Dog Bite

[silver_vibe]

My youngest daughter was bit in the face by a dog on Saturday. She has two little holes, but only one concerned me (about 1/4" below her eye). As of this morning, her eye looks much better and I doubt she will be left with any noticeable scar. I was worried she may have nightmares, but she seems fine psychologically too. After Saturday, she didn't mention it at all. She did talk about it quite a bit Saturday night though. That was probably a good thing, it helped her deal with it and move on. She also remains fearless around our dogs. It was my bro-in-law's dog...otherwise I'd be seeing dollar signs....but this just reminds me how misinformed people are about dog breeds. People hear "dog bite" and generally think "Pit Bull". I've owned several Pit Bulls throughout my life, and I know a couple people that have owned them too. I know for a fact none of them have ever or would ever show any aggression to family. My daughter was bitten by my bro-in-law's Labrador. So far, anyone I've told about this incident has asked me "did she (my daughter) instigate it?" after I tell them it was a Labrador. I'm sorry, there is noting a 5 year old can do to an 80 lb dog that should cause it to bite. The Labrador was lying down and all she did is go to rest her head on the dogs head. She does that to my Pit Bull (actually a half-Pit) all the time. My daughter plays with my Pit Bull almost everyday (and I'm sure she's done things to it she shouldn't, as any 5 year old would), and my Pit has shown ZERO aggression. I have no doubt Pit Bulls are the best dogs to have with kids. The nurturing behavior I've seen them exhibit towards babies and children is amazing. Anyone I know that has owned a Pit Bull agrees with me. I really wonder if anyone that condemns the Pit Bull breed has ever owned one. I have no doubt that every Pit Bull attack you hear about is the owners fault for training the dog to be aggressive.

[northvibe]

I agree. It also has to do with how the dog was raised and the personality of the dog itself. Many dogs that grow up with kids or have had puppies of their own, can tolerate them with out issue. Some if not raised socially can be mean to other people except the owners, I really feel owners dont raise their dogs right (not all but most) and dont socialize them to be good around other dogs and people. You see it all the time where the owner just lets the dog control them, as cesar says you NEED to be the pack leader or the dog just walks all over you, its totally true. Just watch 1 episode of his show and you'll be amazed.Glad your daughter is doing better though. As long as you keep a eye out for the bite marks to make sure they heal right.

[futureviber]

I have two lab/springerspaniel mix males. They are the sweetest dogs in the world. But When I was raising them I made sure that they would et me do anything to them. They have never shown a hint of agression even wrestling around with them. They know no strangers.Anyway, it completely depends on how the animal was raised. We had a Heinz 57 (chow, collie and who knows what else) The only time she was EVER agressive was when she was protecting us. She had puppies at the same time my brother was born adn she was extremely protective of the house, even people she knew she didnt like coming over. And when my cousin and brother were playing she nipped him on the leg - just being protective. But she was so sweet with us and 99.9% of the time other people too. Just when she thought we were in danger.I have met some really nice pitt and chow's and some mean ones. I have met some impossible and mean labs and some really nice ones. It really depends on how the animal was raised.Hope your daughter heals fully!

[nygiantzz1]

That sucks, I hope your daughter heals quickly. I agree with your comments about Pit Bulls, I know several people who have them and they are great family pets if raised right. Any dog can be made aggressive by irresponsible owners. I had a question about the lab that bit your daughter; is he partially blind or deaf? possibly in pain from injuries or arthritis? I'm just wondering if he got scared by her approach because he did not see or hear her coming. He may also be in pain. If not, he may have some aggression issues your brother-in-law needs to address.

[silver_vibe]

Quote, originally posted by nygiantzz1 »That sucks, I hope your daughter heals quickly. I agree with your comments about Pit Bulls, I know several people who have them and they are great family pets if raised right. Any dog can be made aggressive by irresponsible owners. I had a question about the lab that bit your daughter; is he partially blind or deaf? possibly in pain from injuries or arthritis? I'm just wondering if he got scared by her approach because he did not see or hear her coming. He may also be in pain. If not, he may have some aggression issues your brother-in-law needs to address. No, the dog is not blind or deaf. He rescued the dog about 3 years ago from a shelter so he did not have it since it was a puppy. We go to visit about 2X per month so the dog has known us for several years. I would guess the dog is about 5 years old. BTW - thanks to everyone for your concern/well wishes. I really think my daughter will fully recover and not even scar (at least not noticably).

[lovemyraffe]

Hope everything is ok.

[Kari]

I hope your daughter recovers without scarring, physical or psychological. I also agree that it is important not to typecast dog breeds or assume one is aggressive and another is not. That said, I also think it's important to teach children to interact appropriately with dogs they aren't familiar with. Laying her head on its head was obviously a wrong move, even if your dog likes it or think it's okay, not every dog will. Had she ever really interacted much with this dog before? Just curious.Situations like this are the same reason I get worried about my toddler-aged cousins, who love my parents' dachshund Tyler...who will let the kids do anything to him and doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. He even lets them pull his mouth open to look in it. But I'm afraid that they will think all dogs are like Tyler and one day will get bitten because of it.

[808 Vibes]

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your baby fully recovers soon, without any physical or psychological scars.

[tribalman]

i hope your daughter also doesn't have any recurring problems. as for pit bulls, they can go either way. i've been bitten by one, but it was one that wasn't raised properly. a friend of mine has a puppy and that dog is so cool. the one he had prior to the puppy was a nice dog too. good breeding too. i actually would like to get a pit bull over a lab or other bigger dog. they jump too often.once again, hope she heals fully.