My dog bit my 4 yr old. What do I do?

Question

They were playing and then he growled all of a sudden and bit my son's hand just barely. My son loves the dog.

Answer 1

I got a dog for my 3rd birthday. he bit me while I was feeding him treats and dropped one on his nose. He never bit me again, and was my best friend while growing up....
I would just watch carefully when they are together..

A good training for the dog, is to feed him only by hand for a few days...don't leave any food in his bowl, but he gets ONLY what you and your son, together, feed him by hand...this will teach him respect for the child.

Answer 2

Children can sometimes be a little too rough with animals or bother and animal when it is not " In the mood". 1st of all do NOT allow your 4 yr. old to play with the dog unsupervised. I know they love each other , but this as you have just found out is very unsafe. A dogs defense is to bite, and you are lucky the dog did not bite at the face! Which is very common and many dogs are put down because of this. Some dogs are just mean and aggressive and should be put down. But in most cases if they have been brought up in a loving environment, the biting was caused by pain, fear or pestering.
Watch them when they play together, correct your child if you see they are becoming too rough or you notice the dog is not wanting to play. If you see the dog begin to show aggression, correct the dog immeadiatly! Then seperate the child and the dog.
Teach the child the Right way to play with a dog. Throw a ball, frisbee, doing tricks and what-not. Wrestling, chasing, growling and jumping on or at dog are BIG NoNo's!
I had 2 boys and I know how rough and tumble they can be. We always had dogs and cats, and I taught them from the begining the Do's and Don'ts. I never had a problem with them, now their friends were a dif story!! LOL!!
If it comes to a point that the dog no longer trusts the child, you may need to think about finding a new owner. Try not to let it get to that point. If all else fails with you training, try a professional. Bring your child with you and let him see and learn along with you! 4 yrs of age is a great age! Their little minds are like sponges! And they are very active! Going to and obediance class would be lots of fun for child and dog! Good luck!

Answer 3

A 4 year old should not be playing unsupervised with a dog. I don't care what breed, or how good you think the dog is with kids. Under the correct circumstances, any dog, (no matter how well behaved) will bite. You have to remember that a bite is the dog's only defense mechanism. Cats have claws, as well as teeth. Dogs only have a bite to show their irritation. Some feel that a growl is an inconvenience. I'd get your dog into an obedience class, teach your kid the proper manners when playing with a dog, and go from there. By no means should they be allowed to play together without you present. Good luck. I'm a breeder of Lhasa Apsos, and I wouldn't have sold you a dog with a child so young. Since you already have the dog, I suggest that you train both child and dog to respect one another. Try getting a crate for your dog also, sometimes if a dog is getting overwhelmed with the busyness of the home, they can go into their crate (a modern day version of a den) and be away from all distractions.

Answer 4

QUOTE: "If it's a breed known for this type of behavior (pit bull, doberman, rottweiler, etc.) then maybe you should get rid of the dog. " END QUOTE
Pit bull, doberman, rott actually have a higher tolerance for kids and are less likely to bite. Do some research.

A dog is a dog and aren't that far from where they came from, the wolf. And just like the wolf they have a pack structure. Alpha and on down. Your dog would have done the same if it had of been a new puppy. Dogs instinctively try to establish dominance over the smaller and the weaker. Others are correct in stating that your son is on the weaker end. And that your best bet would be a trainer. This will help teach your dog that humans, no matter how small always are higher on the list than himself. This is much easier with the previously mentioned breeds because they were bred for zero tolerance of attacks on humans. They become dangerous with strangers around your family, not your family. That is easily remedied with proper socialization. In most cases a dog will hit with his teeth rather than puncture the skin. This is a definite indication that he trying to establish domination rather than trying to actually hurt your child. Its more a scare tactic. Good luck

Answer 5

Without seeing the situation, it's hard to say. Your dog could simply have been warning your dog to stop doing something. Or he could be trying to take over. "Just barely" is actually a good sign, meaning he has some bite inhibition. You really need to see an experienced trainer or behaviorist who can observe your dog and child to see exactly what is going on, and whether you have a serious problem or not. In the meantime, only allow them together under very close supervision, if the dog seems at all tense or upset separate them.

This is something you must take care of ASAP, your child can be scarred for life it the dog decides to really take a piece out of him.

Answer 6

If your dog didn't draw blood, than it didn't mean it. Your son and your dog need a little training together so they both know how to play with each other. Dogs nip each other when they play, and for dogs that is acceptable. Not for humans though. Also be careful how you and other adults act with the dog, if you play tug of war with it or rough house even a little the dog will think that it is OK to do so with your son. If you feel that you are to overwhelmed to retrain your dog by yourself be sure to seek help. I would also rephrase "biting" to "nipped" because biting sounds worse. Some trainers and shelters won't deal with "biting" dogs, but can work with dogs who have "nipped".

Answer 7

I have a 4 year old cosin and she and my brothers dog who i am watching have a love hate relationship some days they are best friends other days they are scared of each other i half to watch them when their together all the time even on the good days i have rules do not hug the dog because she may not understand what your doing it make them nervous never never scream or yell around her she has better hearing and it is louder to her than us and believe me we all know how loud a screaming kid can be. let her come to you if she want to play let her come and play don't be hard on her and if she looks to be resting leave her alone. Your dog is use to and adult respecting him when a kid comes they don't understand that a dog need it space you need to sit down with your 4 year old and explain bring your dog and have your son gently pet him and talk soft in know time they will both learn to respect each other.

Good luck

Answer 8

If it's a breed known for this type of behaviour (pit bull, doberman, rottweiler, etc.) then maybe you should get rid of the dog. But if it is a type that is typically friendly (lab, golden retriever, etc) then the dog probably didn't mean it and was just startled by something. Teach your son to respect the dog and not to play around its food or toys. Keep an eye out for aggressive behaviour.

Answer 9

When you have a litter of puppies, they play. They get rough and bite eachothers ears and things. Your dog probably sees your son as a litter mate and is playing. If he truely intended to harm him, he would have done so. When and if he bites, scold the dog. Dogs let the other dogs know they are playing too rough by yelping. It sounds like your dog was giving your son a warning, I would just monitor play, and make sure they don't get too riled up.

Answer 10

Well definetly dont get rid of the dog.He is a creture too.And animals are not always responsible,sometimes is the child.Your kid is young,he might has irritated the dog.Remember that the dog is your responsibility and you should have thought about the concequences earlier,if all of the people get rid of the dogs if they bite them what will happen?i think that you should just protect your boy like telling him not to bother the dog.He is small and he may play with the dog but you have to keep an eye over him.

Answer 11

One of two things, either find the dog another home or keep an eye on the dog when he and your son are playing.