Cara's Mum
Active member
I am shocked and devastated to be even writing this but yesterday Murphy bit my 3 year old little boy in what seems to be an unprovoked attack. He bit him on the face just a millimetre away from his eye and left a bite mark that is still visible today.
What happened was this - I was in the kitchen with my son. He wandered into the hall and gave Murphy a hug.... nothing abnormal in that, they are always playing with each other. Murphy went into the sitting room and jumped up on the sofa... my son ran in after him (again nothing unusual) and hopped up beside him. He didnt hurt him or land on him - but Murphy just turned and went for him without warning. I can only surmise that he got a fright??
He is well used to children (we have two toddlers - aged 3 and 13 months). Murphy himself is 22 months old - we got him for my son's 2nd birthday. He has been reared with them... and we have always been delighted at how well our son and Murphy get on.
Murphy can be quite bossy but up to now if one of the children is doing something he doesnt like he generally just gives a low growl as a warning and my son knows to leave him alone, or else we intervene and give Murphy his space. He has snapped once or twice but each time it was because the warning signals hadnt been heard/read properly.
I dont quite honestly know what to do. My husband phoned the vet this morning and he said that the laws of probability are that he will bite again. He said we have three options... the first are to have him put down, the second to get him rehomed where there are no small kids and the third is to leave him in the garden all day and only take him in at night when the kids are in bed (not really a fair option on the dog to be honest).
We are heartbroken at the thought of having to give him up (getting him put down isnt an option). He is a part of the family.... really like a third child. However I am equally afraid that he could bite again.... and this time do some real harm, either to our children or to a stranger... and I could never forgive myself for not taking heed of this warning shot. I feel now that I cant trust him.
Has anyone got any idea whatsoever about anything else we can do?
I understand that kids can antagonise dogs and we have instilled in our son (and now our baby daughter too) about being gentle with the dog etc etc. Murphy has grown up with both of our children and is well used to noise, sudden movements etc. Thats why I find what happened so hard to accept.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
What happened was this - I was in the kitchen with my son. He wandered into the hall and gave Murphy a hug.... nothing abnormal in that, they are always playing with each other. Murphy went into the sitting room and jumped up on the sofa... my son ran in after him (again nothing unusual) and hopped up beside him. He didnt hurt him or land on him - but Murphy just turned and went for him without warning. I can only surmise that he got a fright??
He is well used to children (we have two toddlers - aged 3 and 13 months). Murphy himself is 22 months old - we got him for my son's 2nd birthday. He has been reared with them... and we have always been delighted at how well our son and Murphy get on.
Murphy can be quite bossy but up to now if one of the children is doing something he doesnt like he generally just gives a low growl as a warning and my son knows to leave him alone, or else we intervene and give Murphy his space. He has snapped once or twice but each time it was because the warning signals hadnt been heard/read properly.
I dont quite honestly know what to do. My husband phoned the vet this morning and he said that the laws of probability are that he will bite again. He said we have three options... the first are to have him put down, the second to get him rehomed where there are no small kids and the third is to leave him in the garden all day and only take him in at night when the kids are in bed (not really a fair option on the dog to be honest).
We are heartbroken at the thought of having to give him up (getting him put down isnt an option). He is a part of the family.... really like a third child. However I am equally afraid that he could bite again.... and this time do some real harm, either to our children or to a stranger... and I could never forgive myself for not taking heed of this warning shot. I feel now that I cant trust him.
Has anyone got any idea whatsoever about anything else we can do?
I understand that kids can antagonise dogs and we have instilled in our son (and now our baby daughter too) about being gentle with the dog etc etc. Murphy has grown up with both of our children and is well used to noise, sudden movements etc. Thats why I find what happened so hard to accept.
Any advise would be much appreciated.
Thank you.