

Praying for the child's recovery and the family.

CH_V

Pretty much what I've encountered too, though even in my few cases there was never a bite, just growling and a bark to warn the kid to back off.

Well except for one, I was actually bit by a neighbor's dog as a kid. It was a smaller dog but it was eating and went to pretend I was taking their food and it snapped at my hand. The owner smacked the dog on the behind then asked if I was ok and I was, then later I got a letcture on not trying to steal an animal's food. And the dog did kind of look like he felt bad he did it, though that could have been because his butt was hurting from the smack.
 
#18
#18
I’ve had a dog bite a guest’s kid at our home a few years ago. My dog had no prior propensities to bite someone and was 17 years old Thankfully it was not that bad of a bite and we had homeowners insurance just in case.

As a lawyer, I see and handle dog bite cases all the time. Make sure when you have a dog, try to keep them put up when guests come over. Also, make sure you have homeowners insurance just in case. You may trust your dog completely but they are an animal and can bite anytime they feel threatened, regardless of the breed.
 
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#19
#19
I’ve had a dog bite a guest’s kid at our home a few years ago. My dog had no prior propensities to bite someone and was 17 years old Thankfully it was not that bad of a bite and we had homeowners insurance just in case.

As a lawyer, I see and handle dog bite cases all the time. Make sure when you have a dog, try to keep them put up when guests come over. Also, make sure you have homeowners insurance just in case. You may trust your dog completely but they are an animal and can bite anytime they feel threatened, regardless of the breed.

Old mofo.
 
#21
#21
I'm sorry it happened but you're basically admitting this would be considered a fluke occurance. You're also leaving out any details; I find it hard to believe a family pet just snaps and attacks a child because as you just admitted, it statistically doesn't happen. Me thinks the parents/dog owners are the ones to blame here.

I'm not really sure what you're trying to warn everyone here about because the vast majority of us already have the common sense to know this and at the moment, it sounds like your in laws may be the ones you need to preach this to.

I don't have a lot of details. It was a Black Lab. The child is 10 months old. There is an older child in the home,I think around 6 years old. I'm not aware there was any previous indication of this kind of thing - but we aren't in the house with them so I can't be sure. Yes it is somewhat of a fluke, I doubt that makes it easier to deal with. Warnings aren't for people who already understand the danger and it's too late for me to preach to this family.
 
#22
#22
I don't have a lot of details. It was a Black Lab. The child is 10 months old. There is an older child in the home,I think around 6 years old. I'm not aware there was any previous indication of this kind of thing - but we aren't in the house with them so I can't be sure. Yes it is somewhat of a fluke, I doubt that makes it easier to deal with. Warnings aren't for people who already understand the danger and it's too late for me to preach to this family.

Well at this point I hope the kid is ok.

I'd hate for the dog to have to be put down but if that's the law and/or it could be a sign the dog has some condition that causing some deterioration of its mental capabilities, then so be it. It obviously can't stay with the family either way.
 
#23
#23
labs bite a lot more than youd think. Mine used to bite the shat out of me every other time i jumped on a lawnmower.

That was his only trigger, and it worked every time he was out in the yard with me.

Loved the hell out of that dog.
 
#24
#24
Most electrical outlets don't electrocute kids in the home. Only a tiny percentage do. Trust me when I tell you in 100% of the cases where there is no electrical outlet in the home, it doesn't electrocute the kids.

fyp with another example just as valid
 
#25
#25
I'm sorry to hear about the child, I hope there is no permanent damage.

As the owner of multiple dogs (Mastiff and Boxer) I've only been bit twice and it was my fault. Once was breaking up a fight between the two of them and the other was me accidently stepping on one of them when I was getting off the couch. Obviously some dogs are more aggressive than others but animals need to be acclimated to people and other animals early on to help prevent things like this

On a different note, I hate people more than animals.
 
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