My dog has bit my son, I dont know what to do?

We have had our dog since 17th March, he is approx 4 years old and was rescued from the RSPCA about 12 months ago by a friend, her circumstances changed and she was looking to send him back to the RSPCA.
I said we would take him for a couple of weekends to see how things went, anyway we ended up keeping him.
He has always been very dog aggressive and does have big scars on his back and small ones on his head so I think he has been attacked by a dog but since my friend got him he has never been aggressive to people.

This morning my 3 year old son and our dog were both right in front of me, (I have always been careful never to leave them alone) I watched my son stand alongside the dog and stoke his back, I was on the lap top and looked away at the screen, the next thing I knew the dog was on top of my son, barking and growing, I struggled to drag him off, all the time he was lunging and pulling back to get to my son.
I put him straight outside and ran back to my son and the dog has kind of nipped him on the side of his face next to his eye, at first it looked like all bruised and swollen and like there was blood welling up beneath the skin, but now like the skin is actually broken.
Its not a really bad bite or anything but I'm so worried as to what he might do it he tried it again.
Whilst I was dragging him off, it worried me that he was trying to get back and carry on and I could just tell that if he had been really biting him I would have never been able to stop him.
I feel terrible now, its my fault as I should never have taken a dog I who's full background I didn't know and put my children at risk, and what happens now, I have phoned the RSPCA for advice and they have no room and I would be on a 6 month waiting list, if I told anyone else they might say Oscar needs to be put down, when I put him in this position in the first place.
I don't know what to do, If the RSPCA can't take him what can I do?
In every way he seems to be such a friendly dog to people, I never have had to worry about people coming round as he never barks or anything, all he wants is to be stroked.
I just don't know what to do.

With your son being so small i think its a case of keeping them completely seperate. I think under the circumstances it is the right thing to do to rehome him. You dont know what happened in that split second but best not to take chances. I would contact the Dobermann Rehoming Association. A lady called Chris Omar 01276 855326 and ask her for advice. Please dont have him put down until all other options have been covered.

Thank you, I don't want to have him put down, he is a good dog, he maybe just isn't suitable for a family with young children. I did think about the dobermann rehomming association but they are so far from me, I think I'll phone them though, they may know of somewhere nearer to me.
Thank you.

Before making any decisions I'd have the dog down to the vets, make sure there isn't an underlying reason

Please do ring Chris. There are lots of DRA forum members who are happy to help transport etc if she is able to help.

Not trying to be on the fence about it but are you sure it is a bite and your little man didnt bump himself when he fell if Oscar moved/turned? just thinking about your description about how it swelled up, ive had a right 'strawberry' on my head before after bumping it. I was bitten on my face by a dog when i was younger and it bruised but didnt swell up that much.

Hi,

If the dog has nipped your Son then it wasn't a bite as such. If it was a prolonged attack you wouldn't have been able to remove the dog.

You say your Son had his hand on the dog's back but also that he has scars in this area. Could it be that this area is still tender and the dog wasn't expecting any physical contact at this time? I'm not making excuses - I'm trying to understand how it happened.

Also, I tink the RSPCA should at least help you and give you advice if possible. After all, that's where the dog came from.

I also agree with the other advice you've been given. HAve him checked by a vet, call the relevant breed rescue and try to rehome him. Do you have any neighbours, family or friends without children who would take him? At least that wayyou wouldn't have to lose touch with him.

Any dog can nip a child for a whole heap of reasons. It doens't have to be a rescue with an unknown history. We had a doberman when I was about 9 years old. My younger brother was badly bitten by him and he was PTS after 2 days. Having said that, that was how things were done almost 30 years ago.

Hopefully he can be rehomed before he gets a serious bite record. In the meantime, you should keep the dog and your Son completely separate.

Laura xx

when Oscar was on him, Matthew was led on his side and Oscars face was clearly where the bite is, now I can see the skin is broken I can actually see where two kind of holes are when he must have nipped him, so unfortunatly I 'm pretty sure it is a bite.
I think because of where it is, he couldn't get a good hold, its next to his eye kind of between his eye and his hairline so there isn't much to get hold of, I think thats why it bruised and swelled a bit around the holes.

Thanks, I did phone the RSPCA and said I was calling for advice, I explained everything and all she said was- if you want us to take him we will have to put you on a waiting list and it could be 6 months, she gave me a website address for other rescue centres but didnt offer any advice at all.

Stumpywop - yes it is more of a nip than a bite, and although I stuggled to get him off, I'm pretty sure if he really meant to bite properly I would never have got him off, thats kind of what scares me though, if he did it again and it was worse, I would have no chance.

I'm sorry, but if this were my dog, I would not rehome him, I would euthanize him. Had you not been RIGHT THERE, there is no telling what would have happened.

There is no way you can be sure that this dog will never have access to another child. As much as I love dogs, I would never take any chance especially with a dog like this who apparently just snapped with no warning. It makes me suspect that this is why the dog was given up in the first place.

I am so sorry, these situations are very painful. I am so glad your child was not more severely injured.

Please be careful (as I am certain you are) until you get that dog out of your house one way or the other.

((hugs))

Thank you for your reply, I was thinking about this earlier, the fact that even if we had no children, the amount of times i have been walking with him I have been shocked at how many children just rush up to stroke him with out asking, its very worrying that people let their children do this, I will be very nervous of this kind of thing happening when we take him out for a walk.