Absolutely agree. I am very curious to know how much the previous owner knew about the history. Although I suppose it could have been a total one off, first time thing? Couldn't it? Unless it was the only person to blame in all of this was either previous owner or RSPCA. NOT OP, NOT CHILD.



I bet in a population of over 6 million there is more chance of someone being in a better position than a forum of over 300, most of whom have dogs and kids.

My point being, just because we can't, doesn't mean someone can't.

Kitty_ how is your son today, and how are you?

I really feel sorry for Kitty,she is in an impossible situation, it isn't practical to keep an aggressive dog ,even temporarily with a child. It would be like living with a timebomb, and terribly stressful for the dog too, to be kept seperated. TBH who would want an aggressive dog in their house with their child? Who would be willing to put their child at risk?

I feel sorry for the dog, and especially if it is unwell or stressed, but how many of us have lived with dogs that have been terminally ill, in pain, and kids too, and the dogs have never snapped or acted aggressively towards the children, even though they were ill. I have had 2 dogs like that who were ill for a long time, and still managed to cope with children, and not so much as a grumble.

The day you bring your child home, you have a duty to do what's right for your child, and your child's safety must always be first! So, I would never keep a dog like that,or pass it on to anyone else. Kitty said she was right next to her baby and dog, and even if her son touched a sensitive spot, the dog should not of reacted like this, no warning grumble or moving away, just straight into attack mode, and he didn't stop, she had to pull him off the baby

Some of you are out and out hypocrites, you moan when you hear about someone keeping a known aggressive dog in the family house,when some poor family lose their child ,why did they keep the dog? why was nothing done earlier? excpet here you are telling Kitty to keep rehome her dog, or seperate it until help can be given,what sane parent would take the risk.

Go on then, go pick that dog up today, you keep it with your children, or you pass it on to someone else. Sometimes dogs are too damaged to help safely, a dog that bites a child IMO should not be given a second chance I adore dogs, and my dogs mean everything to me, but I love my children more, and I just could not keep or rehome a dog like that,there is no way of saying it won't happen again, and next time, an adult might not be quick enough to help.

OMG... where did I condemn the OP? I said I feel sad for her, the child and the dog... I feel in a way she failed him, because she took him on in the goodness of her heart, without thinking it through, Dobes (as I know) are not a breed for the novice and I would not bring an unknown full grown dog in with my three year old child! Thats my feelings on it...
I feel sad for the OP because she is stuck in a no win situation, sad for the child, he may now have that fear, I hope he won't, sad for the dog, pushed pillar to post..
Would I take that dog? No, simply. He is dog aggressive, I have 3, be a bit stupid of me to take him on, would I if I didn't have my 3 dogs, yes...!
No the child wasn't to blame, I also didn't say he was... I feel desperately sad for all involved and think if someone had worked with that dog before it got to this situation, he would not face a death sentence.

feel, as the OP has not yet come back on, that the dog is probably at the Bridge We are all supposed dog lovers on this forum and yes there are parents amongst us, but hardly anyone has thought that maybe, the child had grabbed the dog on one of those scars, evoking a painful memory..

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.

I think the below has a connotation of condemnation..blame the child not the dog!!




You cant grab a scar, you can touch it, and surely if the dog has been in the home for a while its not the first time the child touched the dog.

I am not singling you out, just used your posts as it was a more recent one, but the above attitude has been voiced by many...


So lets ask again, for those of you who think the dog should not have been PTS straight away.

Hypothetically , its your dog, your child, this happens you are beside yourself with worry.. your choices are , get the dog out of the house instantly... but whos going to take him at such short notice, you ring the rspca, no joy!!, breed rescue no joy!!

You are choiced out of the re homing instantly options.... what are you going to do now!!!!

Lock the dog outside away from the family..for how long a week, 2/3/4/ till someone is willing to take it..

Allow the dog back in the house, but try and keep it away from a 3 yr old....impossible!!! take the risk it was a one off

Or do you take the dog to the vets and have him PTS...for everyone's safety, and the dogs well being .

So theres your choice, what the answer!!!!

Broadening this discussion out a bit (because we don`t know what the OP has decided) - I can`t help thinking the automatic destruction of any dog that bites is an over-reaction.
I have 4 dogs and 3 of them have bitten people. Not badly, and all under extreme stress. I am missing a fingertip because a friend`s dog bit me during a dog fight. I have a scar where a previous dog bit me when I was lifting him off spiked railings where he was impaled.
If a dog bites it is because it has / is being mismanaged or badly handled, as a rule. Just as when you get kicked by a horse or trodden on & jostled by a cow. I should not have intervened in a dog fight, and should have muzzled the dog in pain. So it was my own fault I got bit.
The fact that a dog has bitten does not make it a `bad` dog. It may well be that the dog has too many problems to save, but that`s not the fault of the dog.
Dogs do not know that children grow up to be `proper` people. They do not know that these short, unpredictable creatures deserve special treatment... until they are taught it. It`s like blaming a feral child for not behaving properly.

I wouldn't have that situation, I would not take in a dog that age, without his full history, if I had a child... I don't have children, Jackie, because I can't have them...
You don't know what happened in that split second and nor do I, no-one does... the dog should not be with children, that is fact, but I cannot say 'destroy' the dog... I feel immensely sad for all involved, but somewhere along the line, that dog was failed...