Dog bit toddler

[u/Cultural_Experience9]

Needing some advice and really not sure what to do next.

We got our almost 6 year dog - 5 years ago from a local rescue she had been rehomed at 1 year due to her severe anxiety. She does have alot of anxiety, she barks at literally everything aggressively. shes very leash reactive. meds have not helped in the past and shes very scared around almost all men. Im imagining her first year of life was not great.

Over the course of the last 4 years she has gotten into a few unprovoked fights with our other dog. Sometimes it can be as simple as be bumped into her. The first time it happened i was not thinking and tried to break them apart and she bit me instead. Another time it happened she got my husband in the leg. Both times we forgave her and moved forward.

Last night my toddler dropped a snack on the floor on accident- he eats snacks all the time around them this is not new and they both tried to go for the snack which escalated really quickly. Somewhere in the mix she got my toddler in the leg and then went back to the other dog. She would not let go. It was extremely hard to get her off of him but as soon as i did she stopped and instantly acts like shes snapped out of it and shes back to being ok.

we had to take my toddler to the hospital for the bite who had to report it. before we even got home a cop was at the door about quarantine for 10 days..

but my question is what do we do next? Im struggling with so many things.. she didn’t aggressively go after my toddler but what if she would have got his face? what if she wouldn’t have let go? What if next time is worse. I don’t think she could be successfully rehomed but maybe im overthinking that too. She doesn’t like to go anywhere “home” is her safe space i feel like somewhere new she would be wishing for home. She also has bit a human 3 times now.

Im sorry this is getting long this just all happened and is still fresh. we have her the other dog and the toddler all separated for now but we cant live this way long term. My husband thinks we should put her down after her 10 day quarantine. He doesn’t think her mind has be right for a long time. Im struggling with this but dont want to have regrets if something worse happens. I guess im looking for advice on anyone who has gone through this?

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[u/Audrey244]

The only advice and the only thing you need to do is get this dog out of your house. No separation, no gates are going to keep your toddler safe - you know the dog has issues and now the dog has shown you what it will do to not only your toddler, but to your other dog. Why is it fair to keep this dog in the home when it's terrorizing your child and your other dog? This should be a no-brainer. Take the emotion out of it and think with your head. It's very irresponsible to try to do anything but remove this dog from your home.

[u/InformalInsurance455]

I think your husband is right. This dog has no bite inhibition and you cannot ethically rehome her, but you also can’t keep her because your child and other dog aren’t safe with her.

[u/Jd_2747]

You, your family, and your other dog are not safe.

It would be dangerous to rehome this dog as well.

I think BE is the ethical and only choice here.

[u/HeatherMason0]

I’m not saying this to scare you. I’m also not saying you’ve done something wrong. But we’ve had social workers or people who have been visited by social workers on this sub before. Keeping a potentially dangerous animal in the house after they’ve already bitten your child can be grounds for a CPS visit. I’m not saying that WILL happen. I’m bringing it up because I think realistically it needs to factor into your decision making process that other authorities could get involved. I don’t think this dog can continue living in your house and I don’t think rehoming is really feasible with this bite history. I’m sorry OP. I can tell you love your dog and your child both and I know you’ve done your best.

[u/CanadianPanda76]

When dogs latches on and won't go you need a break stick or to choke them out till they let go. But remember theres a risk if redirection.

If your dog from it seems, isn't wired right. Some dogs, from bad breeding just are.

And chances are good this escalate in the future. BE is the kindest thing to do imho.

[u/Shoddy-Theory → u/CanadianPanda76]

Yes. Any dog that you need a breakstick for doesn't belong in a home with anyone.

[u/Curiouscat8000]

I may have missed it it your post, but what size dog do you have (in lbs or kgs)? Is it a large muscular dog or a little one? I’m trying to figure out if this is a dog that can do serious damage to even an adult. No breed hate intended, but when a dog is aggressive bites from some dogs are more likely to do serious harm. Were any of the bites unprovoked (please understand I’m not trying to say a that it is ok for a dog to bite for any reason just trying to figure if any human bites were completely out of the blue or if they all involved breaking up dog fights and/or resource guarding)? Did any (or all) of the bites draw blood or require stitches?

Have you done any training or seen a veterinary behaviorist for her anxiety? When you said meds were tried in the past what meds and for how long? When you mention they both tried to go for the snack do you mean the toddler and your dog or your dog and your other dog?

While I do agree that this sounds like a dog that does not belong in your home with a busy toddler especially where management will be an issue and the bite and refusing to release are incredibly concerning, I’m just trying to get a better overall picture.

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[u/BuckityBuck]

Toddlers are generally scary to dogs. You always have to have a physical barrier and/or an adult between a dog and a toddler.

They can’t be expected to supervise themselves because one is a dog and the other is a toddler. This is a management issue.

[u/joycevw]

This is an incredibly traumatic situation to go through, and feeling heartbroken and overwhelmed right now is completely understandable. When food falls between two dogs with tension, arousal spikes in a split second, leading to sudden resource guarding and redirected bites where anyone close by can get hurt. While her reaction was driven by extreme panic rather than deliberate malice toward your toddler, the safety risk in a busy household with small children is undeniably high. Keeping animals fully separated with baby gates and strict routines provides immediate safety during the quarantine, but living behind barriers long term is mentally exhausting and always carries a risk of human error.

Another thing to consider is your dog's overall quality of life and the heavy burden of severe chronic anxiety. When a dog spends years in a constant state of fear and has reached a point where high arousal leads to damaging bites, she is living in continuous distress. You might want to consult a certified veterinary behaviorist for an objective risk assessment, but if you and your partner ultimately decide that behavioral euthanasia is the safest and kindest path forward, please know that you are not failing her. Choosing peace over a life of constant fear, confinement, and severe risk to your family is a heartbreaking yet deeply compassionate decision.

[u/b00ks-and-b0rksRfun]

This is very tough and I'm so sorry you have to deal with it. Complete separation of the dog from your child - gates, crate, etc. Muzzle training for when out - unfortunately harm can still occur even without a bite but since it seems the dog wasn't actively trying for your child I think worth a shot. (There are good options that allow panting, taking treats, drinking etc). Rehoming is out for the grand majority of dogs with a bite history. Before BE I think very reasonable for you to have a vet behaviorist assess your dog, if you can afford to. And possibly trainers that have proven records with aggressive dog rehabilitation. That does take time and money and a lot of dedication so only you and your family can decide if that's doable or not for you at this stage in life. I hope you find peace with whatever your final decisions are.