dog bit grandson

I have vetbed in my dogs crate; once she'd got over trying to eat it [need to keep an eye on that] she loves it. She also has duvets [feels the cold]. It's her 'den' and when she's away from home her 'den' goes with her. I'm hoping that when she goes into kennels for the first time she'll be reassured by having it with her. I still think this dog needs to see a dog behaviourist, though; bit concerned that it doesn't quite know that a] it's a dog and b] where it is in the pecking order ie at the bottom. Am assuming that the breeding is known and that it's parents are known to be good natured?

You don't have to take that seriously

I think the ideal situation for this little feller (dog, not kid) would be in a cosy flat with a gay couple. Would be spoilt rotten and no babies to bite.

Ideal situation!

Perhaps he could be put in a cosy basket and left on the doorstep of a gay club. (Someone watching to make sure he was taken in)

Margaret what a daft thing to say.

Don't forget Harrigranspent years nursing.

It's a 'crate', not a 'cage', honestly! There is some very good advice on the internet about crate training. I used a crate with an 8 month old foster dog, who had a very difficult start in life. She then spent 8 weeks in her first proper home, but was crated for long periods, without any training/preparation for that. She destroyed two crates, when frantically trying to escape from them. She had classic signs of separation anxiety, i.e. howled, showed destructive behaviour when left. I was told she'd howl and bark all night. She cried on the first night, whimpered really, for about 10 minutes, then slept all night. The following night she whimpered for 5 minutes, and after that, never cried at all. I'd say 'bed time', my 2 dogs would go into their beds, and the foster dog into her bed, which was inside her crate. She was fed in the crate, and definitely began to see it as her safe place. She always slept in her crate if she went for a nap during the day. Crate training has its place, and can be very helpful for anxious dogs in particular.
A number of comments are saying the OP's dog should either be re-homed where there are no children or put to sleep. My vet has been brilliant with my own dogs, and foster dogs. His firm view is that cases of aggression in dogs are very rare. The kind of behaviour shown by the OP's dog, and by a couple of dogs I've cared for, is usually caused by fear/anxiety of some kind. It is usually workable with, as long as the handler is prepared to work closely with a behaviourist, as Seasider clearly is.

I am not anti-dog at all, and the dog will probably dislike the cage unless it was introduced to it as a puppy.

I wasn't going to say any more on this thread but I must put in a good word for Jack Russells as I used to breed them. Like any breed of dog there are good and not so good. All ours have been very sweet natured and made excellent pets as well as working terriers. If a JR is snappy it's probably a result of indescriminate breeding and poor socialising as a puppy.

Petallus is right about the benefits of a loving and trusting relationship between a child and a dog. There have been instances of children with autism starting to speak once a dog has entered their lives and what about guide dogs and hearing dogs?

Good Luck with the crating, seasider. It sounds as if you are taking every sensible precaution you can.

It's very possible Aka. Especilly if the child were bending down with its 'face near the cage door doesn't bear thinking about

I LOVE CATS

Or being bred just for selling!

jingl love the idea of the cunning switch! Good point about ankle protecters though

margaret do you honestly think if someone accidentally let this little dog out of its cage it would immediately fly in to attack?

Harrigran why post such nebulous thoughts as 'I have seen too much to be sentimental' .. inadmissible as a logical argument.

Still seems all wrong to me - cages for dogs. Unless they are working dogs of some kind. Or, heaven forbid, being bred just for showing.

Hmm. Sounds like the thing with playpens for babies. You have to start early, before the need is there. Too late in this instance I would have thought.

Dogs do very well with cages jingl if cages are used responsibly. Many breeders start their puppies off in cages from birth and recommend their continued use.

I think the dog would go mad with frustration being shut in a cage. Dogs are not animals to be caged. As someone else said,Get a hamster. Quick enough sleight of hand and son might not notice the difference.

Must agree with Mishap and Ana.
If you were reading this in a newspaper, and not on a forum, you would be saying this is dreadful and should not be happening.
I am not going to apologise for being anti-dog, I have seen too much to be sentimental.

I did say previously that a cage would be a good idea or a muzzle, but didn't realise this was the second incident. My thought now is that this dog is too volatile to be trusted - my friend has a shih tzu, it is very exciteable and an ankle nipper. Seasider is lucky that her DIL has been so understanding. If it was my dog then the decision would be to have the dog put down, heartbreaking though this would be. Next time the damage could be worse, who's to know a child won't let him out of the cage when your back is turned for a second?

And since when is saying someone doesn't'tknow what they are talking about, not a personal attack?!

You have no idea of my experience with dogs.

Wasn't nasty to anyone. It's the narrow minded, silly, over-heavy way things are taken on Gransnet. That is NOT a personal insult to anything in particular AND so doesn't warrant deleting HQ.

My advice is as good as any on this thread.personally I think it's the best. Especially the ankle protectors.

I have been bitten by patients dogs on two occasions, first time was a chiwowa (? Sp). The second a Pekingese whose owner assured me 'he won't hurt, he's got no teeth! ' it left two painful crescent bruises on my calf though.

Agree Nightowl it is all about respecting the animal.

Riverwalk my post crossed with yours so please believe me when I say I was not getting at you or anyone on here with that post.

Jingle I just think that it is a shame you have to be nasty to people and no my brain isn't addled by sentimentality. Could you not manage to put your views across without being so personal. So have you got Shih Tzu dogs, as you seem to think you are an expert. You have to judge these things on the different situations and you cannot always just generalise. I have owned dogs all my life, I presume you have as well Jingle as you claim such knowledge.
Can I ask were you formerly JO8 by any chance?

I suppose there will always be a division of opinion between those that like dogs and those that don't. Interestingly I think that rockgran (several posts back) showed a lot of understanding of dogs despite saying she didn't much like them. But then she also used one of my favourite expressions when she said she 'respects' animals. I prefer that to the expression 'animal lover' which I think is a particularly meaningless one.

See, I can't help commenting either!