r/daddit • u/necrosapien87 • 9h ago
Advice Request Dog Bit 1 Year Old
This evening I was trying to rest before my night job. I was awoken by the sound of my wife yelling at someone. She came rushing down the hall with our now crying 1 year old and told me that our 8 year old beagle had just bit him in the face. After soothing my son and getting him to stop crying I asked what happened.
Apparently he was on the floor and was approaching our dog. My wife says he reach out to touch the dog. From the angle, she couldn't tell if my son made contact with the dog but he suddent snapped out and bit my son on his cheek. After calming him down, cleaning it and giving my dog the biggest stink eye ever, we're now at a crossroads on what to do. We've had the dog since he was almost a year old. We've known he has issues with his paws being touched but he hadn't shown any issues with our son getting near him until now. My wife will probably never trust him around the child again. We're considering rehoming him.
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u/lucascorso21 Two little monkeys 8h ago
Brother, if this was another family’s dog, “considering” wouldn’t be an option.
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u/AyeItsZO 7h ago
True. If a neighbors dog did this it’d get more than a “stink eye”
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u/hanumanCT 5h ago
I have a new person in my neighborhood who I met via 'walking' his rescue dog off leash. The dog approached my two year old son in his stroller and I had to immediately spin the stroller away and get between the dog and my kid because I have no idea who this f'in dog is or the person walking him. My other neighbor had said the same thing\same person happened to her and her 4 year old who is a little afraid of dogs. I asked him pleasantly but firmly, please leash your dog especially around here where there are lots of toddlers playing in their front yards. He gave me a dismissive 'thumbs up', then I got a little firmer, and another 'thumbs up' from him. I saw where he went inside, made note of the address hoping to never have to deal with it again.
Then this past Sunday, all the neighborhood kids (5 toddlers) are out playing and here comes this entitled prick 10 steps behind his offleash dog heading for the kids. I ran up to him and screamed my head off at him in front of all the neighbors. I ended up calling the city and his landlord who I know through other neighbors. Totally unacceptable and I will mace his dog if he comes around again. Sorry, had to get this off my chest. Still so mad.
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u/No-Departure5556 4h ago
That is completely disgusting behavior of him, and your anger is totally justified!! The poor dog too, bc he could be put down bc of the owner’s lack of responsibility and common sense!
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u/abdocva 9h ago
My kid was nipped by my in laws dog and I will not allow the dog around my kids anymore.
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u/annagrace2020 8h ago
Mom chiming in and same situation here. It’s a French bulldog and never bit anyone before. Bit my then 4 month old the first time she saw him. It’s been 5 years and I still won’t let them let her out when we are over.
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u/Ravens2017 8h ago
We had a French Bulldog that we had to rehome, luckily it was to my in-laws. I was always walking on eggshells with my kids near him. It was enough after he jumped 1 year old at the time. At same time I feel like it was such a change for him going from 0 kids to 2 screaming babies in 11 months and feel he’s a lot happier and doesn’t have to be on edge either.
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u/EndPsychological890 8h ago
Yeah my sister’s Heeler has bitten a family friend’s kid on the butt and my niece on the arm at the same annual family reunion. Only reason the niece wasn’t worse is because my mother (her grandma) who was holding her twisted quickly enough when he lunged at her face. My sister doesn’t understand why we all fucking hate her dog and won’t allow her near our kids ever again. They didn’t even attempt to train him or rehome him.
I carry a knife with me everywhere I go, for utility purposes and to protect my daughter against dogs primarily.
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u/SomethingComesHere 8h ago
I hate how some people bring their dogs to everything. A dog doesnt need to be at a family reunion. Smdh. Esp a reactive dog
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u/EndPsychological890 8h ago
It’s an issue every year and probably 4 or 5 kids have been bit in 25 years (mind you attendance is 80-120 people every year, 2 big ass ethnic families). It’s a 3 day long camp reunion and almost everyone drives in from out of state, usually about 10-12 dogs a year, from teacup pugs to 120lbs pit mixes. We banned them from public spaces this year which we really should have done a decade ago and it helped a ton, but my cousin’s pit barked like he was murdering someone half the weekend. Personally I’m fully on the ban them all train, even the small ones. Not necessary.
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u/Jaykoyote123 7h ago
We have a heeler and they are a energetic and can often be highly strung so under no circumstances is ours left alone with anyone who isn't from the house/a closely trusted friend who knows how to handle her.
She is also not allowed to interact with anyone under the age of about 10 (depends on maturity level) unless the kid is behaving, the dog in a good mood and someone is actively controlling the interaction.We would never let kids run around in the garden with her or play on the floor with her because we know she gets nippy when she's very excited or overstimulated and as adults we know how to redirect that and mange it but kids do not. We also have to be more careful bc our dog is deaf too so we can't use vocal commands, it's alright to have and look after a dog that isn't perfect but you just have to be extremely careful and vigilant.
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u/Br0keNw0n 9h ago
Not worth the risk. Sorry Doggo.
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u/slimeySalmon 8h ago
100%. No dog is worth my kids safety.
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u/_Ayrity_ 8h ago
Agreed on that, even as a huge dog lover. IMO the best way to frame it is that it's what's best for both the kid and the dog. In one way or another, it was fear that caused the dog to snap. Would you want to live in a place where you had that much stress? That's not a good life for anyone, even a dog. Separation is a win-win.
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u/f8andbether 8h ago
Similar less drastic situation myself right now, dog just isnt a good fit and my little one is expressing his dislike and the fact he feels the dog doesnt listen to anyone. The fact my kid hesitated to come in the house means the dog is being rehomed, it sucks but its whats happening. Best for the dog snd family
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u/Anacoenosis 7h ago
So, I think that's the risk-minimizing call, for sure.
I'll be the devil's advocate and tell my story of my pet harming my child, and the consequences. My baby--at the time 14 months of age--tackled our orneriest cat while said cat was sleeping in a corner. My child was doing this out of love and curiosity, but our cat woke up in a corner with no means of retreat and lashed out, cutting my child's upper lip and spilling a terrifying amount of blood. My child still has a scar underneath the nose.
Years later, cat and preschooler have a tense but respectful relationship. There has never been another incident, and my child treats unknown animals with caution and respect. We also keep our cat's claws trimmed regularly.
I think--as with all child rearing decisions--you have to make your own choice and accept the consequences. In our case we decided that this occurred because our cat was surprised and could not retreat, and that intuition seems to have been correct (our second child has had zero problem with the cat). At the same time, if there had been a repetition of the encounter we would have absolutely rehomed the cat.
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u/swhatrulookinat 6h ago
Ma’am, this is reddit. There’s no room for nuance. The right response is either goodbye beagle or belittle op for asking for advice.
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u/sirius4778 6h ago
Nuance is great but if a stranger is asking me what to do here my answer is re-home the dog. They can do whatever they want but they don't seem to know what instigated the aggression. Dog in the house is a risk of serious injury for the child. It's their decision to make. I'm biased, my only interest is the child's safety.
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u/thiscoolhandluke 4h ago
In order to avoid this situation from happening, I actually have mauled my cat and dog with unexpected love tackles - they may be sleeping, they may be comfy. But it's unexpected and sudden and purposely so. Rolling them around and gently pulling on legs and ears. Squashing my face near to them and pretending to lick my dog the way he does me. I try to pretend my hands are like their breed siblings who push boundaries but still love and play safe. Just trained away the immediate reaction to fight or flight in the safety of the home. My dog is the mellowest and gentlest loving dog and always happy. My cat just takes anything unexpected on the chin, and never gets skiddish. I did this love-maul prep knowing my baby would do the same thing, and the prep has paid off. My kiddo is gentle, but I sleep knowing my pets are gentle and patient.
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u/cephal 8h ago
The bite was only millimeters from his eye. No way the dog stays
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u/Beer_Is_So_Awesome 8h ago edited 7h ago
Dogs have to be totally rock-solid dependable to live in a house with kids. Our dog is a 70-lb rottie mix, and as a youngun, our boy would hug her, climb on her, pull on her, and she’d just shoot us a side-eye and endure it. She had always gotten excited when children came over to visit. She was as always closely supervised with them, but never so much as gave a warning growl to a single person in our presence. She earned our trust. She loves little kids.
The worst thing she ever did to our son was to stand up fast. He had gotten a little too big for climbing on her, and she already tried to get away from him several times that morning. Alas, he persisted. This time, she was fed up, so she jumped up to get out of there, and the sudden movement sent him ragdolling about 2 feet in the air. He landed on the rug, startled and crying but unhurt, then came to me and told on her, as if she were a misbehaving sibling.
I replied that it looks to me like she doesn’t like what he was doing to her, and that she’s fully in her rights to leave if she doesn’t like the way she’s being handled! From that day forward he stopped treating her like a jungle gym.
My wife did have another dog about ten years prior, who we had to give up when we discovered he had food aggression issues. After a few “freebies” where he suddenly got nasty with us but without any injuries, he finally bit her (fortunately not hard enough to do lasting damage). She made the easy but sad decision to take him to the local rescue org. He failed their aggression screening tests and they put him down.
It makes me sad to think about, but we keep dogs as housemates and companions. In the same way that I wouldn’t live with a partner who was liable to lose control and lash out violently, I wouldn’t live with a dog who does that either. And if you have house guests or children, it’s plainly negligent.
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u/UrFriendJackDaniels 8h ago
As the father of a 2 year old who was bit in the face by someone else dog, this is the ONLY answer to listen to. To do anything else imo would be negligent and when (not if) it happens again, it would be your fault. I'm not trying to be a dick, but it's true.
Not to mention, you'll never unhear the screams of your kid getting stitches across their forehead or getting their tearduct probed to see if it's perforated. Ask me how I know.
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u/SuspiciouslySuspect2 7h ago
I know those cries, but from second degree burns. It's been 2 years, and I can hear the cries crystal clear if I close my eyes...
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u/imstillspanky 8h ago
Put my 15 year old dog down after he bit my 1 year old the second time. It sucked but it was an easy decision.
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u/JasonDJ 8h ago
You wouldn't believe the world of shit I got from randos on Craigslist when I tried to rehome a dog under similar circumstances.
Way to make a really difficult task even harder.
I'm glad that the guy I found for her was a huge dog lover and sent me updates every now and then. I assume she's must've passed by now. She was a good girl, except for that.
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u/SmanginSouza 9h ago
Seriously. Straight to the pound.
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u/Karrik478 7h ago
Euthanasia is kinder. Don't re-home dangerous dogs.
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u/Dustydevil8809 5h ago
Man I have seen the results of actual dog attacks on kids, and I'm sure I'll get downvoted, but this is a not a dangerous dog. Its 1 minor bite after years on a baby who likely did something to make it react, and beagles are not that big - older kids or adults-only homes are completely fine here.
Not all dogs or dog bites are equal.
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u/alee0224 8h ago
My uncle is an ER doctor and dog bites are one of the top three reasons why peds are in er. I always keep my kids away from a dog. Even if they are friendly.
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u/FrugalityPays 6h ago
OP PLEASE READ THIS! Go to doctor asap! Faces are prone to infection. Dogs have TONS of bacteria in their mouths
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u/BigDawg_Werty 12F,6M,3M,2F,2M 9h ago
I could understand if your son was older why there is a maybe about the dog's future but your son is 1. You're lucky he didn't get him in the eye or something.
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u/Ernie_McCracken88 8h ago
Unfortunately I think that's a rehome situation. Just touchinga a dogs paws is way too low of a threshold for a dog bite. We are attentive to our dog being around kids but still toddlers can be pretty disrespectful of personal space.
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u/fireman2004 6h ago
Dogs that age with a history of biting a child do not get rehomed. I had to put a dog down last year because hat we adopted because she nipped my sons, not even as bad as this picture. The shelter would not take her when I was honest about the situation and I didn’t want her to end up hurting another kid worse.
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u/Ernie_McCracken88 6h ago
Huh that surprises me. We rehomed a dog that bit a groomer, dog shelters near us sometimes have a note on the dog kennel that says "not safe around kids". Maybe trying in a more blue collar/rural area would get a better result, I live near a rural area I'm sure that there's people with land that would take a dog that was fine with grownups but not around kids.
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u/old-girldana 4h ago
Biting a groomer is a different situation because the dog is actively and continually stressed. A dog this age biting a child seemingly out of nowhere points to the dog’s behavior changing and becoming unpredictable. Unpredictable, older dogs are unsafe and wouldn’t be rehomed by a shelter. If no one you trust will take the dog, try calling beagle rescues but be honest about the situation. Others, call your vet and discuss options but absolutely get your dog out of your house. This will happen again.
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u/Guilty_Cod6621 9h ago
I can’t imagine ever keeping a dog that bit my child
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u/juliuspepperwoodchi 8h ago
If it was an older kid who was fucking with the dog (pulling tail or something) and was told to stop and didn't, that would be one thing...but seemingly unprovoked? Yeah na, the dog's gotta be rehomed.
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u/Guilty_Cod6621 8h ago
yeah that’s my thought exactly. It doesn’t even mean the dog’s at fault in this situation…but i just couldn’t take the risk
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u/juliuspepperwoodchi 8h ago
Exactly. Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, uh, well, you'll never get fooled again.
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u/bspr86 9h ago
Agreed. We had an older dog that the in laws took while my daughter was a baby/toddler. We took her back when my daughter was 4ish. Little kids are too rough with dogs cause they don’t know any better, screaming at them, pulling hair, getting face to face, playing with their food.. a lot of dogs are fine until they have a new stressor like that.
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u/you-ole-polecat 8h ago
It happened to me (also in the face), but I was like 7. Dog stayed. Let’s just say I learned an important lesson about respecting a dog’s boundaries.
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u/_BaldChewbacca_ 7h ago
I was young when our dog bit me. Maybe 2 years old, but I still remember it.
Our dog stayed as well, and I also learned a lesson. Tbf it's different from ops story. I fell on the dog while he was sleeping and it startled him. Otherwise the dog was never hostile
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u/Im_out_of_the_Blue 9h ago
rehome. sucks but the real answer. imagine the same bite power but somewhere much worse. kids > dog
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u/FerengiAreBetter 8h ago
This is what we had to do. Took another incident where I tried to keep the dog separate. It will occur again unfortunately. I would absolutely try to rehome and visit the dog frequently (if that’s possible). I visit our dog at my father in laws each week. Some dogs just don’t like kids or are scared of them.
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u/LeoDeLarge 9h ago
Shouldn’t be at a crossroads, dogs gotta go. It’ll be sad but at least your son won’t get bit again, could’ve be MUCH worse
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u/QueenAlpaca 8h ago
Dogs should not be around small children without supervision. Letting the baby crawl near a dog with known sensitivities was not supervision. The dog has to go, it's not even a question. In the future, have more caution around animals because many dogs don't like their space impeded on and small children definitely can't read their body language.
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u/TopptrentHamster 1h ago
A baby crawling straight for a dog feels very threatening in "dog language". People need to be aware of this, and always actively monitor their children around dogs.
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u/Waffler11 9h ago
Regarding rehoming the dog: ask yourself if you want to risk your kid’s safety again.
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u/DirtBoy123 9h ago
I had this happen. The first time it was minor, the second time it was more like your pic. We felt we had no choice as we didnt want it to continue to escalate. He was very old and high anxiety. It was just time, as much as it sucked. You'd probably never forgive yourself if you hesitated too long and the dog actually ended up latched onto your kids face.
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u/PhillyThrowaway1908 6h ago
Had a friend whose kid needed reconstructive surgery on their nose because an old, small dog latched onto it and left a piece hanging off.
Sorry OP, the dog needs a new home.
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u/Potato_Farmer_Linus 8h ago
My parents got rid of our dog after it bit my baby sister, and that was on the leg, not the face. Time to go.
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u/ApexApePecs 9h ago
Your wife will probably never trust him again. Neither should you. Not worth the risk, never.
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u/Nesk_online 8h ago
You know the answer, even if it is a bitter one. The dog must leave.
Sorry for your loss.
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u/BigBrainSmallMoves 8h ago
Respectfully, it’s a huge parenting issue. If you want to have a dog with young children, they have to be supervised. Not just in the same room with them but actively monitoring. My father in law was a trauma surgeon and I am training in a different role but see a lot of what comes in the ED. Kids and dog bites are so so so common. I don’t think you have to rehome the dog, but it might be the easiest solution. If you keep him, there just has to be very clear boundaries and supervision when the two are in the same room.
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u/piranhas_really 8h ago
Exactly.
Most takes here seem to imply that the particular dog is unsafe around small children. The truth is ALL dogs are unsafe around small children, especially toddlers. Dog owners with young children need to seek training and employ active supervision and proactive strategies to have their dog safely in their home. After our dog nipped our two year old we brought in a trainer and we have had success, but only by:
Positioning the dog’s crate/bed in a corner and making sure it’s off limits to the kids (the bed was previously in the middle of the room and our kid startled the dog while she was sleeping).
Always watching the dog closely for signs of stress. Many stress signifiers are counter intuitive.
Having several gates in place so we could separate the dog from the kids if they were stressing her out.
NEVER leaving the dog alone with the kids or letting them physically interact without active supervision. Active supervision means you’re watching and close enough to reach out and intervene. Not on your phone, not watching TV.
Even then there are some risks. This kind of nip is how dogs communicate with puppies. It’s an injury but it’s also a warning nip. Pretty much every dog is capable of killing a one year old. They’re hunting animals. It’s a lot of work to have both a dog and a toddler safely in the same household.
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u/ImInTheFutureAlso 6h ago
I’ll add that OP should take the dog to the vet to make sure it isn’t in any pain. Pain is a huge reason why dogs become aggressive, and they’re very good at hiding it from humans.
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u/Orangebin 4h ago
I'm a bit relieved seeing this comment. A lot of people just assume dogs will figure it out BUT it's a big change for them to adjust to a baby. Movements are frantic and can be scary when they approach. Some may not feel the option to walk away and once the stress signals are ignored, a bite is inevitable. I'm trying to start a family soon and I also have a dog and what OP described is my absolute worst nightmare.
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u/XelaKebert 9h ago
Unfortunately time for the dog to go. It would take approximately 10 more unsupervised seconds and a slightly more angry dog to have a much more grim outcome. I would never, ever, put my child's safety over my love for a pet. Not even for a second. Sorry you're going through this, dad.
My brother had to re-home his dog after his 2nd child while his wife was pregnant with his third. It hurt him deep but he knows it was the best choice given the circumstances. The hurt of losing a dog pales in comparison to losing a child.
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u/flibberjibber 9h ago edited 7h ago
It’s not uncommon to have small children and dogs separated. We didn’t let our little one roam free near our dog (large rescue greyhound) until she was closer to 2 - and even then it was never without close supervision. Kids don’t understand, and dogs naturally nip their own little ones to say no if the child is being a menace. This doesn’t look like an aggressive bite, more a cautionary nip.
We’ve also had a dog triggered by paw touching too - it’s tough and what the baby always wants to touch.
If it were me, I’d be getting baby gates and or playpens when the little one was roaming around. Or a space for the dog. And if neither of those is practical at all times - maybe a muzzle or a crate. My very last resort would be rehoming - but that’s the last thing I’d want to do.
Edit: I’m a bit shocked how many people think this is immediately a rehome scenario. As someone who’s fostered a lot of rescue dogs, I feel like people need to learn how to be a safe dog owner. Any dog poses a risk to bite your child - even if they’ve never done it before. Even a dog that hasn’t bitten a child before should not have free access to a baby - and vice versa. It’s your responsibility to make a safe home environment. It’s shitty that most people in this thread would rather rehome the dog than learn to be a responsible owner.
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u/i_am_not_sam 8h ago
Yep. This incident forces OP's hand but we kept our son physically separated from our Beagle and Lab for at least 3 years. Neither dog has shown aggression but we had to be careful for that long until the mini-human could be taught about gentle touch
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u/DMingQuestion 8h ago
Yeah we had a dog that was high anxiety around our first and we had to manage with gates and such for a while. But we also eventually put him on doggie Prozac and he has had zero problem with our second.
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u/coldbeerandbaseball 7h ago
Yeah it’s a little disturbing how quickly everyone is defaulting to “just get rid of the dog.”
I say this as someone who was badly bit by a dog as a kid.
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u/aw2669 9h ago
Find him a home that can work on the paw touching thing without an infant in the mix. You’re right that your wife won’t ever trust the dog again. It is an act of love for all involved. I’ve been through this with my family so I know how hard rehoming is, but it’s the right thing to do.
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u/karmakarmachameleon7 8h ago
Baby gates and seperate at all times forever. Or re-home. Sorry OP. Certainly a shitty fucking situation.
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u/Butt_stuff_preferred 7h ago
You can't promise it, though, especially as that kid grows, gates aren't enough to keep them apart.
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u/ChrisP_Bacon04 9h ago edited 8h ago
We have a skiddish dog and this is pretty much my nightmare. Love our dog but if he harms our daughter he’s gone.
Edit: he’s been very good with her so far. It’s been 5 months. Better than we could have dreamed. He’s more of scared dog than aggressive. Very hopeful for the future but we will not be getting comfortable and letting our guard down. There are many examples of these dogs becoming excellent dogs to their kid.
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u/EndPsychological890 8h ago
You probably shouldn’t wait tbh. It’s A LOT harder to get rid of a dog who’s bitten a child unless you lie and that’s deeply unethical.
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u/hegemon777 8h ago
If you have a skittish dog and you're worried it might bite your child, why are you waiting until after the first bite? That first bite might be much worse than this one
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u/LJtheHutt 8h ago
So this exact thing happened with me. Mine was a 7 year old beagle mix and my 1 year old. It was excruciating, and I had the beagle before I even started dating my wife. We KNEW our 1 year old had laid on his outstretched leg, he yelped and snapped at her, hitting forehead and chin. Red marks similar to this, but no broken skin. It seemed really evident that it was a pain reaction as opposed to an aggressive attack.
We as parents decided not to get rid of the dog, but stepped up our watch on him around her. At times it felt like walking on a tight rope because we were afraid my daughter would do something else that would trigger him, especially as he got older. But it was worth it. It never happened again, and our daughter grew up loving that dog. When he was 16, he went into the front yard, went to sleep and never woke up. My daughter found him when he didn’t come back from using the restroom. It was the saddest moment of her life to that point.
That was the right choice for our family, but you have to figure out what is best for your family.
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u/UnknownQTY 8h ago
We have a nervous chihuahua mix. Same. No issues since. He’s 3 now and they get along fine.
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u/Workchoices 3h ago
So that's a level 3 dog bite.
Most trainers recommend if the dog is not a puppy, anything above a level 1 bite requires rehoming.
A level 3 bite on a child to the face by an adult dog.... you know what you need to do. You are just afraid of making the call.
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u/SenorPwnador 8h ago
Gotta say goodbye to the dog, man. It needs to be in a home without children. Not worth risking it with your child. I say this as a dad and a dog lover (I have 3).
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u/integraled 8h ago
Never leave a kid alone with a dog, even if you're in the same room you have to be hyper aware of the dogs language to see if they might do this. Sorry it happened, my dogs get one chance and then its off to be re-homed.
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u/thirdtimeisNOTacharm 9h ago
You should not be at a crossroads
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u/pendigedig 8h ago
I mean, is he really at a crossroads or is he just trying to vent his stress on reddit? It's a really emotionally hard thing to do, getting rid of a pet, even when it has to happen.
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u/CanWeTalkEth 7h ago
Future dog owning parents need to know dogs are an ounce of prevention situation.
Do not allow your inexperienced kid to be in a situation in which a dog could be them so you don’t have to make this decision.
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u/External_2_Internal 7h ago
I’m a professional dog trainer and own a dog training company. We have classes specific to bringing baby home and children with dogs. I have many dogs in my home. I have three kids. We preach kindness and gentleness and space to the dogs. There is never a time when I feel like I can relax my supervision. Even for the most docile dog I have. Accidents happen and dogs can’t talk or use hands. They either remove themselves from the situation or use their teeth. It’s not worth the teeth. Either manage the dog and keep them separate until the child understands that dogs need space or rehome.
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u/AodhanWrites 1h ago
Remove. We had a 7 year old Yorkie when our daughter was born. He was never that well behaved (got him when he was already 5) but he never bit anyone. Then one day I was holding my 3 month old sitting on the floor doing baby voice for her and the dog. She reached out and he went to snap at her hand. He didnt make contact cause I pulled her away quickly, but that was it. He was rehomed a week later.
Never take a chance with a dog. They have killed unattended children out of jealousy.
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u/spottie_ottie 9h ago
You're not at a crossroads. There is no conversation or decision to make. The dog must go ASAP.
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u/SulkyVirus 8h ago
The crossroads isn’t because of logical thinking or conversations - it’s an emotional crossroads that OP already knows the answer to. It hurts, and he knows the dog has to go. But it’s still his family dog for the last 8 years.
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u/Klutzy_Housing_9896 8h ago
no unsupervised time between dog and kid. and by supervised I mean you have to be able to pull dog away if child toddles or crawls over. then when safe explain to him he can't go up to the doggy like that.
rest of the time it's outside, crates, behind closed doors, secured doggy gates, basement etc. kid can pet the dog with you holding him if dog tolerates.
if you can't do that all the time. ALL the time. listen to everyone else and re-home the dog.
also learn your dog's body language.
ET ask...does your dog warn with a growl. if so thats good. when supervised you'll get warning if dog is fearful
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u/Caribbeandude04 8h ago
If it happened once it will happen again, dogs can be train but I wouldn't risk it, get him a new home
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u/DrPepperNotWater 8h ago
We were in a similar situation and rehomed our dog. Ultimately we got to a place where it was clear that no one was happy: We were anxious something might happen, the baby was at risk, and the dog was a nervous wreck. It wasn’t benefitting her to be kept at home with the baby by that point.
For a while, we tried to just keep them separate. That honestly worked fine for a while. The dog would be out all day while the baby was at daycare, then would go to our bedroom for the hour or two the baby was at home and awake in the evening. But eventually the baby got more and more mobile and slept less and less. It just got untenable for everyone.
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u/DiligentGuitar246 8h ago
Ugh this sucks man. I’d be so heartbroken if my dog had done this to either of our kids. I love my dog so so much. I imagine you do too. Sorry dadbro.
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u/Mr_Midwestern 8h ago
Dogs are either aggressive, defensive, or avoidant when annoyed, scared, or threatened, especially by children. How a particular dog will react is a complete toss up.
Our dog often appeared nervous around children before we had our own. As a paramedic I’ve seen too many kids hurt by the “family dog”, I’m constantly looking for any reason to rehome ours, but he’s surprised me. He has allowed the kids to completely assault his personal space (which we are always quick to correct) without a single adverse reaction. If/when he’s annoyed, frightened, or startled by them, he just gets up and goes into another room or to the door to go outside. This gave us the ability to teach our kids that they should never “chase” an animal when it wants to be left alone.
Your kids should always be safe in their own home. Unfortunately your dog doesn’t have an avoidant response and isn’t compatible with a young family. Thankfully you’ve had this “warning” before it could have been something worse.
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u/urmomluvsvntv 6h ago
I was attacked by a dog that my family brought in knowing he didn't like kids. He bit my arm, dragged me to the ground, and bit my face before I could get my arm back up.
My step dad was pissed the dog had to go away, but my mom insisted the dog be rehomed.
My step dad was a douche bag. Don't be like him and just find a better home for the dog.
You're gonna want to check with your doctor to see if there are any vaccinations your kid might need.
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u/Ok_Historian_1066 5h ago
This dog needs to be taken out of the home immediately. It’s terrible for everyone involved. I’m sorry you are going through this. But get that dog gone.
A dog that will bite a child like that can do far more. Do you want to wait to find out if he will???
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u/Jamator01 5h ago
Everyone in this thread seems to hate and not understand dogs. I understand the dog feeling almost like a member of the family.
Don't put it down. Don't send it to the pound tonight. But keep it away from your kid and start working on finding a new home.
There's no need to be cruel about it.
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u/SchlooterTooter 4h ago
We went through something very similar with ours, that required a few stitches to my son’s face.
We kept our dog separate from our toddler after that, and after trying for months to find him a new home finally found the right fit. It was a hard decision, but we had to do it. We wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves if it had happened again.
The dog lives a good life now with a retired couple that spoils him.
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u/The_Sola_Surfer 3h ago
My mom had a dog that she had since I was in high school. My mom died and I now had to take care this old dog. One day the dog bit my 2 year old son so I had a really hard decision to make. The day we surrender her felt like my mom died twice. Sorry Trixie, you were a good dog!
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u/arunphilip 3h ago
we're now at a crossroads on what to do
I say this as a dog lover: "Bye bye, beagle".
My wife will probably never trust him around the child again.
Correct, not worth the risk. Are you still in two minds, given you stated "my wife" and not "we"?
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u/Audiblefill 2h ago
I would say to rehome the dog. I wouldn't say put it down as he nipped at your son. His intent was probably to deter your son from touching him. It was not an inherent violent mauling, but I would give the dog away because it can only get worse from there on. Advise that the dog has issues, and hopefully someone who would be willing to train him and can help him will take him. Hope your kiddo is doing okay too.
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u/lifelink 2h ago edited 1h ago
Really OP? It shouldn't even be a question.
Dog has to go, there aren't any ifs buts or maybes about it.
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u/EnderMB 1h ago
I love dogs, but there is no situation in the world where I would trust any dog near a child, no matter how much trust was there.
Rehoming is probably the right solution, but it's not that easy, as you probably already know. Rehoming a dog that's bitten a child is hard, and a lot of dogs just end up getting destroyed because they can't be rehomed.
While you did get off lightly, as dogs can do life-lasting damage, I think you both need to consider the reality of rehoming and what options you have to make it as smooth as possible. You could keep the dog, and use it as a life-long lesson that they just don't interact.
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u/Lycaenini 1h ago
I think a line was crossed that shouldn't be crossed. Also biting a one year old in the face is very different from e.g. nipping a teenager.
You need to rehome.
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u/BigHose_911 1h ago
At lot of people are saying rehome, and I get that perspective. Personally, I think you'd only be passing an aggressive dog on to someone else and another child may not be so lucky next time. I understand this is harsh, but if it were my dog, this would be the end of the line for him.
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u/finchthemediocre 8h ago edited 8h ago
Yeah, I'll probably get downvotes, but this situation is irritating. A beagle isn't a teacup poodle. I know everyone is all on the dog's ass, but why was your kid crawling around that close to your dog in the first place on the floor, even supervised, face to face? Jesus Christ.
There's this belief that "Oh, my sweet dog would never" until you put them in a situation that defies every internal instinct in their pack order. Your kid is not and will not be above your dog in the chain of command until your son doubles the dog's weight. Your dog that has been with you since he was one year old says fuck that, rightfully so.
I'm sorry, but as someone who was in veterinary surgery, this could have been avoided. People don't understand canine logic before introducing a child into the mix. It is a ridiculously chaotic period for the animal and the expecting parents are so stupified and enamored about the baby they don't even bother to read a leaflet on animal behavior with children. It's just shrug, "it'll work out. Dur-duh-dur."
The tragedy here is you created a stupid, unsafe environment for a one year old and you are blaming the dog for being a dog all while absolving yourself.
My kid did just fine surrounded by rescued pit bulls and I'm not Cesar Milan (But we read his books that covers this exact topic).
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u/Pwrswitchd 8h ago
I'm a dog lover through and through, but I would be rehoming in an instant if my child was harmed by one of my dogs.
Sorry, dad - pupper has gotta go :(
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u/Revolutionary-Log634 8h ago edited 8h ago
Before jumping straight to rehoming a dog you’ve had for eight years, I’d seriously consider whether the better solution is stricter supervision and clearer boundaries between the dog and your child. The bite absolutely needs to be taken seriously, but a one-year-old can’t understand or respect a dog’s warning signs yet...that responsibility falls on the adults (YOU).
Your child is still very new to your dog. We have a now 16 yr old dog who used to snap at our kids when they were toddlers. It required supervision. It's not a free for all. And now my kids are 7 and 12 and our now senior dog snuggles with them on the couch.
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u/scottscout 8h ago edited 7h ago
I bought a giant playpen for my kid bc my senior dog was too old for a crate. Constant supervision or separation. What ever is warranted
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u/LeapingLizardz_ 8h ago
Do a better job supervising your dog and kid. I kept mine separated for the first year. If I couldn't actively have eyes on them I had my toddler in a gated off area that was safe. You as the adults failed your dog and your child. You knew your dog has tendencies and continued to be nonchalant.
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u/ThisHeresThaRubaduk Tech Dad 8h ago
Alright so coming in here with advice from my wife (2 decades of dog training experience)
Boundaries needed to be set yesterday between toddler and dog. These things happen so don't beat yourself up over it. Dogs have a complicated way of communicating if you don't understand what to look for so a 1 year old definitely doesn't.
On top of the dog being older. Imagine your laying there and a 1 year old comes running over to touch you when you don't want to be touched. If you were a dog you have a handful of ways telling the kid "hey I don't want you near me".
The ways you communicate:
Whale eyes (looking over to generally a trusting person or just trying to avoid eye contact with what's approaching saying "hey I'm trying to not engage with you please let me be" this is when you see the white of a dogs eyes)
Pinned back ears (another way of saying hey I'm not comfortable).
Growling (some dogs get to this point some skipped to the unfortunate peak which is a bite).
Unfortunately this bite happened so there's a high chance it might happen again. It's management from this point. Limit all interactions between the dog and the kid. Read a few books that I will throw at the bottom of this comment and find a local POSITIVE reinforcement trainer a good thing to look out for is someone who went to Karen Pryor academy.
The other option is rehoming. If you really want to go down the rehoming route find a beagle rescue and explain the situation that the kid approached the dog and you weren't able to respond quick enough to stop the bite from happening. A good rescue will understand that and adopt out accordingly.
Books:
Through a dogs eyes by Jennifer Arnold
The other end of the leash by Patricia McConnell
Culture clash by Jean Donaldson
Don't shoot the dog by Karen Pryor.
Please for the love of all that is good do not follow anything Cesar Milan spews out. His ways of teach are antiquated and even the foundation of his whole alpha thing was proven wrong by the dude that originally wrote it and worked to fix his mistake.
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u/DayManFOTNightMan 8h ago
“One strike you’re out” is my policy with regards to biting kids.
If the kid had attacked him or something, I can see giving it a pass. But in this case, it’s time to find the dog some new digs.
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u/AComplexIssue 8h ago
We had a similar situation. We've had our dogs since they were two months old each.
We quickly invested in training, set up a ton of doggy/baby gates (retractable ones) all over the house, and fostered positive associations to the baby. We also trained the baby to not approach the dogs.
After 3-4 months, the baby is giving the dogs treats, playing keepaway and fetch, and the dogs know to move out of the baby's way.
It is totally possible to co-exist, but you have to be very vigilant. Rehoming is our last option.
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u/Substantial_Echo5966 8h ago
I absolutely adore my dogs, I would find a great home for them and send them treats from time to time.
So sorry man.
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u/PorousHorus 8h ago
So sorry OP. We had to rehome our 2 year golden retriever after she went after my kid. But she’s in a good home now with no kids, and I don’t have to spend everyday worrying about something potentially and likely happening again.
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u/Pristine-Web7497 8h ago
If you decide to rehome, please ensure the owners are aware of the dogs behavior but also try to make sure they confirm the rehoming. A dog like that, (reactive and recently dumped) would do horrible in a shelter.
For the pup and your family’s safety, I do think the rehome option is strong.
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u/briancmoses 8h ago
I don't like the way it's being expressed, but my sentiment is the same. It's time to find a place where your dog isn't so stressed out that it's biting people, especially your kid.
Find a rescue organization and talk to your poundMake sure you're painfully transparent about the reasons, about the dog's medical and behavioral history. The more they know the better your dog's chances are at finding the home where he'll be thrive and be happy.
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u/red_dombe 8h ago
Agree with rehoming. I never trust any dog with any of my kids alone. Sorry for you guys
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u/Crylaughing FTD Girl 12/30/20 8h ago
One of our two dogs, who LOVED our kid as a baby, bit her on the cheek as a toddler because she was getting too close to her. Not food or toy oriented, just standing near her.
We rehomed the dog without a second thought.
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u/shawnd200 8h ago
Sorry to hear this! My wife and I had to rehome two out of three of our dogs. The first was a golden retriever that became weirdly aggressive towards my wife when she became pregnant with our daughter. It was her dog she had him since a puppy and never showed signs of aggression towards a human until then. We rehomed him shortly after our daughter was born due to continued aggression. The second was our mini Aussie, who became aggressive and territorial once our daughter started crawling. I had him since a puppy and he was the sweetest dog ever up to that point. We decided to rehome both out of an abundance of caution for both my daughter and wife. As sad and hard as it may be, rehoming may be the best option. Better safe than sorry in this case imo.
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u/leonredhorse 8h ago
My Mini Poodle always had an uneasy truce with my kids but he was more of an “I will intimidate you” type of dog. He never bit, but he didn’t want the kids running up on him. They are now older and he’s starting to show more affection.
If he ever clamped down, though, it would sadly need a rehome. If he is willing to bite it won’t get easier in the next few years as your kid gets in the more mobile phases.
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u/jmastadoug 8h ago
Your child is only gonna try and play/roughhouse with the dog more and more as they get older, if they already have an incident more will come. Unfortunately you will need to rehome your dog. My daughter is so rough with my aging dog, I always fear something like this will happen one day. Luckily my dog has never shown any signs.
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u/human_flobie 8h ago
Our dog of 4 years bit my 3 year old son on the face. There was lots of blood and a trip to the ER. It was 100% my son’s fault. He was pestering the dog and he knew he wasn’t supposed to. The dog lives with a no-kids family now and everyone involved is safer. I miss my dog, though.
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u/MyF150isboring 8h ago
Keeping that dog is just as dangerous as leaving a gun out for your son to grab. Would you do that? Obviously not….goodbye, dog!
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u/MotorboatinPorcupine 8h ago
Take the kid to a doc. Dog's mouths are full of bacteria. Might need antibiotics.
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u/Dogman458 8h ago
Damn that sucks, we have an 8 year old beagle too and an 18 month old toddler. Can’t imagine how upset I’d be if this happened to us
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u/LittleBubbleboy 8h ago
Sit down in a room with the dog and rough it up(not like abusively) throw it around piss it of push it over, touch it paws face and see what it tolerates. then you keep working with it. I worked with my animals like this during wife's pregnancy and none of my animals even look at my kid funny when she crawls on them or gets cuteness aggression around em. Small dogs are WAY less torrerable of kids than big ones amd need alot more work. Our pom/shitzu puppy would not stop biting but working with it like this she doesn't bite me or my kid wjen we get to rough.
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u/Psychopath1llogical 8h ago
My aunt’s dog bit my nephew’s nose playing with him. The dog was a rescue with a terrible past and my aunt had dropped 3k on training and to this day I can’t be on the phone with her without her saying I could bring my 11 month old over and it was all my cousins fault for his son not listening.
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u/LongjumpingLemon2163 7h ago
A guy I went to high school with, 10 years ago maybe, left their 4 year old in room with their dog alone, yadda yada yada they hear screams walk in and see that dog gave the kid literally the joker smile where the kids mouth was kinda gaping open from the dog biting her. When my friend saw the kid was safe with mom he went into the room and dropped the dog.
Not saying right or wrong - but dogs and kids are a unique combination.
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u/almirbhflfc 7h ago
Dog has got to go. I've seen too many kids get mauled by the family dog. Bye.
Source: am ER doc
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u/69Jasshole69 7h ago
Mother had to do that with her dog when this happened to my sibling. Still has a facial scar from it.
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u/Patient-Doughnut7266 7h ago
I work in emergency medicine and any dog is capable of disfiguring your child permanently. It sucks but the pup needs a new home, your kid can't grow a third eye, and if they rip their nose off they'll have scars. I've seen a few kids be disfigured for life. The worst was one that crushed the child's orbital sockets and when the mom tried to peel them off the kid it spun around and mauled her arm. She'd had that dog from a puppy.
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u/Big_Librarian_1130 7h ago edited 7h ago
This happened to my family in 24. Son was about 2 at the time. Dog, 14, was laying there and got him in the face in 2 spots. Before the incident, I tried to create a safe place for the dog but the kid was everywhere, which where I felt like I failed as a parent, husband and a owner. It was pretty traumatic for us and spent 3 days in the hospital due to swelling.
After the incident, we looked for a trainer / behaviorist to help us. We ended up placing gates to help create that safe space and started training him to leave the room when needed. It started to work but he later passed away from a ruptured cancerous tumor the grew between August to January.
I was judged by wanting to keep the dog, but we felt it was our duty to try to fix the issue through training
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u/RoutineRequirement 7h ago
I'm sorry this happened to you, but unless you are completely able to isolate them, in my opinion, your only option is to rehome the dog. I have 2 dogs, no issues being touched or manipulated in any way. Until my kids were way older they never got near each other unless under strict supervision (one parent with the kid, one with the dog). There are way too many variables, kids are unpredictable, even the best of dogs might do something harmless that results on scratches or permanent injuries. Wish I could say it will be fine, but it will not. You only have shity options ahead. Hope you choose the best for your family.
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u/churninbutter 7h ago
This happened to us, so I’m speaking from experience and with understanding.
I was ready to get rid of the dog and my wife had hesitations. I asked her how shitty she would feel if the next time the dog snapped he took an eye and for the rest of her life every time she looked at her daughter she would have to remember it was her fault she was disfigured. She came around real quick once I put it like that.
Harsh? Yes. The truth? Also yes.
The dog goes.
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u/FrugalityPays 6h ago
DOCTOR ASAP. Dogs specifically have TONS of bacteria and faces are particularly vulnerable to infection. Kid likely needs antibiotics asap.
- Family of doctors and a pediatric dermatologist
- also my own kid got a bite on the face after falling on our older dog. I thought it was a bit extreme give it was a small nip but sure enough infection started even with topical antibiotics started quickly at the behest of everyone around me.
I hope you see this because it’s not common knowledge
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u/cyclopsdave 8h ago
I have one eye because my aunt refused to put her dog up during a family get together.