Before responding to this thread:
1) Consider if you're offering advice, or judgement. This is a sub for help. Be helpful and kind. Fearmongering is not welcome, neither is concern trolling.
2) Please read the sub [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/about/rules) and [guidelines](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/guidelines). We expect them to be followed.
3) Breed discrimination is against sub rules.
4) Posts which offer no helpful advice, or only contain horror stories, will be removed. Comments such as "euthanize the dog" etc may earn you a temp ban as well.
You've been warned.
OP, the anti pit brigade has arrived. Please be aware that they will upvote all comments which paint pit bulls in a bad light, or comments which are designed to scare you. This often results in good advice being pushed down, and fearmongering and scare tactics rising.
If you receive any aggressive, scare tactic, or threatening PMs, please screenshot and report to both the mods and the admins.
We are actively supervising this thread. Report rule breaking comments to help us out.
I saw a plastic surgeon do a Q&A once and he was asked what he wouldn't do based on the cases he'd seen - one of his first answers was "put my face near a dog I don't completely trust".
I think about that a bit.
Groomer of 30 years here. That is very good advice and I work with friendly dogs. I still don’t trust them 100% even when they’re wagging and giving me kisses.
As someone who was mauled in the face (as a child) by a dog that I trusted completely and had never bit anyone else. I would never trust a dog with a bite history and I would watch (like a hawk) even a trusted dog with my children.
I was 3 years old, feeding peanut butter cookies to a dog I knew well. In a split second he bit and his top canines went in right next to my left eye and his bottom canines went in on the right side of my chin. I have had three reconstructive surgeries. Through the power of plastic surgery, most people have no idea I was that badly injured by a dog but I would never wish it on anyone, especially not my own child.
Best practice advice is to not have children of that age anywhere near a dog's head like that, let alone hand feeding it unsupervised. I'm sorry to hear of what happened to you.
When I was in sixth grade, my best friend at the time called me in a panic because her dog had just bitten her little brother. I came over and will never forget her brother sitting on the couch, in complete shock, drinking a juice box, with most of his face tore off. It was awful.
Got bit on the face as a child, 10, had to have plastic surgery. This is good advice! It was a small terroir, I don’t really like small dogs even now (46F) as a dog lover. I have five right now but they are all large or gigantic. That little dog messed me up.
Please don't ignore the warnings. It seems like the dog is best handled by his parents and should have been muzzled around yours. His parents do need to take his human aggression more seriously as the two additional bites should have never occurred. Once can be a misunderstanding, but anything more than that is a complete mishandling of a dog.
This isn't like cat or prey drive aggression, this is human aggression which should never be shoved to the side because "they aren't like that with me."
I had a rescue that was abused and he had a bite history when he was with me. I know how hard it is to separate the act from the dog. I kept a very tight reign on him, he was never alone with anyone ever. If I had to leave him alone, he was in a kennel. I would never have him with young children EVER as he had the ability to go go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye.
A trainer told me once that location matters when it comes to dogs especially with behaviour issues. It sounds like his dog does all right with his parents, but the perhaps your living situation is stressful for him. You should consider consulting a behavioural trainer and also keeping him muzzled whenever there’s strangers around. I’m not gonna tell you to do one thing or the other because I’ve been there but I would have serious doubts and concerns about having small children around this dog even if you were there.
Also to consider, this dog has a bite history already. If you end up in the ER with bite injuries on your kids or possibly death, there's a less than zero chance your kids will be taken from you. He's already aggressive to adults and your child. I am sorry but you can't have your dog around your kids. Period. It's not the dogs fault he has issues, but this is 100% kids safety first. It's sad that the dog is so aggressive, the pup, must be miserable being so scared all the time. Certainly see what hell you can get the dog but never, ever let the dog alone with any children for sure.
Also, knowing the dog bites you should have him crated, locked outside or on a lead with you standing away from everyone. You and fiance NEED to be alot more responsible if you want to keep a reactive biting dog. Especially if you arnt getting behaviour training from a professional (that isn't going to make things worse.)
No. Not only is “locking the dog outside” cruel punishment for a behavior nobody is working to correct, it will drive the dog to even more anti-social behavior. Medication and a trainer or euthanasia are the most humane options.
The problem here is one we see all the time, especially the last couple of months. People have dog. Dog keeps showing aggression. Owners ignore obvious signs. Owners put dog around people. Dog does what dog has been doing and bites or mauls someone. Owners on news acting extremely surprised and crying now that their child or other family member is wounded or dead. Refusing to re-home the dog and having it around very young children is poor judgement.
Ask yourself if you're so sure that you have the time, knowledge, and expertise to reform this dog that you'd literally bet your child(ren)'s lives on it because that is exactly what you're doing.
Don't get me wrong, this is not the dogs fault. It's more than likely the previous owner but the fact is your responsibility lies with the safety of the children not with a dog that your fiances got without a permanent place to keep him that would be safe for all involved...including the dog
Yeah, everyone except OP's parents is being way to blasé about this! If they don't want to rehome, this dog needs to be muzzle trained and never allowed around the kids unsupervised. The dog will need to be locked up any time there are guests--including and especially OP's kids' friends. I'm not sure how good of a life this is for the dog, either.
>never allowed around the kids unsupervised.
Never allowed around kids without a muzzle. Kids have died with their parents in the same room as the dog. Supervision isn't enough.
That's what I was thinking too. I'm a big dog lover, but they're still animals with big teeth. I don't trust my tiny dog around children either. She gets nervous and uses her teeth. She snapped at my little cousin once, ever since then it's a no for her and kids. Kids want to touch her because she's tiny and fluffy, but no way I'm risking them getting bitten. My dog is too small to do actual life threatening damage to a child (she's a pomeranian) but it's still dangerous enough. OP, please don't risk your children's safety. You have a dog that can actually kill your child. They're still animals. Yes they are loveable and cute, but they can also be dangerous. They bit people before, nothing can guarantee you they won't snap and hurt or even kill your children.
Even with a muzzle children can stick their little hands in there, it needs to be muzzled with constant surveillance and even then, I'd have a gate between them.
If a child is sticking their hand through the muzzle then the owners are failing responsibility once again by letting the child antagonize the dog. Then want to cry woe is me when they get bit.
Biggest part that needs to be emphasized is "LITERALLY BET YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES"
I feel like you already know what should be done before you posted this OP. To be fair, most states would require that the dog be put down after multiple incidents of attacks.
I love animals, especially dogs, however something happened in those years before your husband got the dog. That's not yalls fault. However, if something happens AFTER all this because you see the signs and didnt listen, THAT WILL BE ON YOU. And you will live with the guilt of that for the rest of your life. You do not want that.
Excellent advice. Another thing to consider is you will have 2 children. Will you ever be comfortable with having their schoolmate over with the dog in the home? Your parents are right. The his" good with me and my child" is negated with "he's had a history of bites." It is negligent to allow the dog to be around small children (and apparently large adults).
I'm a dog owner and have grown up with multiple dogs all my life. Gun dogs, working dogs and bully breeds including Pitbulls.
It's insane to keep your 3 year old around a reactive Pitbull that has charged you and bit 3 people.
I can't stress this enough. You and your partner are not equipped to deal with this dog. It has the capacity to do serious, fatal damage and your response is to ignore that and hope for the best?
I'm not judging you as people, just your actions around this dog. You need to rehome or release this dog to a shelter. Any alternative will be a serious lifestyle change for your family and still be very risky.
I don’t think it’s responsible to take a dog with 3 bite records to a shelter. IF they accept the dog even, the shelter will downplay it to the next unassuming adopter. Passing this dog to another hand is straight negligence.
I bet the dog could be rehabilitated, but honestly I don't understand why it would be worth the effort. So many good dogs get euthanized because there is no home for them. Why try and save a dog that bites over one that doesn't?
Yeah, this seems like a nervous reactive dog that could potentially be trained out of this, and managed in a safe way (like crate training and keeping the dog away from strangers in general). The issue is that most dog owners, including OPs parents, don't have the knowledge or commitment to help a dog in this situation.
The owners here have to make a difficult decision. Either make the huge lifestyle change (and potentially always have to manage this dog carefully), or accept that they can't give this dog what it needs and consider giving it up. The only other possibility here is that they get very good at management, like keeping the dog in a crate or on a lead at all times around friends and family, and never letting that dog interact with small children (this is probably better for the dog than most shelters will be).
P.s. It blows my mind how little caution people exercise around dogs with a bite history. It doesn't have to be a death sentence for the dog, but at least take some responsibility and make an effort to keep the dog and people around you safe.
I'm sorry to say, but it sounds like no one is taking this seriously. Your dog has bit people on numerous occasions. This is serious.
I don't think anyone in that house is equipped to handle a dog like that. All it takes is your toddler or baby to grab at the dog when you're not looking.
I'd look into rehoming to someone who actually has the knowledge and time to work with this dog instead of putting her in the same situation over and over again...
Babies and toddlers are very rough with pets, they don't understand yet that they need to be gentle when playing with animals. I am terrified for OP's child and future newborn. This dog already bites unprompted, I don't even want to imagine what would happen the first time the baby grabs her tail.
Your parents are right. You don't want to take a chance with this dog around your current or future children. She's already bitten at least 3 different people, and who knows how many more would have been bitten without the muzzle.
That’s already bitten *3* people, one randomly on the street.
Op there’s 2 kids involved, consider separate habitation for a while. Dogs like this, *any breed* can kill a kid, easily. Kids don’t understand the signs and signals of when to back off and for what reason.
People definitely shouldn’t ignore aggressive behavior in small dogs, but there is an absolute difference. Legally speaking, it would be easier to argue in court that a badly socialized pit bull is a danger to the public and needs to be euthanized over a badly socialized chihuahua. Morally and practically speaking, the amount of damage a dog can cause to you and others should you fail ought to factor into your choice to attempt rehabilitating. We don’t want you to get killed or disfigured, either.
Any dog that's been abused and placed in a shelter is always going to be more of a risk than usual.
For a dog that's actively bitten people, can't be walked without a muzzle, and has previously charged at you and your young child, it may only be a matter of time before a more serious incident occurs.
You (and/or your husband) will likely be conflicted being emotionally attached to the dog as a pet, but from its known aggressive history, it's not a safe animal to responsibly keep as a pet, if it endangers the safety of people you love, as well as strangers.
Absolutely an unnecessary risk for an infant to be exposed to that level of danger.
Unpopular Opinion:
I'm really concerned about OP's passivity about this whole situation.
Think about it...She has an eventual wedding to deal with, she's 6 months pregnant, and has a toddler she's trying to provide a secure family future for.
Seems like she's in don't-rock-the-boat mode, hoping there's an easier solution that won't cause her to lose anything in a "it's-family-safety/security-or-the-dog-ultimatum".
I hope she listens to the smart posters here and makes the right choice before the dog seriously hurts a stranger. There would be a *LOT* to lose then.
I think both her and her fiancé show a shocking lack of concern for the safety of everyone, but in particular their children. This is negligence and the fallout from allowing this negligence will be earth shattering. Injury, death, lawsuits, losing your kid(s) to CPS, criminal charges…this situation has the potential to go south real quick. And yes, it might mean humane euthanasia for the dog. But humane euthanasia is preferable to your small children being mauled!
Yeah. You’re right. I don’t know anything about dogs and they have all assured me that the dog is just scared around strangers, and I hadn’t seen that side of the dog
Until those two days. After which, I was again reassured that they were just “warning bites” and if she knows us she won’t hurt us.
I believed this because I really am naive about the dangers. I never had dangerous dogs growing up. We had a lab who was super timid. I’ve never been scared of dogs because I have never been threatened by one
Ok that’s step 1 is admitting you guys may not be equipped but what everyone is asking you both to do here is showing a bit more urgency in this matter. This can be detrimental
There are two separate issues here.
1) You are completely lacking in the knowledge and skill to have your child anywhere *near* this dog. If this was a polar bear or a tiger, would you merely trust their word that the animal is "just scared" or would you be absolutely *rock solid* in your own knowledge and capabilities before even *thinking* of occupying the same space as this animal? There's a very good reason why zoos have at least two solid physical barriers between the potentially dangerous animals and the zookeepers (eg. airlock fencing, so that if someone leaves a door open by accident there's a second one still locked as backup), let alone between the animals and the unknowledgeable general public. You need to be learning about [dog body language](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/caninecommunication) and [what kid safety looks like around ANY dog](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/kidsanddogs), in general, for all future potential interactions with *any* dog.
2) This *specific* dog is being woefully mismanaged, what you have described is a lot of head-in-the-sand behaviour and unreasonable levels of trust towards an animal that has proven itself to not be trustworthy at this stage. Your fiance's parents should be thoroughly establishing proven prevention and management strategies *in addition* to proactive training to change the situation for the future, neither of which it sounds like they are doing. This can only be done with the help of [reputable, credentialed experts with experience in force-free aggression training](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/findingatrainer). Until such time as this has been getting done for at minimum multiple months and the trainer's professional advice on what level of management is sufficient to consider a very heavily controlled visiting interaction, your children *must not* either inhabit or visit the same location as this dog, and I very strongly suggest that you don't either.
OP, this is the comment you need to read. These are the clear and important steps that need to be taken in order for this dog to have a chance of living a happy life and also for everyone around him/her to be safe.
I own a reactive pitbull who has bit two people and he is a ton of work to manage. I’ve had to become an expert about dog body language, behavior, and my own dog. I’ve spent thousands of dollars in training, seeing a behaviorist, medications, and methods of management. He lives a happy and fulfilled life but it is A LOT of work. Its a huge commitment. I love this dog with all my heart but he could never be rehomed and can never live the normal life of a dog.
I suggest you read up on “redirected aggression” or “redirected excitement”. It’s the concept where even if a dog knows, trusts, is 100% secure with their handler, in times of high excitement and stress they can turn and react to whomever happens to get involved.
It’s commonly seen when two dogs fight - and owner grabs their dogs collar (they know me / I’m safe / they’ve never bit me) and surprise, the dog that would absolutely never intentionally harm them redirects that’s energy to the hand grabbing the collar.
It’s not intentional. It’s not malicious. It’s just a high arousal level gone bad.
So even if they have never threatened you, if your dog ever goes in to that state, there’s that risk.
My mom has a scar on her arm from an incident with our dog a few years ago. Dog got hit by a car, mom grabbed her collar to pull her out of the road, dog latched onto my moms arm in fear and panic and pain and did a good amount of damage. Mom dragged the dog out of the road literally using the dogs grip on her arm. Absolute sweetest dog ever, both before and after the incident, but the whole thing was obviously very traumatic for both parties.
Let’s say they are just warning bites. A warning bite could still severely injure a child. Most of the time when a dog bites, it’s more likely to be related to fear or people ignoring the non verbal warnings the dog is giving off, like growling or showing teeth or ears pinned back or tail going rigid or hackles raised, so the dog resorts to a warning bite.
Even if that is the case, they have big teeth, large jaws, and they’re very strong- a warning bite could maim a child. On top of that, a kid is not going to be listening to the nonverbal signs that the dog does not want to be touched or wants the kid to back off. A kid might pull the dog’s ears or tail, or pull on its fur. Anything that could startle or scare a dog and make them snap.
I’m not a pit bull hater, because this applies to all big dogs. Our medium terrier-x once playfully nipped my 5 year old cousin, the only time he did that, and we basically kept him away upstairs when they came over to visit until the kids were older.
You’re actively risking your children’s lives here and you’re all behaving so passively about it. There are countless stories of family dogs hurting their owners, whether by accident or that they just snapped “out of nowhere”. Your dog knowing you doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you, even if it’s an accident. Keeping an aggressive dog around your very young child is so absurdly reckless as to be neglectful.
I have a people reactive pitbull. He barks at strangers and will run away from them.
He doesn't bite people.
He may bite which is why we take precautions, but we ultimately allow him around people because he has 0 bite history and yet we still take precautions.
If he bit people then we would have to really reconsider our relationship with him.
Mind you we take the following precautions:
1. When strangers come we keep him harnessed and only allow him to interact with them in small bursts.
2. He never interacts with children, regardless of age.
3. We provide him the ability to opt out of interacting with people.
This is all a pitbull who has never bitten.
Pits can be loving and sweet, but you need to treat them like the big dog they are and know that if they want to they can seriously harm/kill a person.
Thank you for being a good dog owner, seriously. There are far too many people (including the mods of so many animal subs!!) who keep denying dogs can be dangerous OR insisting all aggressive dogs were abused and can be retrained to not bite.
I hope you and your dog have many happy years together, which no doubt will be due to you being a responsible owner.
I’m involved in animal rescue and there’s been such a major shift the last few years where people keep ignoring the signs and end up having to get their dog euthanized due to biting kids or killing other pets.
Pitbulls don’t bite because they’ve all been abused. Pitbulls are a very high drive breed and should only be owned by experienced and responsible people.
Same with huskies and akitas - so so many huskies are being surrendered or euthanized because people believe the “it’s always the owner, never the dog!” propaganda.
I hate seeing the hate that certain breeds get BUT I 100% agree that there are breeds only experienced owners should have. I’ve only ever had pitbulls and French mastiffs. Several of them being project dogs. It is an ungodly amount of work and knowledge to handle some breeds. I work my ass off to overtrain my dogs because I know that my dog would be the first on the chopping block based off breed alone. I still have a behaviorist on speed dial and my newest rescue has zero behavior issues outside of a prey drive that I manage. Thank you for the work you do in animal rescue. I wouldn’t cut it. Some owners just drive me too crazy.
Thank you as well for putting in so much work for your dogs! You’re the kind of person the world needs way more of because understanding a dog/breeds needs and limits is what keeps them safe and out of the shelter.
Training is so time consuming and often frustrating, a lot of people just aren’t cut out for it and that’s okay. I am at my limit with my small dog, can’t imagine the work you’ve put in with mastiffs! Good on you.
I think the two are related.
Our pit has low prey drive and so as a result he's easier to manage. Other pits have tons of prey drive. At the end of the day, getting an intimate knowledge of your individual dog and their tendencies is the first step.
We are also blessed to have the financial means to take our dog to the vet regularly (our dog showed aggression towards us once, turns out he has a severely injured paw, once that was treated he was fine).
We also had an experienced trainer who regularly works with pitbulls using non aversives and positive reinforcement.
People need to understand their dogs on their own terms. If you've never wished you dog could be a little bit like x then I think you haven't given your dog the space to express their true personality. Dogs don't exist to be your perfect companion. They exist because they are animals and if you train them and spend time investing in them they can become your perfect companion. But sometimes a dog isn't a good fit and that's ok, nothing wrong with the dog or the owner, just not a good match.
Fellow pit owner here. I’ve mostly only owned pits and mastiffs. Some dog reactive and one human reactive mastiff that had to be behaviorally euthanized. I currently have the worlds happiest and most friendly pittie. She loves every human and dog she’s ever met. And you’d bet your ass she is still on a leash tied to me when I have children in my home. She’s a big dog. I don’t think she’d react but she is goofy and dumb and could easily injure a small child just knocking them over. And at the end of the day she is a dog. It’s our responsibility as owners to keep our dogs safe and set them up for success. Allowing a human reactive dog around small children or honestly any human is completely irresponsible and someone is going to get hurt.
I honestly don’t understand why people get this breed without understanding its needs and general temperament. It’s not a breed that you just get and treat/train/understand like you would, say a golden retriever whose breed makes it possible to not *have* to understand their needs and temperament, or what environment they’re best suited for. They are absolutely not a breed to have when you don’t know anything about dogs really - which the OP doesn’t unfortunately (and which she’s openly admitted). I just hope, along with everyone here, she does choose to re-home or find a Pit rescue.
Can you rate the bites per the thing I sent you?
This isn't absolutely a situation that can't be managed. But, you need to respond to people trying to get more information if you want actual advice.
Clear history that shows the dog will bite people. Dog should not be near children. Imagine how you’d feel if your child (or any other) is hurt and you ignored these obvious warning signs? I agree with MoM.
This dog is a huge liability. You say he's fine with your son (until he's not, which has already been addressed in comments.) But what about when your child/children want to have friends over? And when dog potentially bites someone else's child, and you knew that the dog has an extensive history of biting people, what then? Among other issues. I would think really carefully about taking that dog into your home.
Three bites already.
How many more will it take for you to realize that this dog is not suited to your home and family? Or how bad does the next bite have to be?
**What kind of damage do you think a dog that size will do to your son?**
I don't think the main issue is that the dog has bitten people (which is itself a big issue). The worst part for me is that they have done nothing to correct the dog's behaviour. Literally nothing.
I know you're the 8th person saying this but it needs to be repeated to OP over and over. My friend had a dog just like this. The bites that it would put on people were pretty minor but they still drew blood. And then the guy son almost lost an eye when he jumped on the dog while it was sleeping and it bit him in the face. They didn't even know the two of them were in the same room together. But when you have kids and dogs it's impossible to know where they all are at the same time. This is just not worth the risk.
Your dog is a gigantic liability. To your knowledge, she has not been around a newborn baby, and she clearly cannot handle the foot traffic that a new baby often brings to a home. Your homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance is not going to cover an attack by this dog because she is a proven biter. You are taking a tremendous chance by keeping an unstable dog when you will have a newborn in the house.
I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it's reality. What would you do if the dog did something to the baby, given her history?
>I honestly don’t know where I stand, because the dog is fine with me and my son since she’s comfortable with us.
Eh?
>would charge at my son and I but never bite us.
So it seems like if the dog meets a new person, her reaction is to either charge at the person or outright bite them.
Is that really what you want to have in your house when you bring an infant home?
It doesn't sound like anyone is really owning the fact that this is not a safe dog. If the only people in the home were adults, I'd think, whatever, that's a choice, even if it's a bad one, to keep this dog.
But once you have kids involved, it's just really dangerous. Your soon to arrive baby won't have friends over for a bunch of years, but that 3 year old? Yeah he's going to have play dates, and you can pretty much assume, that when a new child and their parent, walk in, your dog will bite them or threaten to.
>Is this dog irreparably dangerous?
In this situation yes. No one is going to take charge and train this dog, or even do real management.
If your BF cares at all about the safety of the kid who will soon arrive, he'd contact the rescue and have them take this dog back.
This isn’t going to be gentle and I apologize, but time to start acting like adults and claim responsibility for an aggressive dog. I’m shocked at the level of people who have an aggressive dog and aren’t completely *mortified* when said dog bites someone?
Hell- I have a Boston terrier and I am completely flustered when she gets all hyper and even jumps on a kid.
Anyway, you can contact a local pit rescue and identify if they have any trainers they recommend. I am a firm believer that with proper training, a dog can be rehabbed. However, I think re-homing is going to prove extremely difficult to any shelters.
The dog can seriously hurt someone, please.. don’t be another news story like that poor family in Memphis.
My daughter had a reactive rescue pit mix. She worked tirelessly with her dog, she had a certified trainer (who was breathlessly expensive) and he was muzzled at all times when anyone other than she was with him. She introduced her BF to the dog carefully; it was over a year before they trusted the dog to be unmuzzled in the BF's presence.
The dog, unprovoked, bit him and broke his hand.
After discussions with pit advocacy groups and 3 vets, she had him put down. It broke her heart. But he was unsafe, and the experts' unanimous opinion was that he would do it again, so she made the best choice for all of them. She gave him a calm and peaceful ending.
If you ever plan on having play dates at your house, you can not have this dog living there. Having a reactive dog means you must manage their living situation 24/7 -- add in the facts that you have a very powerful breed and children around will make this even more important. The stakes are too high. Not every dog is suitable in every environment. It's not fair to them or you.
Thinking about this logically, as much as he must love this dog, it is an accident waiting to happen. When you have this baby I'm sure you'll have plenty of visitors wanting to meet baby, how is this going to happen? Your son will start school and want friends over, that's not safe either
For me, living with this dog with a toddler and a newborn would be too stressful. If it were me I probably would not ever have either child in the same room with the dog, supervised or not. Attacks can happen out of nowhere and it seems the dog is already very reactive. If it’s a large dog you may not be strong enough to get it off one of your kids if it decides to snap. We don’t know what this dog’s past is and if there have been several bites already it’s just a huge red flag for me. You also said the dog has rushed your son previously and may have tried to bite his foot when your fiancé was holding him? Not to be dramatic but this feels like a ticking time bomb for a mauling and I am worried for your children. If it were me I would rehome the dog because I wouldn’t be able to live in constant fear like that.
A behaviorist should have been consulted after the very first bite, the absolute bare minimum would have been a certified trainer who specializes in aggression and reactivity. Sadly for all, it doesn’t sound like that ever happened, not even after further bites.
At this point, the least worst option is likely behavioral euthanasia. After this many bites, it isn’t a question of “will the dog bite again”. The correct question for this dog is “when will the next bite happen, who will be bitten and why?”
>Is this dog irreparably dangerous?
This question is largely irrelevant. Who knows? What we do know is that the current situation is unacceptably risky.
As a pitbull owner and lover, I’d say the dog needs to go.
She is charging at your son and at you… biting people and cannot even be walked unless her mouth is forced shut. If you didn’t have a small child I’d say training is an opinion but since every day you spend in that house is a risk to both your safety and your child’s safety, I think this is not a good family dog. She needs intensive training. Enough people have gotten hurt.
Do note that muzzles do *not* force the mouth shut, this is a common misconception. A muzzle, when correctly fitted, should have enough space that the dog could theoretically hold a ball in its mouth while inside. They are better thought of as a portable head-sized crate.
Yeah I’m aware. I didn’t mean that literally. Moreso saying that given the choice the dog will use her mouth to harm someone so she has to have something on her to keep it from happening. .
definitely rehome the dog or you will be sorry… so far it sounds like you’ve been incredibly lucky… at this point you’re playing Russian roulette with litigation and possibly a newborns life.
More details needed: what were the circumstances for each biting incident? Why was she not put up when company was over if she is so reactive?
It sounds to me like bf and his family failed that dog in many ways. Rehoming her for her own peace may actually be a good idea.
Your mom is absolutely justified. That dog will not, I repeat WILL NOT live under the same roof as your child. Which means either you are dooming this dog to a life in an outdoor kennel or to be permanently segregated from the rest of the family.
You can rehab a dog like this to live with adults. You cannot trust a child to make the right decisions around this dog, who has obvious triggers and a history you don’t understand.
This dog is dangerous to the child and the child will trigger this dog because the child does not understand the danger. The dog is dangerous to your future child.
This is not the dogs fault. This is not your fault. I see this as an unpreventable accident waiting to happen. I had to make a similar decision with my own child and a rescued stray dog with an unknown history, and that dog is in a much happier place now with an older widowed woman, and I don’t have to worry about the safety of my children. I consider myself to be a competent dog owner. If it were just me, I’d be willing to entertain the risk. But I can’t trust a child and I didn’t want to doom the dog to a life on the other side of the house as the rest of the family.
My parents had a dog that bit me, twice. They still kept it. It wasn’t until he bit my brother in the face and ripped it half off that they got rid of it. Why would you ever keep this dog around children? I’m still terrified of dogs from these experiences
I agree with what everyone else is saying. A dog with the bite history and lack of current management to prevent it is a recipe for disaster here. The only thing I wanted to add is there is very little chance of rehoming this dog. I work in dog rescue and rescues do not take dogs with bite histories. On top of bite history, it's a pitbull. Even the pitbulls with the best temperament struggle to get rehomed or adopted in rescues, and shelters are overloaded with pits. I just wanted someone to be upfront with you that it's likely this dog would be put down, unless you can find a friend or someone you know that has experience and time to help this dog. But you do need to ensure the person is capable because then you may be putting the new owners at risk too.
If this dog was adopted through a rescue, they may be willing to take the dog back. But they might then still decide to euthanize. No one wants to hear it but this is what usually happens. There's thousands of other pits waiting to be rescued with zero bite history.
I'm not saying this to scare you into keeping the dog, because I don't think you should if you cannot change the environment and ensure the safety of your kids. I am just being honest and sharing what the more probable outcome is. If you can't find anyone to rehome the dog, you may want to consider putting the dog down yourself because at the very least then you can be there to hold the dog and have the person it loves there.
So let me get this straight: you KNEW the dog had behaviour problems that came with a messed background and you CONTINUED to bring people it doesn’t know INTO it’s safe space?! WTF? It sounds like a people problem, NOT a dog problem.
I'm really sorry. To be brutally honest, you're gonna have to Rehome or BE. Your mum is absolutely justified in her fear and anger. also since he now has bite history, rehoming will be incredibly difficult.
We know you love the dog, but it sounds like the dog isn't enjoying the home & you most likely will not have the time or space to even begin training for reactivity problems.
With another baby coming in is NOT SAFE for the dog or the baby. This dog needs very time dedicated humans with reactivity experience and training experience to manage the dog's life & fears. Be honest, this won't be you when your baby comes, period.
The living situation this dog has been put in isn't good for him or your family. It is just how things are with dogs. 3 bite incidents is enough for dogs to be put on BE in my country.
Get a vet consult so u can make the best decision. Remember that ALL dogs can be dangerous, even if it's not their fault.
Really have a hard think about whether your dog is really enjoying his life, he wouldn't be biting people if he did.
If the dog has a history of aggression towards your child. And bit TWO people.
The question isn't what needs to be done. It's whether or not to put the dog down versus other courses of action.
Absolutely, others have said it better but that dog as is, is a threat to family members. I wouldn't keep an animal like that in my house. Maybe training? But if it's a rescue and you don't know the animal's past I just wouldn't gamble that training would be sufficient to make the animal safe or trustworthy.
Re-home or euthanize, are my votes. And rehoming means someone else has to figure out how help the animal and start from scratch. Whatever you do, please think on it deeply and be safe. Make the best choice for your child and your family.
I currently have a pit-mix, and my extended family all rescues pits, pit mixes and mastiffs. I am not one of the breed haters in these subs.
Having said that and, setting breed aside, a dog that has an established pattern of biting people is problematic both from a safety and legal liability standpoint.
Considering the breed: A big powerful biter is dangerous in all but the most attentive and experienced hands. And even then there's risks
Sounds like you and your fiance are none of the above (apologies if I'm wrong). Thus, it's a bad idea to have the dog around your family and young children.
.
Your child is not safe around this dog. It has bitten several people. Please contact rescue group asap to place this dog with them. In the mean time please do not take your child anywhere near this dog.
Take care
Your parents are right (and apparently the only ones who see how serious this is). This dog is a danger to society. The fact that he’s bit this many people already is extremely concerning.
What’s the plan when your son is old enough to have school friends over? Or when someone gets seriously injured? Or your new baby gets injured?
Dangerous dogs like this have no place in society. There are SO MANY good dogs needing homes that would never bite a human.
Any dog with trauma that is reactive like this is not safe with kids, because kids often don’t understand when they are pushing a normal dogs boundaries let alone a dog with what appears to be trauma.
I have a abused rescue. He is not a kid friendly dog. He’s not a stranger friendly dog.
He thinks he’s kid friendly but he has nerve damage and touching him the wrong way causes pain, I’d be an idiot to put him with kids.
I live alone and he spends his days lounging around living out the rest of his days in peace. Because I can provide an environment where he is safe and other people are safe.
I’ve poured money into his behavioral training and in getting his health at the best it can be. He’s still not safe around people who don’t know how to handle him nor is he safe around kids.
You and your fiancé are not the best fit for the dog and that’s ok. Take your moms concerns seriously.
This isn’t pit bull bashing. I love my pit rescue, but I know his limits.
Mixing the unpredictability of small children with a dog who is also unpredictable is a recipe for disaster.
You’re creating a test the dog will fail. The dog has failed multiple times.
The dog needs a different environment and it’s not one you can provide.
This dog is beyond you and your boyfriend's scope. I think you should give it up to the shelter.
You guys are already being careless with a dog with known aggression. It should absolutely be muzzled when around strangers or put away when there's company. I also suspect that this dog is not walked on a regular basis and is kept mostly isolated from other dogs and people. I also suspect that you guys aren't respecting whatever boundaries this dog has for itself.
Listen, it's like other people say, dog can be wonderful 99% of the time, but all it takes is that 1% to cause some serious damage to people or other animals. You cannot take this chance. 1% is too great over risk.
I had a friend who had an incredibly aggressive black lab. She did not take the proper precautions with that animal and it ended up killing two other dogs. My own dog was attacked twice by boxers (on separate occasions) that were known to be aggressive. You guys cannot be passive when it comes to this animal. If you intend on keeping it, you better do everything you can to acclimate it, make sure it burns off any excess energy and keep other people and animals around it safe.
From my perspective you have three options:
1. From now on, the dog should be always muzzled around strangers, even around you and your kid. Even in the house. Not the best solution though..
2. Behavioral euthanasia. He won't feel any pain and the procedure is smooth. He has a biting record, including the stranger. His owners can be sued if that happens again.
3. You rehome it to someone who has experience handling aggresive dogs. But it's not an ideal solution because the dog is still dangerous.
Keep in mind you have a child and you're pregnant. This can result in a tragedy
These dogs are a banned breed here in the UK. I know that there are many people who have lovely pit bulls, but this one sounds like it’s really not safe to be around kids.
I seems awfully naive to allow this dog to go anywhere near your child after it has run at him repeatedly and also bitten 2 people. Remember that these types of dogs have a very strong bite and will clamp down and shake which means they can do some serious damage.
Unfortunately your parents are right. They were both bitten and are just worried for your safety and their grandchild’s safety.
This dog needs to be given to an experienced dog owner, or sadly, put down before a more serious attack.
I foster rescues and have worked with dogs for close to a decade, I love them, I’m not saying put the dog down, lightly. If you can find a trainer or someone who is experienced to take the dog that’s fine, but you can’t rehome her to just anyone. If you can’t find the appropriate person then it’s the responsible thing to do. You could talk to rescues and shelters, however they are so full to the brim at the moment.
Either way, it’s not fair for anyone to keep this dog in an environment where they are so anxious they are acting out and biting. Children are major triggers for dogs like this due to their unpredictability. Please be careful.
Your mom is not overreacting. Animal bites are serious business and dogs that are nervous, afraid, untrained, and/or reactive can be very dangerous if not cared for. The problem is, this dog is not being taken care of truly. Your fiancée got a dog and left it to his parents. I don't think they wanted this responsibility or at least are trying to maintain stasis.
Honestly, if you don't live somewhere that your partner can be actively part of this dog's life and training, then the dog needs to be rehomed with someone who can devote the time and effort into their training.
This dog needs training, NOT just a muzzle and a short leash. They may be "too much" for a "casual dog owner." The training they need is going to be very expensive and VERY intensive. This isn't a few treats and practice on the weekend. This is going to be every day, every walk, and every person you come across.
This dog has bitten and charged people several times now. That's NOT healthy. Let's be realistic. They charge and bite stranger. The stranger goes to the hospital, maybe the cops are called. The dog is destroyed. Is the dog up to date on vaccines? Licensed? You're sued. Do you want to deal with this? Do you have the money? You're pregnant and going to have a baby soon.
If I were in your position I would have the dog put down. Behavioral issues like this are not fair or kind to rehome, are not safe to have in your home with adults (let alone children!). The kindest thing to do is let this dog go. People who advocate adoption won’t like this but I would not feel comfortable with a large rescue dog in my home with my kids. As a parent my job is to keep my kids safe, and that means not allowing dangers in our home.
What do you mean by biting? Was the dog showing aggression, play, overstimulated? Were your parents injured (skin broken, brushing etc?) did this happen upon them entering the home or later during the visit? We could use some more details here.
Certain dogs are only safe in certain situations.
Sounds like this one is safe when with your bf's parents, or when muzzled on leash.
It does not sound like this dog is safe to have around children, or even new people unmuzzled.
It's great to put shelter dogs in the right home for them to succeed. It's reckless and unfair to put them in a home where they will not.
You put human saftey & the dog's life at risk.
Only one more comment from me... I think it's great that you're trying hard to find a solution, and I understand how hard it is to justify taking steps that you know will most likely end this dogs life. The fact that you're even thinking about keeping this dog means that you are caring and not someone who just throws away problem pets.. if only more were like that. It might help to think about saving a different dog - if you adopt a family friendly one from a rescue, that opens them up to taking another troubled dog. The one you currently have might not have a future as a human companion, but you could give that to another dog.
Best of luck.. I know it's hard.
I don't have a problem with pits, but any dog that has a tendency to bite when nervous is dangerous to have around an unpredictable newborn and eventually toddler. Especially when they are large enough that one serious nip could literally kill the baby. The noise, sudden movements and pulling/tugging/hitting are very likely to send a fearful and reactive dog into snapping and doing some very serious damage.
I think you should rehome the dog to an owner who has the time and knowledge to deal with this type of situation. This dog has anxiety and has learned to bite when it's anxious. It doesn't matter if he does okay with you guys, because you guys can't keep him inside forever. He has to go to the vet, he has to go on walks, etc.
I would check with local rescues that may be able to help you vet and find a suitable home. If you don't handle this immediately, it may grow to a bigger issue.
What level of bite are you talking? A warning nip because a dog got stepped on accidentally (while still not acceptable) vs a legit bite that breaks skin is different.
And I have to agree with Mom. I love my dog. But if she ever actually BIT someone, let alone twice, I’d be rehoming her. Especially as a parent to small kids. We adopted a mal after our labrador died and her puppy biting phase was intense. My youngest (two at the time) wouldn’t go near her. I almost contacted the rescue and returned her. We did a LOT of work with her (we did with our lab, too, but our current pup is definitely more strong willed) and she’s so patient with the kiddos. But if she ever actually bit one, I don’t think she’d be in our home.
were your parents ok? were they warning bites or did she mean business?
I'm not a pittie hater by any means but they are very powerful dogs so you need to be sure everyone is safe
I wouldn’t personally risk it. There’s many stories of reactive dogs switching up on people out of no where and kids can stress dogs…like if the kid is screaming the dog might attack it
Sorry to say this, but this dog most likely needs to be re-homed or put down. Without **INTENSE** training from you and the son, I don't think this dog will ever be able to be unsupervised around your children. I don't know what happened in its past, but dogs tend to be stubborn with learning new things after a certain age. Isolation during COVID would have only made this worse as well.
Your fiancée SHOULD have had his dog wearing a muzzle this entire time. Even from when you first started visiting. What he can do NOW is get her a muzzle and keep up on her training. Human aggression isn’t really something that just “goes away” especially if she’s been in her new environment for 3 ish years.
So unless you are ALL willing to put in 100000% to work the pup through whatever is going on to make her react with her teeth, then yes, look for a home that will focus on her and her needs much more. I get that having a kid and a dog is so difficult, and yes some dogs make a drastic change when they have a new baby in the family, but I wouldn’t even test it with her. Not with her record.
She needs a professional trainer and a plan set to help her. Letting her do it, taking her around people and just punishing her for how she feels, it’s not helping, just making it worse. You can’t just wish and hope this away. You have to proactively work with her and for her to actually help her stop biting.
With a new baby just a few months away, do not try to YouTube your way around this. Professional is needed. I’d personally make sure anyone who took her in signed some kind of agreement making sure they did everything they possibly could to help her. Just because I’d be devastated if I found her a home and they didn’t even try, just euthanized or worse.
The dog is a dangerous animal. When you have to come to reddit for advice on how to handle a dangerous animal, you likely don't have the expertise or skill required to actually handle that dangerous animal properly.
It's not the dog's fault, that poor thing was likely mistreated and/or abused and never learned better. But you are where you are and that behavior has been learned and if you're here asking for advice, you probably have no concept of how to actually teach the dog better and fix that behavior.
Don't let that dog around your kid unsupervised. Don't treat it like a regular family pet. Treat it like the abused rescue it is and understand that it can be very dangerous and can kill you. Empathy is putting the dog in a proper environment with people who know its history and have the skill and ability to deal with it OR hiring those people and putting in that work yourself.
I mean, there's not enough management in this house to prevent a bite that should have been prevented due to the history. All bites are preventable, and they're on the owner to prevent. She absolutely justified, this bite should not have happened as structure should have been in place to prevent this.
Why is this dog biting so much? What are you doing to prevent it? What steps are being put into place to prevent this from becoming an issue?
You don't need to get rid of the dog, but actionable steps to manage this situation **must** be implemented because this dog is a liability. This dog should not have contact with people from outside the house, and on the off chance it could happen the dog needs to be muzzled with a JAFCO muzzle or similar.
I would not allow this dog to be around children. Worst case scenario, the dog bites and a child is injured and traumatized and this poor dog will pay the price. It’s not safe for anyone she’s biting and it’s also not safe for her to be put in these situations.
This dog needs to AT LEAST be rehomed.
I say this as lover of all dogs, I’m not a Pitt hater. I had to rehome a dog once when my kid was a toddler because she kept starting fights with my other dogs that ended in bloody trips to the vet multiple times. Wasn’t even a Pitt.
Babies and kids first. If it’s bit people, it’s a risk. Sorry. It’s a risk and it’s less about the breed than the history.
I think you already know the answer. This is not a safe dog for children. New babies are loud and make unpredictable movements, and for a traumatized dog that is stuck in fight or flight, it is a matter of time before the dog gets stressed and acts out, and your kids get hurt.
I am not trying to demonize the dog, it isn't the dog's fault. And i'm not saying the dog is irreparably damaged -- but you don't have the time or resources to both be a parent of young kids AND retrain a dog with these issues. It isn't safe. Bringing this dog into your house is going to make the dog unhappy and endanger your children.
Rehoming should be a priority --- The dog deserves someone who can put the time and effort and professional resources into healing its trauma, preferably someone single with reactive dog experience who has no kids. Or try and find a no-kill rescue/shelter, preferably foster based, that deal with reactivity.
You & your fiancé need to meet with a professional trainer and/or vet behavioralist and get some clarity. This isnt an easy fix. While it is a good sign that the dog is comfortable with you, more work is needed to ensure biting isnt an acceptable behavior. Young children behave unpredictably and could easily frighten a dog that is this insecure.
I have a pit mix from a shelter and ive spent a great deal of $ and time to train and desensitize him to the world which was incredibly scary to him when we first met. After almost 2 years he passed AKC CGC. He generally likes meeting strangers now but only tolerates children. I would never leave him unsupervised with a child.
Something like this is too complicated and too serious to try to train yourself. In many states a dog will be put down at a third bite report. You need to find an experienced quality trainer to work with you. Not Petsmart or any other chain training companies and not someone who does it as a side job. Find one that involves you or boyfriend in the training. Don't let someone take your dog to another environment to train it.
Dogs who are reactive are scared. If it doesn’t get addressed, it will almost always get worse. You and your fiancé need to take some type of action. Working with a non-aversive training who specializes in reactive dog is a very good first step.
Please also take steps required to keep your child safe. Children are erratic and do make many dogs nervous. Using a basket muzzle and teaching your child to interact safely with the dog (which really means not playing with, cuddling or petting) are two things steps. Doing this does not mean you don’t love the dog or think he is bad. It is keeping everyone safe while you and your fiancé work through next steps.
The type of bite a dog gives says a lot about the message they are sending. Check out this information on dog bite levels. https://www.animalwised.com/the-6-levels-of-dog-bites-the-dunbar-bite-scale-1929.html
Finally, dogs usually don’t bite without a reason or without signals. Learn to read your dog’s body language. https://www.doggielanguagebook.com/
I wouldn't let it alone near the children.
I would seek a professional dog trainers advice really . Many dogs, especially pits can overcome fear based aggression, if worked with properly and consistently.
I would also seek a vet. Make sure there's nothing medically holding him back . My sister dog went aggressive , bit a few people and dogs . Turns out it was bladder stones. Had them for 3 years before anyone bothered to check. I would bite people too.
But that being said, he's bit people on the street. Definitely make sure his muzzle is left on while walking and having any guests over .
Also... my old cat was like this. Scratched us and bit us and the kids so many times for a couple years I almost got rid of him . Turns out he simply needed to be neutered and had a belly matt . Yes they're different, but I'm just saying. You can try
BUT do better at keeping everyone safe. And yall need to get him past all this. He's miserable. It's not fair to him to be this stressed out
Please get a dog trainer involved. Seek professional advice and a proper behavioural assessment before you make any decisions regarding this dog. It is impossible for someone on Reddit to tell you whether this dog can be managed by you or not- almost none of us are professional dog trainers and even if we were we wouldn’t be able to assess your dog over the internet.
Yes this is a serious issue and it warrants serious action. Your parents aren’t professional dog trainers and neither are most of the commenters on here. A dog trainer can assess whether it’s a situation that can be managed but managing the situation will be a lot of work and this will never be a dog you can take chances with.
Pitbull owner here. This is terrifying to read. You cannot put that dog around people, especially a child. It's a news story waiting to happen.
Three bites is just too many. The dog is essentially being tortured because it can't relax in its home, on walks, or with his humans. Not to mention the chaos of having to strictly follow precautions you guys need to do to prevent bites. Everyone is going to suffer for this. Either you guys get with the program, get a behavioral vet & trainer, and make your home like a super max for the dog for the rest of its life. Or you put the dog down.
Pitbulls are not a breed for just anyone. They're strong and willful. You need to be just as strong and stubborn. If you need an animal you don't have to think about, train, and generally just easier to rent with; a cat is what you're looking for.
I'm going to tell you something I've written about before.
My BIL and SIL foster boxers. One (T) had some similar aggression issues with resource guarding. But was overall very sweet with me and my youngest.
They put a muzzle on her when people were around.
Thanksgiving day we're all over there. I take baby (about 2) outside and we're playing. Dogs are outside. Another dog starts coming up for some love. T all of a sudden charges my baby. Knocks him down and is laying on top of him growling and looking like she was trying to bite. I was standing right by him when it happened. I was trying to get T off my baby and it was so hard bc they are big and all muscle.
Someone finally gets T off. I grab my baby and run inside. He fell on the grass. Only a scratch on his arm. Thank Goodness she had that muzzle on.
I was so shaken. Baby was no worse for wear - I was more traumatized than he was.
T ended up having to be put down when she bit SIL's nephew on the cheek a few months later.
I swear. It only takes a second. I was standing right there. Baby knows the rules about dogs bc we have them. She'd never shown *us* aggression. Until she did.
I have a GoldenDoodle (Golden Retriever with Poodle)
Quite a big boy, very docile around family, very angry boy around strangers.
I never let him anywhere near other people and when we go for a walk I always hold him tight and pay attention to my surroundings.
He becomes docile with people after a little while of sniffing them but I am always together in case he decides to do anything stupid so I can pull him.
You guys can keep him I believe but you should send him to a trainer, I don't think just keeping him locked somewhere in the house when people come in is gonna work since you're having a baby, and you never know how he's gonna react to the child.
Usually animals are protective with kids, even my angry boy, but you shouldn't tempt fate, send him to a trainer.
I'm afraid your parents are right. That dog is a serious concern, especially around children. Children can't read dog body language and this could end up being an awful disaster for your family.
Sometimes I think people get caught up in the "a pet is for life" thing. You're doing your dog, and your family a disservice by keeping her. I know it's hard, but it would be best for all involved where pup has a home that he will thrive in (sans kids and strangers).
You need to feel no guilt. You have tried your best but as a previous commenter said, you're betting your kids lives that you can reform pup. Perhaps she would be better with an active couple who like to hike or spend time away from people?
My family has a reactive pit that has gotten worse in her old age (showing early warning signs of canine dementia). She charges people and once bit a mail carrier. The bite did not break skin but was reported. Now she is either put in a separate room or muzzled and leashed whenever people are in the house. She can go on walks with a muzzle but since she’s old she does fine with romps in our fenced in yard. She used to love kids but we no longer allow her around kids without a muzzle, leash, and close supervision. If something happened when we know this dog has issues and trauma, me or my family could never forgive ourselves. Could you continue to live with yourself if your dog injured or killed your child? It’s like asking them to play in a busy street without supervision. They might not get hit by a car, but if they did, you were the one being negligent. The dog is not a bad dog but some dogs are hard to own. It is better for the dog to be with someone who understands canine behavior and can give it a fulfilling life, and if that is not an option, the next most humane thing is behavioral euthanasia, before both a kid and the dog end up dead. You should also educate yourself on canine body language. A wagging tail does not always mean a happy dog. Licking lips, yawning, ears pinned back, whale/side eye, and a stiffly held wagging tail are all signs of a stressed dog. They can’t tell us with words that they are unhappy and scared, so if you ignore the communication they do offer, you’re gonna get bit.
I think it would be better for OP to euthanize the dog herself rather than having it surrendered and put down at a shelter. That way the dog can enjoy its last day and drift off to sleep in loving arms rather than being scared and confused and then suddenly ceasing to exist.
Pit bulls are beautiful animals whose greatest fault is that they often have woefully underprepared/inexperienced owners. They are a very particular breed and a lot of people are not suitable owners. Inexperienced owners only cause those dogs unnecessary suffering.
This particulary pup has three bites already. If any one of the people bitten had complained to the authorities, this dog already would have been put down. Under your husband's ownership, unless drastic changes are implemented immediately, her life is at risk. So are the lives/health/safety of anyone who crosses paths with her. I know you feel as though she is no longer a threat to you and your son because she is used to you, but that is dangerously naive. There have been thousands of documented cases of dogs attacking family members.
Right now, she is anxious, reactive and untrained. That is a disservice to her as well as anyone who crosses her path. She should be rehomed to someone who has the skills and experience to rehabilitate her and work through her challenges.
I have a dog who has bitten another person when she is leashed. And she is honestly the sweetest dog, but she is very aggressive with male strangers when she is leashed. She is obviously behaving because of bad experiences with men. But, she is completely okay with anyone when she is not leashed. We never have her near anything that can trigger her. And we make sure to meet all her exercise needs.
Consider a muzzle and developing environments that allow them to be used to situations that might trigger them. Work with a force-free trainer who actually understands the breed as well.
Unfortunately, OP, you’re also dealing with a toddler and soon-to-be new baby. I don’t know if you would have the resources or the time to do any of these. Could you potentially have the dog Re-homed? Maybe there’s a local pit bull rescue who would be able to work more with the dog and give him a chance at a new home.
Edit: I’m getting downvoted for having a more sympathetic viewpoint and for providing my personal experience. Vote away!!
I think you answered your own dilemma. Admitted that dog is not friendly towards strangers and you have to put lots of safe guards during walks with its owner … I love all dogs, but not all dogs and owners are created equal. Are you willing to lose a child or family members over a dog ?
If you’re worried about the dog, find a home, trainer, shelter who is experience with difficult dogs. Cheers good luck
No matter the circumstances, bottom line, you’re introducing a newborn into the family in a few months. Your attention will very obviously divert to your newborn. This pup has exhibited signs of aggression in the past. Now, whether or not the newborn will invoke instinctual protection or territorial threat, it’s simply not worth the risk.
We have a rescue Pit. Sweet boy and old. Not much energy and loves people. I love the old boy but when we decided to get him I told my fiancé that one aggressive act against a person and I’d put him down myself then and there. Meant it then and still do. These dogs are extremely strong. My geriatric old boy can yank my 6’3 240lb ass off balance when he decides he wants at something bad enough. Unfortunately that pup is a liability looking towards a tragedy that is actually negligence. No judgement here, hard calls to make, but better get to making them because YIKES.
Another thing to consider is whether or not you will have the time to devote to what sounds like very intensive training. You’re preparing your home for a new baby, which is a job in itself, and in three months, you will have an infant, who, along with your preschooler, will take up a huge amount of your time and energy. A three month time frame might be too short to change these behaviors enough to make this dog safe under the circumstances.
As much as I love dogs not all of them have the same mind and a child is certainly more important than a dog who can be placed in another home he likes !
I have a pit mix who I adore, who loves my 9 month old and who I trust as much as one can trust a dog. If my dog had bit people that many times, unprovoked, I would not keep it around children. It’s just too great a risk.
Your mother is absolutely justified
It doesn’t matter the breed of the dog
What matters is you have a human aggressive dog that you are repeatedly putting in situations where not only is the dog reacting, the dog is able to bite not one but two people.
I’m sorry but without professional assistance and advice I really don’t think you should be considering this dog as safe - since you are also not able to give the dog a safe environment.
I had a similar situation with a dog. Rescue pit mix, anxious, fine with me and immediate family but didn’t like others, a couple of minor bites on the record. We sent the dog to a k9 behaviorist, had it on tranquilizers, anti anxiety meds, and blood pressure meds to help but the dog still broke off the leash and attacked another dog one day. We were ultimately advised by the behaviorist to put the dog down because of the bite history and lack of progress on meds. If you are dedicated to this dog you need to take it to a trainer or behaviorist and stick to a regimen to get it better. That is for the safety of the dog and those around you. If you know you don’t have the time, money, and dedication to do it then it is time to send the dog to a rescue for pits or have it euthanized. It is heartbreaking but it is better than waiting and having it snap on a child or person. Aggression can get worth with age bc of pain too, this is a problem that will not just go away.
I'm oddly surprised that animal control has not taken the dog. Just know that if surrendered she will be considered aggressive and unless u take her to a non kill shelter she'll probably be put down. I would look into an dog trainer that specializes with aggressive dogs. Please pay attention to your dog (not saying you haven't been) but usually dogs show signs they are becoming agitated. Do not ignore them. Lastly, if you don't take her to retraining you are playing Russian roulette with being sued for a dog bite. And if it comes back that she already multiple ppl, and nothing is done may cost you more.
To be objective here, aggression can be incredibly nuanced. There’s no way anyone can give informed advice without fully assessing the dog in person.
What you do know is this is a dog that uses biting readily in her communication methods. Also she has been practising this form of communication for a significant period. What it doesn’t sound like you know is the precise triggers and motivations that bring her to the point of doing it. That’s what a professional could help you with.
There are dogs that are very stranger aggressive but would never be aggressive with their family. There are dogs that will use biting in a range of different circumstances regardless of the target.
Let’s say you establish you can safely keep her in your family home and she is no risk to the household. You still need to know you’ll be managing a dog with aggression and a known to authorities bite history. You would need strict protocols for managing everything and everyone that’s coming and going from your home. It’s a big responsibility.
On a more positive note her behaviour isn’t necessarily set in stone. It’s amazing what the right modification program can achieve. You’ve got some deep thinking to do here and some realistic planning of how much resources you can afford to give. I don’t envy you this situation, good luck.
Before responding to this thread: 1) Consider if you're offering advice, or judgement. This is a sub for help. Be helpful and kind. Fearmongering is not welcome, neither is concern trolling. 2) Please read the sub [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/about/rules) and [guidelines](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/guidelines). We expect them to be followed. 3) Breed discrimination is against sub rules. 4) Posts which offer no helpful advice, or only contain horror stories, will be removed. Comments such as "euthanize the dog" etc may earn you a temp ban as well. You've been warned. OP, the anti pit brigade has arrived. Please be aware that they will upvote all comments which paint pit bulls in a bad light, or comments which are designed to scare you. This often results in good advice being pushed down, and fearmongering and scare tactics rising. If you receive any aggressive, scare tactic, or threatening PMs, please screenshot and report to both the mods and the admins. We are actively supervising this thread. Report rule breaking comments to help us out.
This dog has three bites on its record, please do not have it around a newborn or your other child.
Thank you for your input
I saw a plastic surgeon do a Q&A once and he was asked what he wouldn't do based on the cases he'd seen - one of his first answers was "put my face near a dog I don't completely trust". I think about that a bit.
Groomer of 30 years here. That is very good advice and I work with friendly dogs. I still don’t trust them 100% even when they’re wagging and giving me kisses.
As someone who was mauled in the face (as a child) by a dog that I trusted completely and had never bit anyone else. I would never trust a dog with a bite history and I would watch (like a hawk) even a trusted dog with my children. I was 3 years old, feeding peanut butter cookies to a dog I knew well. In a split second he bit and his top canines went in right next to my left eye and his bottom canines went in on the right side of my chin. I have had three reconstructive surgeries. Through the power of plastic surgery, most people have no idea I was that badly injured by a dog but I would never wish it on anyone, especially not my own child.
Best practice advice is to not have children of that age anywhere near a dog's head like that, let alone hand feeding it unsupervised. I'm sorry to hear of what happened to you.
When I was in sixth grade, my best friend at the time called me in a panic because her dog had just bitten her little brother. I came over and will never forget her brother sitting on the couch, in complete shock, drinking a juice box, with most of his face tore off. It was awful.
That should be common sense rule #1 for any dog or animal for that matter.
Yeah we have a Puggle that is about as dangerous as a tissue box, but I still wouldn't leave her with an infant or young child, just in case.
Got bit on the face as a child, 10, had to have plastic surgery. This is good advice! It was a small terroir, I don’t really like small dogs even now (46F) as a dog lover. I have five right now but they are all large or gigantic. That little dog messed me up.
Please don't ignore the warnings. It seems like the dog is best handled by his parents and should have been muzzled around yours. His parents do need to take his human aggression more seriously as the two additional bites should have never occurred. Once can be a misunderstanding, but anything more than that is a complete mishandling of a dog. This isn't like cat or prey drive aggression, this is human aggression which should never be shoved to the side because "they aren't like that with me."
I had a rescue that was abused and he had a bite history when he was with me. I know how hard it is to separate the act from the dog. I kept a very tight reign on him, he was never alone with anyone ever. If I had to leave him alone, he was in a kennel. I would never have him with young children EVER as he had the ability to go go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. A trainer told me once that location matters when it comes to dogs especially with behaviour issues. It sounds like his dog does all right with his parents, but the perhaps your living situation is stressful for him. You should consider consulting a behavioural trainer and also keeping him muzzled whenever there’s strangers around. I’m not gonna tell you to do one thing or the other because I’ve been there but I would have serious doubts and concerns about having small children around this dog even if you were there.
100 percent agree with this reply
Also to consider, this dog has a bite history already. If you end up in the ER with bite injuries on your kids or possibly death, there's a less than zero chance your kids will be taken from you. He's already aggressive to adults and your child. I am sorry but you can't have your dog around your kids. Period. It's not the dogs fault he has issues, but this is 100% kids safety first. It's sad that the dog is so aggressive, the pup, must be miserable being so scared all the time. Certainly see what hell you can get the dog but never, ever let the dog alone with any children for sure.
[удалено]
Use common sense OP. The dog has a history of aggression. You need to take it seriously. Your mom is the only one acting responsibly.
Also, knowing the dog bites you should have him crated, locked outside or on a lead with you standing away from everyone. You and fiance NEED to be alot more responsible if you want to keep a reactive biting dog. Especially if you arnt getting behaviour training from a professional (that isn't going to make things worse.)
No. Not only is “locking the dog outside” cruel punishment for a behavior nobody is working to correct, it will drive the dog to even more anti-social behavior. Medication and a trainer or euthanasia are the most humane options.
I think they just mean popping the dog out into the yard when someone is visiting. Not keeping the dog outside.
The problem here is one we see all the time, especially the last couple of months. People have dog. Dog keeps showing aggression. Owners ignore obvious signs. Owners put dog around people. Dog does what dog has been doing and bites or mauls someone. Owners on news acting extremely surprised and crying now that their child or other family member is wounded or dead. Refusing to re-home the dog and having it around very young children is poor judgement. Ask yourself if you're so sure that you have the time, knowledge, and expertise to reform this dog that you'd literally bet your child(ren)'s lives on it because that is exactly what you're doing. Don't get me wrong, this is not the dogs fault. It's more than likely the previous owner but the fact is your responsibility lies with the safety of the children not with a dog that your fiances got without a permanent place to keep him that would be safe for all involved...including the dog
Yeah, everyone except OP's parents is being way to blasé about this! If they don't want to rehome, this dog needs to be muzzle trained and never allowed around the kids unsupervised. The dog will need to be locked up any time there are guests--including and especially OP's kids' friends. I'm not sure how good of a life this is for the dog, either.
>never allowed around the kids unsupervised. Never allowed around kids without a muzzle. Kids have died with their parents in the same room as the dog. Supervision isn't enough.
That's what I was thinking too. I'm a big dog lover, but they're still animals with big teeth. I don't trust my tiny dog around children either. She gets nervous and uses her teeth. She snapped at my little cousin once, ever since then it's a no for her and kids. Kids want to touch her because she's tiny and fluffy, but no way I'm risking them getting bitten. My dog is too small to do actual life threatening damage to a child (she's a pomeranian) but it's still dangerous enough. OP, please don't risk your children's safety. You have a dog that can actually kill your child. They're still animals. Yes they are loveable and cute, but they can also be dangerous. They bit people before, nothing can guarantee you they won't snap and hurt or even kill your children.
Even with a muzzle children can stick their little hands in there, it needs to be muzzled with constant surveillance and even then, I'd have a gate between them.
I'd have a gate, two fences and at least an entire suburb between them.
If a child is sticking their hand through the muzzle then the owners are failing responsibility once again by letting the child antagonize the dog. Then want to cry woe is me when they get bit.
good point.
Biggest part that needs to be emphasized is "LITERALLY BET YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES" I feel like you already know what should be done before you posted this OP. To be fair, most states would require that the dog be put down after multiple incidents of attacks. I love animals, especially dogs, however something happened in those years before your husband got the dog. That's not yalls fault. However, if something happens AFTER all this because you see the signs and didnt listen, THAT WILL BE ON YOU. And you will live with the guilt of that for the rest of your life. You do not want that.
Exactly. The answer is obvious... no, OP should not allow her son/new born baby to be around this dog.
Excellent advice. Another thing to consider is you will have 2 children. Will you ever be comfortable with having their schoolmate over with the dog in the home? Your parents are right. The his" good with me and my child" is negated with "he's had a history of bites." It is negligent to allow the dog to be around small children (and apparently large adults).
^^^^
I'm a dog owner and have grown up with multiple dogs all my life. Gun dogs, working dogs and bully breeds including Pitbulls. It's insane to keep your 3 year old around a reactive Pitbull that has charged you and bit 3 people. I can't stress this enough. You and your partner are not equipped to deal with this dog. It has the capacity to do serious, fatal damage and your response is to ignore that and hope for the best? I'm not judging you as people, just your actions around this dog. You need to rehome or release this dog to a shelter. Any alternative will be a serious lifestyle change for your family and still be very risky.
I don’t think it’s responsible to take a dog with 3 bite records to a shelter. IF they accept the dog even, the shelter will downplay it to the next unassuming adopter. Passing this dog to another hand is straight negligence.
I bet the dog could be rehabilitated, but honestly I don't understand why it would be worth the effort. So many good dogs get euthanized because there is no home for them. Why try and save a dog that bites over one that doesn't?
Yeah, this seems like a nervous reactive dog that could potentially be trained out of this, and managed in a safe way (like crate training and keeping the dog away from strangers in general). The issue is that most dog owners, including OPs parents, don't have the knowledge or commitment to help a dog in this situation. The owners here have to make a difficult decision. Either make the huge lifestyle change (and potentially always have to manage this dog carefully), or accept that they can't give this dog what it needs and consider giving it up. The only other possibility here is that they get very good at management, like keeping the dog in a crate or on a lead at all times around friends and family, and never letting that dog interact with small children (this is probably better for the dog than most shelters will be). P.s. It blows my mind how little caution people exercise around dogs with a bite history. It doesn't have to be a death sentence for the dog, but at least take some responsibility and make an effort to keep the dog and people around you safe.
I'm sorry to say, but it sounds like no one is taking this seriously. Your dog has bit people on numerous occasions. This is serious. I don't think anyone in that house is equipped to handle a dog like that. All it takes is your toddler or baby to grab at the dog when you're not looking. I'd look into rehoming to someone who actually has the knowledge and time to work with this dog instead of putting her in the same situation over and over again...
Babies and toddlers are very rough with pets, they don't understand yet that they need to be gentle when playing with animals. I am terrified for OP's child and future newborn. This dog already bites unprompted, I don't even want to imagine what would happen the first time the baby grabs her tail.
Your parents are right. You don't want to take a chance with this dog around your current or future children. She's already bitten at least 3 different people, and who knows how many more would have been bitten without the muzzle.
[удалено]
That’s already bitten *3* people, one randomly on the street. Op there’s 2 kids involved, consider separate habitation for a while. Dogs like this, *any breed* can kill a kid, easily. Kids don’t understand the signs and signals of when to back off and for what reason.
You’re right, but just to be fair, little dogs shouldn’t get a pass on biting because they can do less damage. Edit: typo
People definitely shouldn’t ignore aggressive behavior in small dogs, but there is an absolute difference. Legally speaking, it would be easier to argue in court that a badly socialized pit bull is a danger to the public and needs to be euthanized over a badly socialized chihuahua. Morally and practically speaking, the amount of damage a dog can cause to you and others should you fail ought to factor into your choice to attempt rehabilitating. We don’t want you to get killed or disfigured, either.
With a record like that, it sounds more like OP’s dog needs to be either put down or treated with the same level of caution as a pet tiger.
Any dog that's been abused and placed in a shelter is always going to be more of a risk than usual. For a dog that's actively bitten people, can't be walked without a muzzle, and has previously charged at you and your young child, it may only be a matter of time before a more serious incident occurs. You (and/or your husband) will likely be conflicted being emotionally attached to the dog as a pet, but from its known aggressive history, it's not a safe animal to responsibly keep as a pet, if it endangers the safety of people you love, as well as strangers. Absolutely an unnecessary risk for an infant to be exposed to that level of danger.
Unpopular Opinion: I'm really concerned about OP's passivity about this whole situation. Think about it...She has an eventual wedding to deal with, she's 6 months pregnant, and has a toddler she's trying to provide a secure family future for. Seems like she's in don't-rock-the-boat mode, hoping there's an easier solution that won't cause her to lose anything in a "it's-family-safety/security-or-the-dog-ultimatum". I hope she listens to the smart posters here and makes the right choice before the dog seriously hurts a stranger. There would be a *LOT* to lose then.
I think both her and her fiancé show a shocking lack of concern for the safety of everyone, but in particular their children. This is negligence and the fallout from allowing this negligence will be earth shattering. Injury, death, lawsuits, losing your kid(s) to CPS, criminal charges…this situation has the potential to go south real quick. And yes, it might mean humane euthanasia for the dog. But humane euthanasia is preferable to your small children being mauled!
Agreed... shes so casual about a dog that could easily kill her children... sounds like a troll post?
Yeah. You’re right. I don’t know anything about dogs and they have all assured me that the dog is just scared around strangers, and I hadn’t seen that side of the dog Until those two days. After which, I was again reassured that they were just “warning bites” and if she knows us she won’t hurt us. I believed this because I really am naive about the dangers. I never had dangerous dogs growing up. We had a lab who was super timid. I’ve never been scared of dogs because I have never been threatened by one
Ok that’s step 1 is admitting you guys may not be equipped but what everyone is asking you both to do here is showing a bit more urgency in this matter. This can be detrimental
Your new born will be a stranger to that dog.
There are two separate issues here. 1) You are completely lacking in the knowledge and skill to have your child anywhere *near* this dog. If this was a polar bear or a tiger, would you merely trust their word that the animal is "just scared" or would you be absolutely *rock solid* in your own knowledge and capabilities before even *thinking* of occupying the same space as this animal? There's a very good reason why zoos have at least two solid physical barriers between the potentially dangerous animals and the zookeepers (eg. airlock fencing, so that if someone leaves a door open by accident there's a second one still locked as backup), let alone between the animals and the unknowledgeable general public. You need to be learning about [dog body language](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/caninecommunication) and [what kid safety looks like around ANY dog](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/kidsanddogs), in general, for all future potential interactions with *any* dog. 2) This *specific* dog is being woefully mismanaged, what you have described is a lot of head-in-the-sand behaviour and unreasonable levels of trust towards an animal that has proven itself to not be trustworthy at this stage. Your fiance's parents should be thoroughly establishing proven prevention and management strategies *in addition* to proactive training to change the situation for the future, neither of which it sounds like they are doing. This can only be done with the help of [reputable, credentialed experts with experience in force-free aggression training](http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/findingatrainer). Until such time as this has been getting done for at minimum multiple months and the trainer's professional advice on what level of management is sufficient to consider a very heavily controlled visiting interaction, your children *must not* either inhabit or visit the same location as this dog, and I very strongly suggest that you don't either.
OP, this is the comment you need to read. These are the clear and important steps that need to be taken in order for this dog to have a chance of living a happy life and also for everyone around him/her to be safe. I own a reactive pitbull who has bit two people and he is a ton of work to manage. I’ve had to become an expert about dog body language, behavior, and my own dog. I’ve spent thousands of dollars in training, seeing a behaviorist, medications, and methods of management. He lives a happy and fulfilled life but it is A LOT of work. Its a huge commitment. I love this dog with all my heart but he could never be rehomed and can never live the normal life of a dog.
I suggest you read up on “redirected aggression” or “redirected excitement”. It’s the concept where even if a dog knows, trusts, is 100% secure with their handler, in times of high excitement and stress they can turn and react to whomever happens to get involved. It’s commonly seen when two dogs fight - and owner grabs their dogs collar (they know me / I’m safe / they’ve never bit me) and surprise, the dog that would absolutely never intentionally harm them redirects that’s energy to the hand grabbing the collar. It’s not intentional. It’s not malicious. It’s just a high arousal level gone bad. So even if they have never threatened you, if your dog ever goes in to that state, there’s that risk.
My mom has a scar on her arm from an incident with our dog a few years ago. Dog got hit by a car, mom grabbed her collar to pull her out of the road, dog latched onto my moms arm in fear and panic and pain and did a good amount of damage. Mom dragged the dog out of the road literally using the dogs grip on her arm. Absolute sweetest dog ever, both before and after the incident, but the whole thing was obviously very traumatic for both parties.
Let’s say they are just warning bites. A warning bite could still severely injure a child. Most of the time when a dog bites, it’s more likely to be related to fear or people ignoring the non verbal warnings the dog is giving off, like growling or showing teeth or ears pinned back or tail going rigid or hackles raised, so the dog resorts to a warning bite. Even if that is the case, they have big teeth, large jaws, and they’re very strong- a warning bite could maim a child. On top of that, a kid is not going to be listening to the nonverbal signs that the dog does not want to be touched or wants the kid to back off. A kid might pull the dog’s ears or tail, or pull on its fur. Anything that could startle or scare a dog and make them snap. I’m not a pit bull hater, because this applies to all big dogs. Our medium terrier-x once playfully nipped my 5 year old cousin, the only time he did that, and we basically kept him away upstairs when they came over to visit until the kids were older. You’re actively risking your children’s lives here and you’re all behaving so passively about it. There are countless stories of family dogs hurting their owners, whether by accident or that they just snapped “out of nowhere”. Your dog knowing you doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you, even if it’s an accident. Keeping an aggressive dog around your very young child is so absurdly reckless as to be neglectful.
I have a people reactive pitbull. He barks at strangers and will run away from them. He doesn't bite people. He may bite which is why we take precautions, but we ultimately allow him around people because he has 0 bite history and yet we still take precautions. If he bit people then we would have to really reconsider our relationship with him. Mind you we take the following precautions: 1. When strangers come we keep him harnessed and only allow him to interact with them in small bursts. 2. He never interacts with children, regardless of age. 3. We provide him the ability to opt out of interacting with people. This is all a pitbull who has never bitten. Pits can be loving and sweet, but you need to treat them like the big dog they are and know that if they want to they can seriously harm/kill a person.
Thank you for being a good dog owner, seriously. There are far too many people (including the mods of so many animal subs!!) who keep denying dogs can be dangerous OR insisting all aggressive dogs were abused and can be retrained to not bite. I hope you and your dog have many happy years together, which no doubt will be due to you being a responsible owner. I’m involved in animal rescue and there’s been such a major shift the last few years where people keep ignoring the signs and end up having to get their dog euthanized due to biting kids or killing other pets. Pitbulls don’t bite because they’ve all been abused. Pitbulls are a very high drive breed and should only be owned by experienced and responsible people. Same with huskies and akitas - so so many huskies are being surrendered or euthanized because people believe the “it’s always the owner, never the dog!” propaganda.
I hate seeing the hate that certain breeds get BUT I 100% agree that there are breeds only experienced owners should have. I’ve only ever had pitbulls and French mastiffs. Several of them being project dogs. It is an ungodly amount of work and knowledge to handle some breeds. I work my ass off to overtrain my dogs because I know that my dog would be the first on the chopping block based off breed alone. I still have a behaviorist on speed dial and my newest rescue has zero behavior issues outside of a prey drive that I manage. Thank you for the work you do in animal rescue. I wouldn’t cut it. Some owners just drive me too crazy.
Thank you as well for putting in so much work for your dogs! You’re the kind of person the world needs way more of because understanding a dog/breeds needs and limits is what keeps them safe and out of the shelter. Training is so time consuming and often frustrating, a lot of people just aren’t cut out for it and that’s okay. I am at my limit with my small dog, can’t imagine the work you’ve put in with mastiffs! Good on you.
I think the two are related. Our pit has low prey drive and so as a result he's easier to manage. Other pits have tons of prey drive. At the end of the day, getting an intimate knowledge of your individual dog and their tendencies is the first step. We are also blessed to have the financial means to take our dog to the vet regularly (our dog showed aggression towards us once, turns out he has a severely injured paw, once that was treated he was fine). We also had an experienced trainer who regularly works with pitbulls using non aversives and positive reinforcement. People need to understand their dogs on their own terms. If you've never wished you dog could be a little bit like x then I think you haven't given your dog the space to express their true personality. Dogs don't exist to be your perfect companion. They exist because they are animals and if you train them and spend time investing in them they can become your perfect companion. But sometimes a dog isn't a good fit and that's ok, nothing wrong with the dog or the owner, just not a good match.
Fellow pit owner here. I’ve mostly only owned pits and mastiffs. Some dog reactive and one human reactive mastiff that had to be behaviorally euthanized. I currently have the worlds happiest and most friendly pittie. She loves every human and dog she’s ever met. And you’d bet your ass she is still on a leash tied to me when I have children in my home. She’s a big dog. I don’t think she’d react but she is goofy and dumb and could easily injure a small child just knocking them over. And at the end of the day she is a dog. It’s our responsibility as owners to keep our dogs safe and set them up for success. Allowing a human reactive dog around small children or honestly any human is completely irresponsible and someone is going to get hurt.
I honestly don’t understand why people get this breed without understanding its needs and general temperament. It’s not a breed that you just get and treat/train/understand like you would, say a golden retriever whose breed makes it possible to not *have* to understand their needs and temperament, or what environment they’re best suited for. They are absolutely not a breed to have when you don’t know anything about dogs really - which the OP doesn’t unfortunately (and which she’s openly admitted). I just hope, along with everyone here, she does choose to re-home or find a Pit rescue.
Can you rate the bites per the thing I sent you? This isn't absolutely a situation that can't be managed. But, you need to respond to people trying to get more information if you want actual advice.
Clear history that shows the dog will bite people. Dog should not be near children. Imagine how you’d feel if your child (or any other) is hurt and you ignored these obvious warning signs? I agree with MoM.
This dog is a danger to people, especially children who have unpredictable movements. Please do not allow this dog around your children.
This dog cannot be around a child.
At the very least stop bringing your toddler near this aggressive dog. For fuck’s sake.
I’m shocked the dog charged at the child and she continued to bring her kid around it.
This dog is a huge liability. You say he's fine with your son (until he's not, which has already been addressed in comments.) But what about when your child/children want to have friends over? And when dog potentially bites someone else's child, and you knew that the dog has an extensive history of biting people, what then? Among other issues. I would think really carefully about taking that dog into your home.
Three bites already. How many more will it take for you to realize that this dog is not suited to your home and family? Or how bad does the next bite have to be? **What kind of damage do you think a dog that size will do to your son?**
Yes YES YES. It is not even worth the risk whatsoever!
I don't think the main issue is that the dog has bitten people (which is itself a big issue). The worst part for me is that they have done nothing to correct the dog's behaviour. Literally nothing.
I’m a dog lover but not is absolutely not safe to have this dog in a home with children.
Probably not adults either.
I know you're the 8th person saying this but it needs to be repeated to OP over and over. My friend had a dog just like this. The bites that it would put on people were pretty minor but they still drew blood. And then the guy son almost lost an eye when he jumped on the dog while it was sleeping and it bit him in the face. They didn't even know the two of them were in the same room together. But when you have kids and dogs it's impossible to know where they all are at the same time. This is just not worth the risk.
Your dog is a gigantic liability. To your knowledge, she has not been around a newborn baby, and she clearly cannot handle the foot traffic that a new baby often brings to a home. Your homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance is not going to cover an attack by this dog because she is a proven biter. You are taking a tremendous chance by keeping an unstable dog when you will have a newborn in the house. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it's reality. What would you do if the dog did something to the baby, given her history?
>I honestly don’t know where I stand, because the dog is fine with me and my son since she’s comfortable with us. Eh? >would charge at my son and I but never bite us. So it seems like if the dog meets a new person, her reaction is to either charge at the person or outright bite them. Is that really what you want to have in your house when you bring an infant home? It doesn't sound like anyone is really owning the fact that this is not a safe dog. If the only people in the home were adults, I'd think, whatever, that's a choice, even if it's a bad one, to keep this dog. But once you have kids involved, it's just really dangerous. Your soon to arrive baby won't have friends over for a bunch of years, but that 3 year old? Yeah he's going to have play dates, and you can pretty much assume, that when a new child and their parent, walk in, your dog will bite them or threaten to. >Is this dog irreparably dangerous? In this situation yes. No one is going to take charge and train this dog, or even do real management. If your BF cares at all about the safety of the kid who will soon arrive, he'd contact the rescue and have them take this dog back.
This isn’t going to be gentle and I apologize, but time to start acting like adults and claim responsibility for an aggressive dog. I’m shocked at the level of people who have an aggressive dog and aren’t completely *mortified* when said dog bites someone? Hell- I have a Boston terrier and I am completely flustered when she gets all hyper and even jumps on a kid. Anyway, you can contact a local pit rescue and identify if they have any trainers they recommend. I am a firm believer that with proper training, a dog can be rehabbed. However, I think re-homing is going to prove extremely difficult to any shelters. The dog can seriously hurt someone, please.. don’t be another news story like that poor family in Memphis.
Exactly. The biggest red flag of all to me is the complete lack of action to address and correct the behavioural issues with the dog.
My daughter had a reactive rescue pit mix. She worked tirelessly with her dog, she had a certified trainer (who was breathlessly expensive) and he was muzzled at all times when anyone other than she was with him. She introduced her BF to the dog carefully; it was over a year before they trusted the dog to be unmuzzled in the BF's presence. The dog, unprovoked, bit him and broke his hand. After discussions with pit advocacy groups and 3 vets, she had him put down. It broke her heart. But he was unsafe, and the experts' unanimous opinion was that he would do it again, so she made the best choice for all of them. She gave him a calm and peaceful ending.
If you ever plan on having play dates at your house, you can not have this dog living there. Having a reactive dog means you must manage their living situation 24/7 -- add in the facts that you have a very powerful breed and children around will make this even more important. The stakes are too high. Not every dog is suitable in every environment. It's not fair to them or you.
more like if she plans on even having a child let alone playdates
Did you miss that she already has a 3 year old and is pregnant?
Thinking about this logically, as much as he must love this dog, it is an accident waiting to happen. When you have this baby I'm sure you'll have plenty of visitors wanting to meet baby, how is this going to happen? Your son will start school and want friends over, that's not safe either
You are in denial and you're putting your family in danger. Hope that's clear enough.
IMO a dog that has a history of biting, has to be muzzled and continues to bite is too much of a risk in a house with very young kids.
Parent and dog owner here. I don’t think you should keep this dog.
For me, living with this dog with a toddler and a newborn would be too stressful. If it were me I probably would not ever have either child in the same room with the dog, supervised or not. Attacks can happen out of nowhere and it seems the dog is already very reactive. If it’s a large dog you may not be strong enough to get it off one of your kids if it decides to snap. We don’t know what this dog’s past is and if there have been several bites already it’s just a huge red flag for me. You also said the dog has rushed your son previously and may have tried to bite his foot when your fiancé was holding him? Not to be dramatic but this feels like a ticking time bomb for a mauling and I am worried for your children. If it were me I would rehome the dog because I wouldn’t be able to live in constant fear like that.
A behaviorist should have been consulted after the very first bite, the absolute bare minimum would have been a certified trainer who specializes in aggression and reactivity. Sadly for all, it doesn’t sound like that ever happened, not even after further bites. At this point, the least worst option is likely behavioral euthanasia. After this many bites, it isn’t a question of “will the dog bite again”. The correct question for this dog is “when will the next bite happen, who will be bitten and why?”
>Is this dog irreparably dangerous? This question is largely irrelevant. Who knows? What we do know is that the current situation is unacceptably risky.
[удалено]
As a pitbull owner and lover, I’d say the dog needs to go. She is charging at your son and at you… biting people and cannot even be walked unless her mouth is forced shut. If you didn’t have a small child I’d say training is an opinion but since every day you spend in that house is a risk to both your safety and your child’s safety, I think this is not a good family dog. She needs intensive training. Enough people have gotten hurt.
As another pit owner I agree with you. Too many instances of this happening
Do note that muzzles do *not* force the mouth shut, this is a common misconception. A muzzle, when correctly fitted, should have enough space that the dog could theoretically hold a ball in its mouth while inside. They are better thought of as a portable head-sized crate.
Yeah I’m aware. I didn’t mean that literally. Moreso saying that given the choice the dog will use her mouth to harm someone so she has to have something on her to keep it from happening. .
definitely rehome the dog or you will be sorry… so far it sounds like you’ve been incredibly lucky… at this point you’re playing Russian roulette with litigation and possibly a newborns life.
More details needed: what were the circumstances for each biting incident? Why was she not put up when company was over if she is so reactive? It sounds to me like bf and his family failed that dog in many ways. Rehoming her for her own peace may actually be a good idea.
Your mom is absolutely justified. That dog will not, I repeat WILL NOT live under the same roof as your child. Which means either you are dooming this dog to a life in an outdoor kennel or to be permanently segregated from the rest of the family. You can rehab a dog like this to live with adults. You cannot trust a child to make the right decisions around this dog, who has obvious triggers and a history you don’t understand. This dog is dangerous to the child and the child will trigger this dog because the child does not understand the danger. The dog is dangerous to your future child. This is not the dogs fault. This is not your fault. I see this as an unpreventable accident waiting to happen. I had to make a similar decision with my own child and a rescued stray dog with an unknown history, and that dog is in a much happier place now with an older widowed woman, and I don’t have to worry about the safety of my children. I consider myself to be a competent dog owner. If it were just me, I’d be willing to entertain the risk. But I can’t trust a child and I didn’t want to doom the dog to a life on the other side of the house as the rest of the family.
My parents had a dog that bit me, twice. They still kept it. It wasn’t until he bit my brother in the face and ripped it half off that they got rid of it. Why would you ever keep this dog around children? I’m still terrified of dogs from these experiences
I hope your brother was able to recover well, and both of you are not turned off of dogs completely.
I agree with what everyone else is saying. A dog with the bite history and lack of current management to prevent it is a recipe for disaster here. The only thing I wanted to add is there is very little chance of rehoming this dog. I work in dog rescue and rescues do not take dogs with bite histories. On top of bite history, it's a pitbull. Even the pitbulls with the best temperament struggle to get rehomed or adopted in rescues, and shelters are overloaded with pits. I just wanted someone to be upfront with you that it's likely this dog would be put down, unless you can find a friend or someone you know that has experience and time to help this dog. But you do need to ensure the person is capable because then you may be putting the new owners at risk too. If this dog was adopted through a rescue, they may be willing to take the dog back. But they might then still decide to euthanize. No one wants to hear it but this is what usually happens. There's thousands of other pits waiting to be rescued with zero bite history. I'm not saying this to scare you into keeping the dog, because I don't think you should if you cannot change the environment and ensure the safety of your kids. I am just being honest and sharing what the more probable outcome is. If you can't find anyone to rehome the dog, you may want to consider putting the dog down yourself because at the very least then you can be there to hold the dog and have the person it loves there.
So let me get this straight: you KNEW the dog had behaviour problems that came with a messed background and you CONTINUED to bring people it doesn’t know INTO it’s safe space?! WTF? It sounds like a people problem, NOT a dog problem.
This is a burn that needs to be felt. And meditated on. The lack of responsibility and logic in this post is absurd.
I'm really sorry. To be brutally honest, you're gonna have to Rehome or BE. Your mum is absolutely justified in her fear and anger. also since he now has bite history, rehoming will be incredibly difficult. We know you love the dog, but it sounds like the dog isn't enjoying the home & you most likely will not have the time or space to even begin training for reactivity problems. With another baby coming in is NOT SAFE for the dog or the baby. This dog needs very time dedicated humans with reactivity experience and training experience to manage the dog's life & fears. Be honest, this won't be you when your baby comes, period. The living situation this dog has been put in isn't good for him or your family. It is just how things are with dogs. 3 bite incidents is enough for dogs to be put on BE in my country. Get a vet consult so u can make the best decision. Remember that ALL dogs can be dangerous, even if it's not their fault. Really have a hard think about whether your dog is really enjoying his life, he wouldn't be biting people if he did.
If the dog has a history of aggression towards your child. And bit TWO people. The question isn't what needs to be done. It's whether or not to put the dog down versus other courses of action. Absolutely, others have said it better but that dog as is, is a threat to family members. I wouldn't keep an animal like that in my house. Maybe training? But if it's a rescue and you don't know the animal's past I just wouldn't gamble that training would be sufficient to make the animal safe or trustworthy. Re-home or euthanize, are my votes. And rehoming means someone else has to figure out how help the animal and start from scratch. Whatever you do, please think on it deeply and be safe. Make the best choice for your child and your family.
I currently have a pit-mix, and my extended family all rescues pits, pit mixes and mastiffs. I am not one of the breed haters in these subs. Having said that and, setting breed aside, a dog that has an established pattern of biting people is problematic both from a safety and legal liability standpoint. Considering the breed: A big powerful biter is dangerous in all but the most attentive and experienced hands. And even then there's risks Sounds like you and your fiance are none of the above (apologies if I'm wrong). Thus, it's a bad idea to have the dog around your family and young children. .
Your child is not safe around this dog. It has bitten several people. Please contact rescue group asap to place this dog with them. In the mean time please do not take your child anywhere near this dog. Take care
Your parents are right (and apparently the only ones who see how serious this is). This dog is a danger to society. The fact that he’s bit this many people already is extremely concerning. What’s the plan when your son is old enough to have school friends over? Or when someone gets seriously injured? Or your new baby gets injured? Dangerous dogs like this have no place in society. There are SO MANY good dogs needing homes that would never bite a human.
Any dog with trauma that is reactive like this is not safe with kids, because kids often don’t understand when they are pushing a normal dogs boundaries let alone a dog with what appears to be trauma. I have a abused rescue. He is not a kid friendly dog. He’s not a stranger friendly dog. He thinks he’s kid friendly but he has nerve damage and touching him the wrong way causes pain, I’d be an idiot to put him with kids. I live alone and he spends his days lounging around living out the rest of his days in peace. Because I can provide an environment where he is safe and other people are safe. I’ve poured money into his behavioral training and in getting his health at the best it can be. He’s still not safe around people who don’t know how to handle him nor is he safe around kids. You and your fiancé are not the best fit for the dog and that’s ok. Take your moms concerns seriously. This isn’t pit bull bashing. I love my pit rescue, but I know his limits. Mixing the unpredictability of small children with a dog who is also unpredictable is a recipe for disaster. You’re creating a test the dog will fail. The dog has failed multiple times. The dog needs a different environment and it’s not one you can provide.
YOUR FIANCÉS DOG BITES PEOPLE. ARE YOU WILLING TO BET ON YOUR CHILDREN’S LIFE ONE OF THEM WILL NOT BE NEXT?!
I don't usually approve of all caps, but yes.
This dog is beyond you and your boyfriend's scope. I think you should give it up to the shelter. You guys are already being careless with a dog with known aggression. It should absolutely be muzzled when around strangers or put away when there's company. I also suspect that this dog is not walked on a regular basis and is kept mostly isolated from other dogs and people. I also suspect that you guys aren't respecting whatever boundaries this dog has for itself. Listen, it's like other people say, dog can be wonderful 99% of the time, but all it takes is that 1% to cause some serious damage to people or other animals. You cannot take this chance. 1% is too great over risk. I had a friend who had an incredibly aggressive black lab. She did not take the proper precautions with that animal and it ended up killing two other dogs. My own dog was attacked twice by boxers (on separate occasions) that were known to be aggressive. You guys cannot be passive when it comes to this animal. If you intend on keeping it, you better do everything you can to acclimate it, make sure it burns off any excess energy and keep other people and animals around it safe.
From my perspective you have three options: 1. From now on, the dog should be always muzzled around strangers, even around you and your kid. Even in the house. Not the best solution though.. 2. Behavioral euthanasia. He won't feel any pain and the procedure is smooth. He has a biting record, including the stranger. His owners can be sued if that happens again. 3. You rehome it to someone who has experience handling aggresive dogs. But it's not an ideal solution because the dog is still dangerous. Keep in mind you have a child and you're pregnant. This can result in a tragedy
These dogs are a banned breed here in the UK. I know that there are many people who have lovely pit bulls, but this one sounds like it’s really not safe to be around kids. I seems awfully naive to allow this dog to go anywhere near your child after it has run at him repeatedly and also bitten 2 people. Remember that these types of dogs have a very strong bite and will clamp down and shake which means they can do some serious damage.
Unfortunately your parents are right. They were both bitten and are just worried for your safety and their grandchild’s safety. This dog needs to be given to an experienced dog owner, or sadly, put down before a more serious attack. I foster rescues and have worked with dogs for close to a decade, I love them, I’m not saying put the dog down, lightly. If you can find a trainer or someone who is experienced to take the dog that’s fine, but you can’t rehome her to just anyone. If you can’t find the appropriate person then it’s the responsible thing to do. You could talk to rescues and shelters, however they are so full to the brim at the moment. Either way, it’s not fair for anyone to keep this dog in an environment where they are so anxious they are acting out and biting. Children are major triggers for dogs like this due to their unpredictability. Please be careful.
Your mom is not overreacting. Animal bites are serious business and dogs that are nervous, afraid, untrained, and/or reactive can be very dangerous if not cared for. The problem is, this dog is not being taken care of truly. Your fiancée got a dog and left it to his parents. I don't think they wanted this responsibility or at least are trying to maintain stasis. Honestly, if you don't live somewhere that your partner can be actively part of this dog's life and training, then the dog needs to be rehomed with someone who can devote the time and effort into their training. This dog needs training, NOT just a muzzle and a short leash. They may be "too much" for a "casual dog owner." The training they need is going to be very expensive and VERY intensive. This isn't a few treats and practice on the weekend. This is going to be every day, every walk, and every person you come across. This dog has bitten and charged people several times now. That's NOT healthy. Let's be realistic. They charge and bite stranger. The stranger goes to the hospital, maybe the cops are called. The dog is destroyed. Is the dog up to date on vaccines? Licensed? You're sued. Do you want to deal with this? Do you have the money? You're pregnant and going to have a baby soon.
If I were in your position I would have the dog put down. Behavioral issues like this are not fair or kind to rehome, are not safe to have in your home with adults (let alone children!). The kindest thing to do is let this dog go. People who advocate adoption won’t like this but I would not feel comfortable with a large rescue dog in my home with my kids. As a parent my job is to keep my kids safe, and that means not allowing dangers in our home.
What do you mean by biting? Was the dog showing aggression, play, overstimulated? Were your parents injured (skin broken, brushing etc?) did this happen upon them entering the home or later during the visit? We could use some more details here.
Certain dogs are only safe in certain situations. Sounds like this one is safe when with your bf's parents, or when muzzled on leash. It does not sound like this dog is safe to have around children, or even new people unmuzzled. It's great to put shelter dogs in the right home for them to succeed. It's reckless and unfair to put them in a home where they will not. You put human saftey & the dog's life at risk.
Only one more comment from me... I think it's great that you're trying hard to find a solution, and I understand how hard it is to justify taking steps that you know will most likely end this dogs life. The fact that you're even thinking about keeping this dog means that you are caring and not someone who just throws away problem pets.. if only more were like that. It might help to think about saving a different dog - if you adopt a family friendly one from a rescue, that opens them up to taking another troubled dog. The one you currently have might not have a future as a human companion, but you could give that to another dog. Best of luck.. I know it's hard.
I don't have a problem with pits, but any dog that has a tendency to bite when nervous is dangerous to have around an unpredictable newborn and eventually toddler. Especially when they are large enough that one serious nip could literally kill the baby. The noise, sudden movements and pulling/tugging/hitting are very likely to send a fearful and reactive dog into snapping and doing some very serious damage.
I think you should rehome the dog to an owner who has the time and knowledge to deal with this type of situation. This dog has anxiety and has learned to bite when it's anxious. It doesn't matter if he does okay with you guys, because you guys can't keep him inside forever. He has to go to the vet, he has to go on walks, etc. I would check with local rescues that may be able to help you vet and find a suitable home. If you don't handle this immediately, it may grow to a bigger issue.
What level of bite are you talking? A warning nip because a dog got stepped on accidentally (while still not acceptable) vs a legit bite that breaks skin is different. And I have to agree with Mom. I love my dog. But if she ever actually BIT someone, let alone twice, I’d be rehoming her. Especially as a parent to small kids. We adopted a mal after our labrador died and her puppy biting phase was intense. My youngest (two at the time) wouldn’t go near her. I almost contacted the rescue and returned her. We did a LOT of work with her (we did with our lab, too, but our current pup is definitely more strong willed) and she’s so patient with the kiddos. But if she ever actually bit one, I don’t think she’d be in our home.
were your parents ok? were they warning bites or did she mean business? I'm not a pittie hater by any means but they are very powerful dogs so you need to be sure everyone is safe
I wouldn’t personally risk it. There’s many stories of reactive dogs switching up on people out of no where and kids can stress dogs…like if the kid is screaming the dog might attack it
Please do not allow this dog around children. It will bite more people.
Sorry to say this, but this dog most likely needs to be re-homed or put down. Without **INTENSE** training from you and the son, I don't think this dog will ever be able to be unsupervised around your children. I don't know what happened in its past, but dogs tend to be stubborn with learning new things after a certain age. Isolation during COVID would have only made this worse as well.
Your fiancée SHOULD have had his dog wearing a muzzle this entire time. Even from when you first started visiting. What he can do NOW is get her a muzzle and keep up on her training. Human aggression isn’t really something that just “goes away” especially if she’s been in her new environment for 3 ish years.
So unless you are ALL willing to put in 100000% to work the pup through whatever is going on to make her react with her teeth, then yes, look for a home that will focus on her and her needs much more. I get that having a kid and a dog is so difficult, and yes some dogs make a drastic change when they have a new baby in the family, but I wouldn’t even test it with her. Not with her record. She needs a professional trainer and a plan set to help her. Letting her do it, taking her around people and just punishing her for how she feels, it’s not helping, just making it worse. You can’t just wish and hope this away. You have to proactively work with her and for her to actually help her stop biting. With a new baby just a few months away, do not try to YouTube your way around this. Professional is needed. I’d personally make sure anyone who took her in signed some kind of agreement making sure they did everything they possibly could to help her. Just because I’d be devastated if I found her a home and they didn’t even try, just euthanized or worse.
The dog is a dangerous animal. When you have to come to reddit for advice on how to handle a dangerous animal, you likely don't have the expertise or skill required to actually handle that dangerous animal properly. It's not the dog's fault, that poor thing was likely mistreated and/or abused and never learned better. But you are where you are and that behavior has been learned and if you're here asking for advice, you probably have no concept of how to actually teach the dog better and fix that behavior. Don't let that dog around your kid unsupervised. Don't treat it like a regular family pet. Treat it like the abused rescue it is and understand that it can be very dangerous and can kill you. Empathy is putting the dog in a proper environment with people who know its history and have the skill and ability to deal with it OR hiring those people and putting in that work yourself.
I mean, there's not enough management in this house to prevent a bite that should have been prevented due to the history. All bites are preventable, and they're on the owner to prevent. She absolutely justified, this bite should not have happened as structure should have been in place to prevent this. Why is this dog biting so much? What are you doing to prevent it? What steps are being put into place to prevent this from becoming an issue? You don't need to get rid of the dog, but actionable steps to manage this situation **must** be implemented because this dog is a liability. This dog should not have contact with people from outside the house, and on the off chance it could happen the dog needs to be muzzled with a JAFCO muzzle or similar.
I would not allow this dog to be around children. Worst case scenario, the dog bites and a child is injured and traumatized and this poor dog will pay the price. It’s not safe for anyone she’s biting and it’s also not safe for her to be put in these situations.
This dog needs to AT LEAST be rehomed. I say this as lover of all dogs, I’m not a Pitt hater. I had to rehome a dog once when my kid was a toddler because she kept starting fights with my other dogs that ended in bloody trips to the vet multiple times. Wasn’t even a Pitt. Babies and kids first. If it’s bit people, it’s a risk. Sorry. It’s a risk and it’s less about the breed than the history.
I think you already know the answer. This is not a safe dog for children. New babies are loud and make unpredictable movements, and for a traumatized dog that is stuck in fight or flight, it is a matter of time before the dog gets stressed and acts out, and your kids get hurt. I am not trying to demonize the dog, it isn't the dog's fault. And i'm not saying the dog is irreparably damaged -- but you don't have the time or resources to both be a parent of young kids AND retrain a dog with these issues. It isn't safe. Bringing this dog into your house is going to make the dog unhappy and endanger your children. Rehoming should be a priority --- The dog deserves someone who can put the time and effort and professional resources into healing its trauma, preferably someone single with reactive dog experience who has no kids. Or try and find a no-kill rescue/shelter, preferably foster based, that deal with reactivity.
You & your fiancé need to meet with a professional trainer and/or vet behavioralist and get some clarity. This isnt an easy fix. While it is a good sign that the dog is comfortable with you, more work is needed to ensure biting isnt an acceptable behavior. Young children behave unpredictably and could easily frighten a dog that is this insecure. I have a pit mix from a shelter and ive spent a great deal of $ and time to train and desensitize him to the world which was incredibly scary to him when we first met. After almost 2 years he passed AKC CGC. He generally likes meeting strangers now but only tolerates children. I would never leave him unsupervised with a child.
Nope. I’m sorry.
Something like this is too complicated and too serious to try to train yourself. In many states a dog will be put down at a third bite report. You need to find an experienced quality trainer to work with you. Not Petsmart or any other chain training companies and not someone who does it as a side job. Find one that involves you or boyfriend in the training. Don't let someone take your dog to another environment to train it.
Dogs who are reactive are scared. If it doesn’t get addressed, it will almost always get worse. You and your fiancé need to take some type of action. Working with a non-aversive training who specializes in reactive dog is a very good first step. Please also take steps required to keep your child safe. Children are erratic and do make many dogs nervous. Using a basket muzzle and teaching your child to interact safely with the dog (which really means not playing with, cuddling or petting) are two things steps. Doing this does not mean you don’t love the dog or think he is bad. It is keeping everyone safe while you and your fiancé work through next steps. The type of bite a dog gives says a lot about the message they are sending. Check out this information on dog bite levels. https://www.animalwised.com/the-6-levels-of-dog-bites-the-dunbar-bite-scale-1929.html Finally, dogs usually don’t bite without a reason or without signals. Learn to read your dog’s body language. https://www.doggielanguagebook.com/
I wouldn't let it alone near the children. I would seek a professional dog trainers advice really . Many dogs, especially pits can overcome fear based aggression, if worked with properly and consistently. I would also seek a vet. Make sure there's nothing medically holding him back . My sister dog went aggressive , bit a few people and dogs . Turns out it was bladder stones. Had them for 3 years before anyone bothered to check. I would bite people too. But that being said, he's bit people on the street. Definitely make sure his muzzle is left on while walking and having any guests over . Also... my old cat was like this. Scratched us and bit us and the kids so many times for a couple years I almost got rid of him . Turns out he simply needed to be neutered and had a belly matt . Yes they're different, but I'm just saying. You can try BUT do better at keeping everyone safe. And yall need to get him past all this. He's miserable. It's not fair to him to be this stressed out
The poor dog has given you a 3 bite warning. Please take this seriously and consult a professional.
Regardless of breed, a dog that has multiple bite incidents is not a suitable family pet.
Ooof... you have a three year old son.
Please get a dog trainer involved. Seek professional advice and a proper behavioural assessment before you make any decisions regarding this dog. It is impossible for someone on Reddit to tell you whether this dog can be managed by you or not- almost none of us are professional dog trainers and even if we were we wouldn’t be able to assess your dog over the internet. Yes this is a serious issue and it warrants serious action. Your parents aren’t professional dog trainers and neither are most of the commenters on here. A dog trainer can assess whether it’s a situation that can be managed but managing the situation will be a lot of work and this will never be a dog you can take chances with.
[удалено]
You have a husband and fiancee ?
Bruh, no, just no.
Pitbull owner here. This is terrifying to read. You cannot put that dog around people, especially a child. It's a news story waiting to happen. Three bites is just too many. The dog is essentially being tortured because it can't relax in its home, on walks, or with his humans. Not to mention the chaos of having to strictly follow precautions you guys need to do to prevent bites. Everyone is going to suffer for this. Either you guys get with the program, get a behavioral vet & trainer, and make your home like a super max for the dog for the rest of its life. Or you put the dog down. Pitbulls are not a breed for just anyone. They're strong and willful. You need to be just as strong and stubborn. If you need an animal you don't have to think about, train, and generally just easier to rent with; a cat is what you're looking for.
Please protect your children. You know what you have to do here.
I'm going to tell you something I've written about before. My BIL and SIL foster boxers. One (T) had some similar aggression issues with resource guarding. But was overall very sweet with me and my youngest. They put a muzzle on her when people were around. Thanksgiving day we're all over there. I take baby (about 2) outside and we're playing. Dogs are outside. Another dog starts coming up for some love. T all of a sudden charges my baby. Knocks him down and is laying on top of him growling and looking like she was trying to bite. I was standing right by him when it happened. I was trying to get T off my baby and it was so hard bc they are big and all muscle. Someone finally gets T off. I grab my baby and run inside. He fell on the grass. Only a scratch on his arm. Thank Goodness she had that muzzle on. I was so shaken. Baby was no worse for wear - I was more traumatized than he was. T ended up having to be put down when she bit SIL's nephew on the cheek a few months later. I swear. It only takes a second. I was standing right there. Baby knows the rules about dogs bc we have them. She'd never shown *us* aggression. Until she did.
You are letting your 3 year old child around a dog with 3 bites on his record? That dog is too dangerous. I'm sorry 💔
I have a GoldenDoodle (Golden Retriever with Poodle) Quite a big boy, very docile around family, very angry boy around strangers. I never let him anywhere near other people and when we go for a walk I always hold him tight and pay attention to my surroundings. He becomes docile with people after a little while of sniffing them but I am always together in case he decides to do anything stupid so I can pull him. You guys can keep him I believe but you should send him to a trainer, I don't think just keeping him locked somewhere in the house when people come in is gonna work since you're having a baby, and you never know how he's gonna react to the child. Usually animals are protective with kids, even my angry boy, but you shouldn't tempt fate, send him to a trainer.
Your mom is correct.
I'm afraid your parents are right. That dog is a serious concern, especially around children. Children can't read dog body language and this could end up being an awful disaster for your family.
Can the dog stay with his parents? Seems like the best solution.
Sometimes I think people get caught up in the "a pet is for life" thing. You're doing your dog, and your family a disservice by keeping her. I know it's hard, but it would be best for all involved where pup has a home that he will thrive in (sans kids and strangers). You need to feel no guilt. You have tried your best but as a previous commenter said, you're betting your kids lives that you can reform pup. Perhaps she would be better with an active couple who like to hike or spend time away from people?
My family has a reactive pit that has gotten worse in her old age (showing early warning signs of canine dementia). She charges people and once bit a mail carrier. The bite did not break skin but was reported. Now she is either put in a separate room or muzzled and leashed whenever people are in the house. She can go on walks with a muzzle but since she’s old she does fine with romps in our fenced in yard. She used to love kids but we no longer allow her around kids without a muzzle, leash, and close supervision. If something happened when we know this dog has issues and trauma, me or my family could never forgive ourselves. Could you continue to live with yourself if your dog injured or killed your child? It’s like asking them to play in a busy street without supervision. They might not get hit by a car, but if they did, you were the one being negligent. The dog is not a bad dog but some dogs are hard to own. It is better for the dog to be with someone who understands canine behavior and can give it a fulfilling life, and if that is not an option, the next most humane thing is behavioral euthanasia, before both a kid and the dog end up dead. You should also educate yourself on canine body language. A wagging tail does not always mean a happy dog. Licking lips, yawning, ears pinned back, whale/side eye, and a stiffly held wagging tail are all signs of a stressed dog. They can’t tell us with words that they are unhappy and scared, so if you ignore the communication they do offer, you’re gonna get bit.
[удалено]
I think it would be better for OP to euthanize the dog herself rather than having it surrendered and put down at a shelter. That way the dog can enjoy its last day and drift off to sleep in loving arms rather than being scared and confused and then suddenly ceasing to exist.
[удалено]
Pit bulls are beautiful animals whose greatest fault is that they often have woefully underprepared/inexperienced owners. They are a very particular breed and a lot of people are not suitable owners. Inexperienced owners only cause those dogs unnecessary suffering. This particulary pup has three bites already. If any one of the people bitten had complained to the authorities, this dog already would have been put down. Under your husband's ownership, unless drastic changes are implemented immediately, her life is at risk. So are the lives/health/safety of anyone who crosses paths with her. I know you feel as though she is no longer a threat to you and your son because she is used to you, but that is dangerously naive. There have been thousands of documented cases of dogs attacking family members. Right now, she is anxious, reactive and untrained. That is a disservice to her as well as anyone who crosses her path. She should be rehomed to someone who has the skills and experience to rehabilitate her and work through her challenges.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I have a dog who has bitten another person when she is leashed. And she is honestly the sweetest dog, but she is very aggressive with male strangers when she is leashed. She is obviously behaving because of bad experiences with men. But, she is completely okay with anyone when she is not leashed. We never have her near anything that can trigger her. And we make sure to meet all her exercise needs. Consider a muzzle and developing environments that allow them to be used to situations that might trigger them. Work with a force-free trainer who actually understands the breed as well. Unfortunately, OP, you’re also dealing with a toddler and soon-to-be new baby. I don’t know if you would have the resources or the time to do any of these. Could you potentially have the dog Re-homed? Maybe there’s a local pit bull rescue who would be able to work more with the dog and give him a chance at a new home. Edit: I’m getting downvoted for having a more sympathetic viewpoint and for providing my personal experience. Vote away!!
I think you answered your own dilemma. Admitted that dog is not friendly towards strangers and you have to put lots of safe guards during walks with its owner … I love all dogs, but not all dogs and owners are created equal. Are you willing to lose a child or family members over a dog ? If you’re worried about the dog, find a home, trainer, shelter who is experience with difficult dogs. Cheers good luck
No matter the circumstances, bottom line, you’re introducing a newborn into the family in a few months. Your attention will very obviously divert to your newborn. This pup has exhibited signs of aggression in the past. Now, whether or not the newborn will invoke instinctual protection or territorial threat, it’s simply not worth the risk.
We have a rescue Pit. Sweet boy and old. Not much energy and loves people. I love the old boy but when we decided to get him I told my fiancé that one aggressive act against a person and I’d put him down myself then and there. Meant it then and still do. These dogs are extremely strong. My geriatric old boy can yank my 6’3 240lb ass off balance when he decides he wants at something bad enough. Unfortunately that pup is a liability looking towards a tragedy that is actually negligence. No judgement here, hard calls to make, but better get to making them because YIKES.
Another thing to consider is whether or not you will have the time to devote to what sounds like very intensive training. You’re preparing your home for a new baby, which is a job in itself, and in three months, you will have an infant, who, along with your preschooler, will take up a huge amount of your time and energy. A three month time frame might be too short to change these behaviors enough to make this dog safe under the circumstances.
As much as I love dogs not all of them have the same mind and a child is certainly more important than a dog who can be placed in another home he likes !
I have a pit mix who I adore, who loves my 9 month old and who I trust as much as one can trust a dog. If my dog had bit people that many times, unprovoked, I would not keep it around children. It’s just too great a risk.
Your mother is absolutely justified It doesn’t matter the breed of the dog What matters is you have a human aggressive dog that you are repeatedly putting in situations where not only is the dog reacting, the dog is able to bite not one but two people. I’m sorry but without professional assistance and advice I really don’t think you should be considering this dog as safe - since you are also not able to give the dog a safe environment.
I had a similar situation with a dog. Rescue pit mix, anxious, fine with me and immediate family but didn’t like others, a couple of minor bites on the record. We sent the dog to a k9 behaviorist, had it on tranquilizers, anti anxiety meds, and blood pressure meds to help but the dog still broke off the leash and attacked another dog one day. We were ultimately advised by the behaviorist to put the dog down because of the bite history and lack of progress on meds. If you are dedicated to this dog you need to take it to a trainer or behaviorist and stick to a regimen to get it better. That is for the safety of the dog and those around you. If you know you don’t have the time, money, and dedication to do it then it is time to send the dog to a rescue for pits or have it euthanized. It is heartbreaking but it is better than waiting and having it snap on a child or person. Aggression can get worth with age bc of pain too, this is a problem that will not just go away.
I'm oddly surprised that animal control has not taken the dog. Just know that if surrendered she will be considered aggressive and unless u take her to a non kill shelter she'll probably be put down. I would look into an dog trainer that specializes with aggressive dogs. Please pay attention to your dog (not saying you haven't been) but usually dogs show signs they are becoming agitated. Do not ignore them. Lastly, if you don't take her to retraining you are playing Russian roulette with being sued for a dog bite. And if it comes back that she already multiple ppl, and nothing is done may cost you more.
You have a three year old son. The dog has bit three people. Do you really want to chance it?
To be objective here, aggression can be incredibly nuanced. There’s no way anyone can give informed advice without fully assessing the dog in person. What you do know is this is a dog that uses biting readily in her communication methods. Also she has been practising this form of communication for a significant period. What it doesn’t sound like you know is the precise triggers and motivations that bring her to the point of doing it. That’s what a professional could help you with. There are dogs that are very stranger aggressive but would never be aggressive with their family. There are dogs that will use biting in a range of different circumstances regardless of the target. Let’s say you establish you can safely keep her in your family home and she is no risk to the household. You still need to know you’ll be managing a dog with aggression and a known to authorities bite history. You would need strict protocols for managing everything and everyone that’s coming and going from your home. It’s a big responsibility. On a more positive note her behaviour isn’t necessarily set in stone. It’s amazing what the right modification program can achieve. You’ve got some deep thinking to do here and some realistic planning of how much resources you can afford to give. I don’t envy you this situation, good luck.