My Dogs Bit My 2 Year Old

Doesn't matter whose fault it is, you have to get rid of the dogs OR the babies. Which do you love the most?

Oh, my!!! Dogs that are kid friendly DO NOT BITE children, especially those that they have been around and are used to. You stated yourself that they DO NOT LIKE CHILDREN. Do you really want to risk your child being scarred, blinded or maimed for life? Or risk the dog getting really aggressive and possibly killing your precious little one? I am not trying to be harsh, but some animals don't like to "share" and when children are in the house, they get jealous and become more aggressive. I stress again, that if the dog has been around this child and has bitten her that many times, get it out of the house and away from your child!! Don't punish your child with time outs.... she is just doing what comes naturally with kids and animals, it's the dogs that did not adjust to her. I love dogs and have 2 of my own, but if either of them ever bit my grandchild, they would be gone. People are more precious than animals any day.

I'm not sure that it is anybody's fault and even it it was it doesn't matter. My husband used to work dog-bite claims and they could get ugly. It is a shame, but in my opinion you do need to get rid of the dogs. It just isn't safe and the rest doesn't matter. Your children are really still too young to know better and the dogs aren't reacting well, end of story. Whatever you do, good luck, I know it's hard. Our dogs are part of the family, but we'd get rid of them in a heartbeat if they started biting.

B.,
I would say your insticts are right. Your children's safety is the most important thing here. I'm sure your dogs aren't bad dogs, but they do not seem to be able to interact with children. Your daughter is certainly not a bad child, just a kid. I think eventually she could learn to behave differently towards the dogs, but I wouldn't think it's worth the risk in the mean time. Kids are going to want to play with animals in their home and if the dogs are not okay with that, then I would say they should be removed from the home. If it's too painful to part, then I would keep them seperated (dogs in a different room while kids are awake?). However, the best solution would probaly be to find them a kid-free home, this would be fair to both children and animals. I understand animals can become a part of the family and it's a hard decision, but your children have to come before your pets. I encourage you to stick with your previous decision and protect your kids.

Hard as it is, the dogs need to go. You have to put your children first. Then, get a puppy that will grow up with the children. Your husband is right and those who say it's your daughter' fault...well, nevermind what I think about them. The dogs do need to go.

Hi B.,
I just want to say,I can't believe the way some people are responding to you in such a dis-graceful manner!! I know no-one would ever intentionally choose their dogs over the safety of their child. You have had the dogs for 7 yrs and they are a part of your family. Its not that easy just to get rid of part of your family. You must think they are not trainable to choose to get rid of them and I respect that. It is not the dogs fault nor the childs. They would just be better siuted in another home. It just riled me the way people were talking to you without knowing the whole story. Just make sure the people who get them know they are not good with children. Good luck.

HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK PUNISHING YOUR DAUGHTER WILL CORRECT THE DOGS BAD BEHAVIOR??? SHE DID NOTHING WRONG!!!

Your dogs are dominant over you and your kids. It's not that they "don't like kids" its that they control you and them. You need to become the dominant leader of your whole pack, kids and dogs included. If you can't do that, please find somebody that can. You are very right to think that your kids might get seriously injured by these dogs...

You have too much stress with having two small babies in the house to have to worry about the safety of them around your dogs.

I love my dogs and thank goodness they love my 20 mo, but if they even growled at her, they would be gone. She is their owner and they know their place. Of course, I did get a dog trainer to help with the adjustment before my daughter came into the house. My dog trainer's name is Aaron: http://theeducateddog.com/ . If you want to try to keep your dogs, I suggest you have him come and help you train them properly.

Good luck with your decision!

I JUST heard on the news that if a dog has a history of biting (which yours does), then you open yourself up for lawsuits if the dog bites someone else. If your dog is biting your own children, the chances are HUGE that they will bite your children's friends. And trust me, if my child was bitten by a dog at someone's house, the full force of the law would come down on them. I think you need to get rid of the dog not only to protect your own children, but your friend's children too.

The dogs are simply defending themselves and they deserve to be safe...........kids should never be allowed to treat animals as you describe - chasing the dogs? nope.....and I am betting she hugs them until it hurts..........me, I would separate them until the child is disciplined enough to not hurt/chase them and then I would slowly teach the dogs about good hugs from the child.....you did not say the breed of the dog...might have other suggestions if I knew that.......family pets should not be disposable but neither should they or the children come to harm......I have never understood why adults think dogs/cats should put up with whatever a kid dishes out.........good luck in your decision and also think about how hard it will be to find a home for a senior dog......I am in rescue and I know.........

B.:

Please don't take a chance. It is time to find those dogs a new home. The situation has already gone too far. We have had five dogs with our children. One bared his teeth to me once. He was part Chow and that may have been the reason for the aggression. He was gone that day.

It would not be worth your children's safety to keep your dogs.

Be strong!
Jen

I can't believe that anyone would say to keep the dogs!! It will not get better!! Follow your instincts!

I am sorry but whoever gave you the advice that it's the child's fault is insane! Trust me, I fully understand loving your pets like they are children but your job is to protect your babies and the dogs are dogs, not human - find them a new home and in the meantime keep them penned up! If your dogs attack and hurt your daughter to the point that y'all seek medical treatment the dogs will be taken and you and your husband may see charges for child endangerment since this problem has been going on so long. Protect your babies, the human ones. Good Luck! :)

Unless you have a professional Dog Whisperer like Cesar Millan waiting in the wings, then there is only one obvious choice: the dogs must go!! I'm sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear, but that is an honest outsider's unbiased opinion. Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of your young kids. And if you can find another nice, loving home for your dogs, then they will be happier too without the dog stress and worry of being chased around by excitable toddlers! If your pets could talk, I'm sure that they would thank you in the end. Trust me, it will be hard at first, but it will benenfit everyone in the end and make for a much happier home. Good luck!

With a toddler and a 2 month old, you have your hands full without the problems with the dogs. However, this situation needs to be a priority. You CAN teach your toddler that "chasing the dogs" is not allowed. Many children have been attacked attempting to play w/ strange dogs so she needs to learn to never run towards or chase a dog. My advice is to try keep the dogs and children separated until you can monitor them together....and when your daughter is around the dogs, teach her to gently pet the dogs....and help the dogs gradually warm up to her. If you don't see any progress after a couple of weeks, I would find the dogs a good home. You'll have to go through the same process when your baby is a toddler and if it's not going to work w/ your daughter, then it won't with him either. How large are your dogs? A larger dog and certain breeds are more dangerous, so research your breed. I have a large and small inside dog and they have become less tolerant of children as they've gotten older and crankier. When my neices are around I separate them because I'm not comfortable unless I am present at all times. My neices try to love on my large dog and she has growled and snapped at them. My little dog has never been great w/ kids, and will bite if they try to pick him up, but he's never bitten anyone hard enough to break the skin. It's stressful when they visit, but I know it will get better when they are older. Pray about this and follow your heart.

The decision is easy find a good home for the dogs.

no question in my mind...get rid of the dogs immediately.

would it be completely impossible to separate the kids from the dogs? if you surrender the dogs to a shelter, they are almost certain to be put down - people are giving up their dogs due to economical circumstances in droves. i have four indoor dogs myself, and two young children, and a third that will be here on friday. i have a doberman, a beagle, and two miniature pinschers. respect is a TWO WAY thing in this house. the kids are NEVER allowed to torment the dogs, and this learning process started when my kids were about 6 months old. they are to NEVER run after the dogs, hang all over them, climb on them, pull on them, etc. they may approach the dogs and see if they would like to be petted, etc. - but that's it - i don't expect my dogs to tolerate being tormented by tiny hands any more than i would expect my kids to tolerate being bitten by dogs. i would also second aaron with www.theeducateddog.com, we had a fifth dog until 3 years ago, she passed away, and she was the alpha dog among the 5 dogs - the dogs had a hard time adjusting to the loss, and were having little spats with each other. aaron was able to resolve all of those issues and taught us a LOT about dogs. obviously, keep your child safe! do not allow the kids and dogs to have contact with each other. but i think you also owe the dogs a chance, even if it means keeping them separated for the duration. and i'm sorry, at 2, your daughter IS old enough to understand to leave the dogs alone - what are you gonna do if/when she starts in on her baby brother and she "just won't learn"?

Hi B.,

I really enjoy my dogs and love my children. I am sure that you enjoy your dogs and love your children too. If my dogs were doing what you describe to my children I would have no choice but to give my dogs to another home.

Do you have any family that could take care of your dogs until your children are older?
R.

It sounds like you need the Dog Whisperer. I know LA is a long way away but you do need to retrain the dogs who is the leader of the pack. Seperating the dogs and children is best for now. Getting rid of the dogs will not do the next owner any good if they aren't aware of the issues at hand. It wil work out and without injury to your children. I agree with several posts in contacting your vet and a behavior trainer.

Whoever told you that it is your child's fault and that she needs to learn to leave them alone must not have children.

I had a cat for many years that loved only me. When my daughter was about 10 she actually rescued the cat from some teenage boys that where hurting her. Everyone tolerated the cat because I loved her. But when my granddaughter came along, the cat could not tolerate her. As hard as it was my husband took her to a loving home because, as much as I loved her, she was an animal.

You must get rid of the animals that have already harmed your child. It will only get worse and I don't think you want your child to have mental and physical scaring from these pets.

My dear friend had this problem when her kids were very small. It was a hard thing to do, but she found a good friend (me) who was willing to take the dogs (my kids were older). And the dogs lived happily ever after! Do not stress about doing what is best for your kids! Pray about it, It might be the best for the dogs too! Kids need to learn to be gentle, but not at the dogs expense or at the expense of your stress level. They will learn, but it doesn't have to be this moment. Those dogs were spoiled rotten here, much more than before, She got to visit them and while they were very happy to see her, they were also very happy to stay when she left!

I assume the dogs are not crate trained. Your daughter will not be little for ever. But until then you not only have to protect her but also the dogs. You need to give the dogs are safe place to be when you can not be totally in control of the situation. A room, crate etc.
Your daughter will learn, but you do need to deal with this now, dogs bites are nothing to play around with.

You can certainly call a behavorist for help with the dogs and advice. They are well worth the money and could make this a happy win situation for all.

I can't believe what I am reading. Who is more important to you? Your daughter is 2, not a 15 year old. She doesn't know any better she is exploring. Poor thing that she has to go throught getting bitten and her mommy and daddy are wondering if the dogs should be removed from the home. Those dogs are dangerous. If you've had them for 7 years they could be jealous. NO EXCUSE. I love animals but I would not condone the dogs having bitten my daughter at all. Get rid of the animals.
And those people that suggested that she learn no to touch the dogs need to take a parenting class. I hope they don't have kids.

I agree with the others that it's not your daughter's fault, she is too young. And I understand Stacey's point of view about how you should have trained them or prepared the dogs when she was born. But I don't agree that you should keep them.

In my opinion it's too late to train them now. They now think of her as beneath them in the rank of the pack and that won't change. But I'm no expert. If you really want an expert opinion go to an expert... call one of the recommended dog trainers from this site. A phone call explaining your situation to them will probably be free. Ask them if they can help and if so, cough up the money and do it. It's not cheap.

However, you didn't say the breed of the dog, if they're any part pit bull or rotweiller or any breed that in they're genetic line has been taught to fight or attach, get rid of them now. It's not worth the worry.

When I was a kid we had a dog that did not like kids. The dog bit me more than once, twice on the face. She chased my friends around the yard, growled when someone walked past her. My parents finally got rid of her the 2nd time she bit my face. I was a kid being a kid. I loved the dog and was never mean to her. As an adult I have always had dogs and they are like my own children. But - if one of them EVER made an aggressive move towards a child, it would be gone that day. Please find them a loving home with no kids. You will have peace of mind in knowing that someone else will love them and your children will be safe. You can always get another dog in a few years when your kids are older. I would not even take the time to try training because something can happen between now and the time that the dogs "get it". Too risky. With all that being said I don't think you're a bad mom, you just love your pets and it is hard to let them go.

I feel for you because dogs have been a large part of our family before our daughter and now.

My first instinct...I would not be able to live with myself if I knowingly had a dog around that would bite and possibly injure and/or disfigure my child for the rest of her life.

Secondly, I do believe in the training aspect. We had dogs long before daughter came along. I was super worried about this. We introduced them slowly, and established that she was "higher up" in the pack. She was NEVER left alone with a dog, she only played with the dogs with strict supervision. Children do play too roughly and they don't realize that until a dog snips.

As she got older, she had more contact and learned to "be soft". We never had any issues with her or other children. We continue to monitor our dogs closely around other children and for safety's sake....we don't allow toddlers to come touch, etc. Our dogs are 10, 4 and 3 now and not accustomed to children. We've always had Cockers and still have 2 and we also have a toy poodle now.

We adore our dogs and they are a part of our family. We do believe in the committment that we made when we got our dogs....you don't just find a new home because you are tired of caring for them, they are too hard, etc etc. IF you are set on keeping the dogs, keep them separated, get professional training. As someone else mentioned....IF they are part pit bull or a naturally aggressive breed....please find the dogs another home.

Another note: There are WAY too many people out there, especially now a days, just looking for a way to sue someone for something for a buck and Plenty of greedy lawyers to do the job for them, for a buck. If your dog were to bite someone with that mentality, you could be in for a major financial issue as well.

I so feel for you, but I think you know what you need to do. We had a dog that just could not handle my son. One was ok, but this one just did not like the new family dynamic. We worked with our vet and tried prozac (for the dog, not us even though it was tempting some days), worked with a trainer in our house, but still he just didn't work out and continued to snarl and then bite. He just didn't like small children. What are you going to do? My vet was very understanding (she comes from a large animal loving family with lots of kids), and told us that kids this age are really at the greatest risk -- especially for face bites. I see you have a 2 month old son, and I'm afraid he will be as much, if not more, risk once he starts crawling.

We did our due diligence with our dog; however in the end, we contacted a rescue society for his breed when my son was about a yr old. They tested him and placed him with another family. It ended up being a win-win thing and I wish I had done it much sooner really. He's in a different family with no small children and loving life. We also had a heavy cloud lifted off of us. The tension in the house was gone after he left. It was a relief. Sure, we mourned him, but really it was for the best.

I think it's ridiculous that people are saying that it's your 2 yr old daughter's fault. They clearly don't understand children I think. She's still too young. Yes, she needs to learn to be gentle with animals, but that takes time.

Your dogs need serious training and discipline now! Your daughter should not be punished for wanting to engage with the dogs the way she sees you and your husband interact with them. Dogs are pack animals and they are trying to establish their rank in the pack above your children and are probably jealous of the attention the children are getting from the two of you. If you don't teach them that they are not above the children (and you two) then the problems will escalate (which has clearly already started) and will most definitely get worse. Your children could be at risk of serious injury and even death if you keep the dogs and don't train them. Please find a professional dog trainer to help you train them now and until they are trained don't ever let any child around them. If you keep the dogs and do nothing this is a potentially tragic situation that you could regret the rest of your lives. Is having any animal worth that?

Your dogs are not going to relearn their behavior and your 2 yr old is just that 2 yrs old. At this age she can not fathom someone or something NOT loving her. There are some animals that are good with children and some that are not. It sounds to me that your dogs are NOT good with children. Either the dogs need to go or the child needs to go...obviously it needs to be the dogs that find a new home.

I can not believe what i read. either the dogs go or the child. are you out of your pea- picking mind!!! I TAKE IT YOU WOULD GET RID OF YOUR CHILD AND NOT THE DOGS. SHEEESHHH

get rid of the dogs now before they maim or severely injure your children; even though dogs are wonderful pets and you love them--your children are much more important and dogs can be unpredictable--they are animals, not people and often behave on instinct..

I don't mean to sound rude, but I cannot believe that you haven't gotten rid of the dogs years ago. I had to get rid of my dog after she growled and snapped at my daughter out of the blue, no other aggressive behavior. In my house our child comes first not the dog.

Absolutely you should get rid of them and the faster the better. I am an animal lover and I am also not a fan of changing surroundings to accomodate kids (move things higher up on the shelves, etc), they need to learn the respect rules. However - you are putting your kids at a serious risk by not removing a threat. Your dogs have shown you they are not willing to adapt & it's not fair to expect them too, they are not human and can not comprehend things on our level. You need to find a nice, child-free home quickly. In the meantime they need to be kept isolated away from the kids.

Once a dog crosses that line and bites a human, it will most likely do it again without hesitation. I would have gotten rid of the dogs the first time they snapped at my child. Think about your guilt if something more serious were to happen. You'd never forgive yourself.

Im sorry to see that you have gotten so many harsh responses- I understand you are just asking for some help. I am a dog lover and I would also have a hard time getting rid of my dogs. I dont think you will be able to retrain the dogs at this point. They are just not kid friendly, alot of senior dogs are that way. We have a lab/great dane mix and she is by far the best dog ever with kids. (And she is 125 pounds) So we have been lucky in that aspect. We did have an older dog (13 yrs) and he was not fond of kids, but the kids understood to leave him alone. As hard as it would be, I would have to get rid of my dogs if they bit- I dont know of any way you could keep them totally seperated and still be fair to your dogs. They need the love and attention. Can they become outside dogs? If so, just dont forget about them.. You could go out with your kids to play and pet the dogs until they get older. If you are able to call in professional help that is great, but I know it is expensive. In the future if you get another dog- as some one else said.. labs are the best with children. (We have had 4 labs, and never a problem with our kids) If you decide to get rid of them, please make sure you trust the home and DO NOT send them to the pound. They are so over crowded right now and senior dogs rarely get adopted. Good luck to you and your family.

Get rid of the dogs.
Many children are wounded severely or die because of their own dogs or worse, if there can be a worse to that, another child visiting.

Listen to your pets. They are telling you "I don't like children." Listen. It will not improve no matter how much you wish it.
We went through same thing with ours. It teaches your child to fear animals and to dislike animals. You will become angry with your own pets and it will be so stressful. We were fortunate but it was rough there for awhile. She passed due to age illness and now we have a wonderful puppy and the whole house is happy.

Time to trade them in for a loving puppy (lab mix is best) when the kids are 6-9yrs old.

Your child is worth more than those animals I am sorry to say. Can you imagine having to go through life with a big scar on your face because your parents loved their dogs more than your safety?

Try Petfinders and also ask for adoptive services there that will help you find better homes.

Your dogs will be happier too not having that stress of children and your unhappiness.

It will be okay. It doesn't mean you don't love them or gave up on them it just means it is time for them to live somewhere else. You can even keep in touch if you want to do so.

We will not think bad of you but feel you are selfless and brave.
Keep safe, C.

I have a 90lb shepherd that we got when my daughter was about 13months old,he was only 11wks when we got him. He was not a big kid lover at first but grew out of it, but does still not choose to play with my daughter because she can be a little rough with the dog (LOL). He has never bitten her but we have had several instances where he will snap at her or knock her down on purpose, she wants to cry about it but if she is aggravating him then I do nothing to him. I feel Addy needs to learn to just leave him alone she has her own dogs to play with (chihuahuas). I guess my point is your daughter does need to learn to just leave them alone there is nothing wrong with having a dog that does not want anything to do with your children but I would be very careful with the fact they are biting her. I let Addy give Stealth his treats so they have some communication.

I agree with your decision show the dogs the door!! Your babies are way more important!!

Dear B. S,
The nature of dogs will not change. You are really making a bad choice having them around your babys.
The next time they may do a lot of harm to the children. Please choose the wonderful gift of your children over these animals.
Your friend.
MK

What more do you need to happen to your children for you to find better homes for the dogs? I'm not saying send them to the pound, but the dogs seem miserable also. Why would you also want to make the dogs miserable? And remember you have a son that will soon be in toddler years right behind your daughter. SO the dogs will have about the next 5 years of being miserable over toddlers until the kids are old enough to learn to leave the dogs alone. The incident may truly be your daughters fault, but at 2, she really doesn't understand what she is doing. And probably honestly thinks she is playing not being annoying. Is there a way for you to seperate them? Like keep the dogs outside? Or in a room or part of the house with a child gate? Again that seems mean to the dogs when they have probably had the run of the house and now don't understand why they are being deprived. Likewise your daughter is young and is unpredictable.
But so are the dogs.
My vote is to find a place that the dogs would still be happy with a childless home. You are asking for trouble with dogs that have already bitten children. They will do it again.
My vote is the dogs go. Your daughter needs to be secure from the dogs.
Good luck,
L.

HI B.,

I did not get to read your other answers so I'm not sure what kind of feedback you are receiving but I know this can be a very difficult decision. I have also had my dog for 7 years and I know how attached an animal becomes to their owners.
It will be difficult for the dogs to transition to new homes after they have been in your family for so long. I feel really bad when I see animals re-homed because of lifestyle changes in their home.
It might also be difficult finding someone to take older dogs who can also not be around children.

Is there any way to keep the dogs separated from your daughter? It might just take them some time to get used to the tugging and hugs and once they do they could be fine but with them being older and not used to kids, that might never happen either.
Are they outside dogs?
What if you got a section of your yard fenced off for the dogs to have their own area away from the kids.

Either way, something has to be done. My mother in law has a very nippy poodle that hates children and she was always able to keep the dog away from children and never had to re-home him. It sounds as if your dogs are only nippy when they get hurt from your daughter and they don't just attack for no reason. If you can afford it, maybe try some Mans Best Friend classes and see if that works. My mothers dog had attacked a neighbors dog so she put him in the mans best frined class and it worked!

Well, I can't give you an exact answer on what if right to do. You have to protect your children first but I hope you can also do what's best for the dogs before just sending them away. There are ways to work around the problem and make everyone happy. It's hard teaching a 2 yr old to stay away from animals especially when they love them so much at that age.
And you don't want her to have a fear of animals from being bit as a child.

Good luck in whatever decision you make. If you re-home the dogs, don't rush it and please do make sure to find the right new home for their sake.

Take care.

B.,
I agree with Cindi. I was in that situation 4 yrs ago when my son was 4 and we had just found out we were having a girl. We had 2 dogs at the time and the smaller younger one was having a problem with my son where she bite him on the hand and she just wasn't a kid lover. I kept thinking as my son gets older it will get better but it didn't so when we found out we were expecting we started looking for a new family for her. It wasn't easy but I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed the dog to stay in the house and she were to seriously hurt one of my kids. You are not overreacting you need to get the dogs away from your kids the situation will not improve.
Good luck,
K.

We had our dog for 6 years before our daughter was born. He was my baby. He never liked our daughter, but I kept hoping as she got older he would get used to her. He didn't. When she was almost two he scratched her face almost hitting her eye. He now is living at a new home. I love my dog and visit him, but nothing is worth risking my child's safety.

Your job as a mother is to protect your children. I'm a little shocked and worried that someone would even question this decision. For the safety of your children and every child that comes over to your house, you've only got one choice. You know what to do.

I would SOOO get rid of the dogs. True, your daughter should eventually learn to not pester a dog - but NOT at the risk of big hurt.

Hi B., A couple of years ago my daughters 4 year old dog bite her 1 1/2 year old son. he had to be hospitalized due to infection. That's when the County stepped in. We were given the choice to give him to a childless home or have him put to sleep. We were fortunate enough to find a breeder that took him. The worst part was that C.P.S. got involved as well. It's the law. The hospital had to report it. It is child endagerment to keep an animal that may harm your children. Weigh the odds of lossing your child by keeping the dogs or having charges brought against you.
Children don't understand that dogs are tempormental. Doesn't matter who's fault it is. They are still at risk.
I know how hard it is to get rid of a pet you love. I pray that you will make the right deciscion. God Bless you and your Family.

I'd get rid of the dogs.

Hello,

I understand your problem. I show and handle dogs everyday and have 2 children as well. I had to introduce my children to 8 dogs and monitor everything very close. There are several factors that need to be considered:

What breed of dogs do you have? Some are more tolerant than others.
Can you read their body (the dogs) language? Are they , letting you know that they don't like to be chased ,ect and no one is listening? If you do not discipline your children, then they will treat them like they would an unruly puppy and do it themselves. It does not sound like they are trying to really hurt your children but don't know what else to do to be left alone. I have friends who have the some problem and I remind them that their dogs are not toys and like us, have boundaries that make us uncomfortable when crossed.
I used my dogs as practice for my children on how they would like to be treated and how to treat other children. I tried to get them to look at it from a dogs perspective and if the dog could talk, what would he say to you?
This probably sounds kinda crazy, but it might help to think about it from the dogs point of view.

You're the mommy, and your job is to protect your children. The dog needs to go before your children get hurt.

As a foster mom for the state, let me throw in one more 'stick' - if your daughter or baby gets really hurt, and CPS finds out you've kept a dangerous dog around the children, one that has already bitten them three times, they might possibly remove the children for a while until things change around there...I don't say this as a threat at all, but just to let you know that it might be a possibility, and I do everything I can to help keep that from happening!

I agree with you. Get rid of the dogs before there is a huge tragedy. There are many types of dogs out there that would tolerate everything your child does to them.
L.

It is not your daughters fault. She is being a normal little girl. Children love to play with animals and yes they are sometimes a little rough as they are learning. If you are going to have pets they need to be ones that are patient and gentle. We had a Great Dane that let children do all the things your daughter does and more. I think I would put my daughters safety over the pets. I would find them a good child-free environment.

Hello!?!?!??! don't mean to sound harsh. but duh, the dogs have to GO!! They should have been gone long ago. and the "couple of people" do they have children??? You can always get another dog but not the same child. Have you all seen the news! Dogs biting and killing little ones. The children can provoke but they are little and think everything is fun and games. My in laws had a choc lab and was very territorial, growled at you if she took your things and you tried to get it back from her. We told them when the baby comes, we will NOT becoming over as long as that dog is in the house. Stand up! These are your children. Sorry, just a little shock at your ad.

No way are you rushing! Whoever said it's your daughter's fault should be shot! She's only 2 years old... Your thoughts are totally right! No point in ending up with a child that could be permanently disfigured over your dogs... Our pets are important to us, but our children are worth every penny more!

B., your dogs were there first and they are probably jealous of the kids and are not used to being with kids. Why take the risk with your children. Remember that your dogs are animals and do not reason, but react. You never know how they will react to something that the children might do. I think that dogs are a great addition to a family. I suggest that you find a good home for the dogs and then when your children are older, old enough to share responsibility, you bring home a dog that can grow with the kids and not know any difference. The safety of your children comes first and remember that even a small dog can make a big bite on a small child.
J. W.
I am a mother of three almost grown kids with a dog.

Please get rid of your dogs!

I'm 39, and I was bitten by our dog when I was 7. I had to have major surgery and still I have lived with 7 scars on my face ever since. Neighbor kids had mistreated our dog. The dog hated and bit other kids, but we never thought he would turn on a member of the family. The day the dog bit me the dog seemed sad, so I was trying to comfort the dog. I petted him, talked sweetly to him, looked into his eyes and bent to kiss him when he bit me.

I have never heard of a dog being cured of biting kids. It seems that once they start, they keep doing it. Dogs are pack animals. They have a ranking in their packs. Your dogs seem to see themselves as higher in the pack order than your kids...afterall they have been in your family (pack) longer than the kids. That understandable, but it is also a dangerous viewpoint.

There is plenty of research out there, but don't put it off until it is too late! My scars are in such places that more plastic surgery on my chin is "not recommended." I may be able to have some done in my eye area later on...(think wrinkles).

My parents are thoughtful, great parents. They hated to get rid of the dog because he was my brother's dog. I can understand why they did what they did. I just wish they had acted sooner.

I'm sorry you have received harsh comments. I didn't read the other comments. I just read your follow-up. You are asking around and taking action. That is good. I do recommend that you have a permanent separation for the kids and dogs. We gave away our dog and told the person to keep the dog away from kids, but that person's child was bitten, too. Our dog wasn't a pitbull either; it was a beautiful sheltie.

I have 2 outside dogs now and 2 kids. The older child (6 1/2) can be outside with them almost unattended, but I still check on him a lot. Kids just forget to play gently. I still accompany the younger child when she is outside with the dogs. She's almost 4. I have a lab mix and a border collie/lab. However, I am vigilant when we are anywhere else and other dogs are around. Kids just like to get in dogs' faces. I can seem a bit overly worried, but I tell my husband, "No regrets."

Blessings to you,
Holly

so what if your daughter does need to learn how to act around pets, does that mean you want to risk a very bad injury to her?? No , get rid of the pets. You can still try and tell her how to be nice and easy around pets without risking her safty or that of the new one.

Your dogs are not going to relearn their behavior and your 2 yr old is just that 2 yrs old. At this age she can not fathom someone or something NOT loving her. There are some animals that are good with children and some that are not. It sounds to me that your dogs are NOT good with children. Either the dogs need to go or the child needs to go...obviously it needs to be the dogs that find a new home.

D.
SAHM of two; 19 and 5. Home Baker and Candy Maker. Married to the same wonderful man for almost 12 years.

Find them a new home. If they do it once they'll do it again. Think of how you would feel about yourself if they really hurt one of your children. I know you love those dogs but your children are more important.