Our family pet of nearly 5 years just snapped at my 2 year old. Being that he is a 120lb rottie, this little snap sent my son to a plastic surgeon late last night. He was a fraction of an inch from taking his eye out.

My son (Aidan) has about a 4inch cut on the top of his head, a 3 inch deep cut on his eyelid, a 1 inch cut at the eye brow and a few scrapes and scratches (just from one swipe).

Over the years he has been very good around kids and is a terrible watch dog - not a mean bone in his body. Basically just a BIG silly puppy. But this can NEVER happen again.

I want to shoot him (and came very close to doing so last night - but I don't really have the right gun for it) but my wife just wants to give him to a family without small kids. Maybe we'll just drop him off at the shelter. I don't know.

What would you do?

Regardless of how you do it, it would be bye-bye doggie if my dogs pulled a stunt like that. My temper would probably cause lead poisoning....

That dog should be put to sleep! It has the taste of blood now! What about the kids who live next door to the people who end up with this dog? Sooner or later it will happen again. Be responcible and make him go night, night!

Bob D

Ya wanna borrow a gun, I would have your dog put down,if it were my dog he'd already be dead you can never trust a dog like that with ANYBODY again, I hope your son pulls through o.k.

Save your self some money and go with the lead injection! hope your child is okay!

Dog should be destroyed quickly and humanely.

Phish
Glad to hear your son is ok. A biting dog is not aceptable around any kids .. But you need to consider was it the dogs fault ..Did the child step on him or what .. .. sounds to me he has been a good dog to this point from what you said.If you do decide to get rid of him take him to the vet..

If you don't have the right gun, a properly applied baseball bat will do the job. Don't pass the problem to someone else, it WILL happen again. Your son is very lucky the dog didn't ragdoll him.

Steve

Have gun, will travel.

I hope everything comes uot all right for you're boy.I had my hand peeled back when I was a kid and it took me a couple of years to get over it.
I own two of dogs of my own so the idea of having to put one away sinks in.
Can you ever trust that dog again?

I would bring it to the vet and have it put away humanly.
Might even think about getting another dog of more friendly breeding to help you're poor boy deal with what just happened to him?

I got to agree with Saltine......batter up!....swung on and belted....deep to left field....going, going, goodbye Rottie.

Whether provoked or not, the consequences of having a dog that size attack any family member are too risky to keep the dog around. I wonder if this kind of behavior isn't more common when the dog has been a family member longer than the child. If you and the wife are having difficulty deciding what to do with the dog, maybe one of these dog training centers could help you reach a decision.

Canine Behavior Center 1-888-226-4638

Academy of Canine Behavior 1-800-335-9267

Family Dog Training Center 1-888-226-9054

I hope your child recovers quickly. Good luck!

I had a lab do that to my nephew.
The first ting to do is dig a hole out back big enough to bury him in.

In my opinion, the dog should be dead. All it takes is one .22 bullet.

Matt

Thanks for your input.
Most of you agree with my line of thinking.
As for the bat or 22 - would you try to take down a black bear with that (this is a very thick skulled 120+ solid muscle animal)? I need something that will be instantaneous. I have a 22 and a 12 guage. I would have used the 12 gage - but I just sounded too messy. I'm going to borrow a buddies deer rifle or 357 and do it right.
And i'm not taking my dog to a vet just have them charge me 100 to 200 (vet and disposal fees) bucks for taking care of my problem.
And I don't care of my son was jumping on him - he knows better to even look funny at the kids. After he did it, he was instantly hiding in a closet...

That's going to be one big hole to dig...

I agree with CedarR about seeking a solution from a professional type,if you aren't sure.If the solution to put it down is the answer,then I think you should consider doing it humanely.If you are serious about a bat,or are too cheap to pay a vet or an animal shelter to put an unfortunate end to your pet,you shouldn't own any animal.You might not feel quite as satisfied as you think when you see the animal face an agonizing bloody death at the hands of someone it loves for doing something for which it DID NOT understand the consequences of.Do it humanely!

Phish,
Unless you want to get this over and done with quickly, I may know someone who might want the dog. The person I know is a very good pet owner and has always had Rotts. I understand if the decision has already been made.
Best Regards
GoForChrome

I appreciate your concern about taking care of this humanely. Believe me, I have experience in this area. (Don't worry - the bat is out of the question. If the incident was any worse, then i'd have done it with my bare hands)

I used to work as a vet assistant and had to put a few animals down. The procedure is very quick and humane. The problem I found is that most animals KNOW about the Vet hospital and that is one of their biggest fears. Killing a dog that is scared to death and often peeing on the ground when you try to restrain and inject the needle hardly seems humane. (except to the elderly couple in the lobby - who did not actually see it happen)
On the contray, my dog loves to go on walks and run in the woods. On such an trip and instant tap (by the proper calibur gun) to the brain would be very clean and very humane in my book. And I have done this to a 13yr old German Shepherd a few years ago who was in a lot of pain and could no longer walk (just about 20 feet before resting, then another 20, resting, ... you could see the pain and frustration in her tired old eyes).
It was not a pleasant experience - convulsions, some blood, ect, but instant and done out in the woods where she loved to be. It was the right thing to do (if it were me, that's how I'd want it done).

goforchrome - email me if you find out anything further. I'll wait a day or 2. Thanks.

Thanks Phish.My only concern with using a bullet was that you understood that it must be done properly.Anyone who has see an animal that was shot in the head and did not die would understand the need for enough gun and proper bullet placement.

I agree that some animals are terrified of the vets office,if I must pay to put my animal down I will pay for the vet to make a housecall.
For those that can't afford it,Snohomish Co.Animal control charges $20 dollars to put the animal down.

Good Luck to you and best wishes for your son.

The .22 was just a suggestion, but I don't think it would be a problem... I know .22s are what are used to slaughter cattle, etc. Guess it just depends where you shoot the dog.

Matt