dog JUST bit a child

willow tree

my dog is a terrier cross. she is 7/8years old. she has become more and more aggressive as shes gotten older. shes normally really sweet and passive but always had this thing if you touch her paws or if she thinks you are going to touch her paws, she snaps. ive done everything, after she snaps i give her a slap on the bum and put her outsisde. ive tried to make sure she is not dominant (she walks out after me, i lead her on walks etc)... she normally does what shes told. today a child was playing with her (i dont normally let her play with children but i was out) and she snapped at him, just left a little mark and he said he was fine (no blood). i felt sooooo bad, i dont know would classes help. does she need to be put down?im really upset and confused... please help:(

ppink

Well shes not really old for a terrier cross I would think. I would be worried as to why she is getting cross, i dont think thye just "get" cross like that without there being a reason.

did you take her to the vet to rule out any medical thing bothering her? I would be heading there first of all.

After that then if she gets a clean bill of health find yourself a good behaviourist to check her and see if they can help you.
i am sure some of the guys on here could recommend a good one depending on where you are based.

Cherry Blossom

1. She needs to be kept away from children, this isn't unique Terriers in general and specifically Jack Russels have a pretty low tolerance of kids messing with them.

2. She needs desensitising to having her paws touched.

3. She needs an MOT from a vet to make sure there is no underlying medical cause.

4. I'd get a reputable canine behaviourist (not a dog trainer) to assess you and her to try to figure out where you are going wrong.

5. Food - what the dog is being fed is often a big cause of many problems from aggression to allergies to hyperactivity, what are you feeding her? What are the ingredients and the percentage of protein in the food? A lot of dog food is full of chemicals and additives that can affect different dogs in different ways.

TBH the longer something goes on the worse it gets and the harder it is to solve the problem. It should have been nipped in the bud at the first signs not allowed to go on and escalate for years until a child is put in danger. I'll never understand why people can be so irresponsible and let things like this get so out of control.

What you need to do now is try to 'undo' this learned behaviour, good luck!

Teyla Emmagan

She doesn't need to be put down Willow. Just get her some training and in the meantime keep her away from kids.

Good luck.

eilo1

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

1. She needs to be kept away from children, this isn't unique Terriers in general and specifically Jack Russels have a pretty low tolerance of kids messing with them.

2. She needs desensitising to having her paws touched.

3. She needs an MOT from a vet to make sure there is no underlying medical cause.

4. I'd get a reputable canine behaviourist (not a dog trainer) to assess you and her to try to figure out where you are going wrong.

5. Food - what the dog is being fed is often a big cause of many problems from aggression to allergies to hyperactivity, what are you feeding her? What are the ingredients and the percentage of protein in the food? A lot of dog food is full of chemicals and additives that can affect different dogs in different ways.

TBH the longer something goes on the worse it gets and the harder it is to solve the problem. It should have been nipped in the bud at the first signs not allowed to go on and escalate for years until a child is put in danger. I'll never understand why people can be so irresponsible and let things like this get so out of control.

What you need to do now is try to 'undo' this learned behaviour, good luck!

I believe the OP asked for advice not judgement.

Op as others have pointed out you should have the dog checked over by a vet, there may be some underlying infection or complaint causing the dog pain when its paws are touched.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Cherry Blossom

eilo1 wrote: »

I believe the OP asked for advice not judgement.

I offered advice and gave my opinion, they come as a set. Would you rather I not give either?

<ETA> Of course I don't have the option of now withdrawing the post as you have unnecessarily quoted the whole thing

eilo1

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I offered advice and gave my opinion, they come as a set. Would you rather I not give either?

Id rather you left out your judgements.

angelfire9

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

1. She needs to be kept away from children, this isn't unique Terriers in general and specifically Jack Russels have a pretty low tolerance of kids messing with them.

Can I just say as someone who has spent her entire life with JRT's that not all of them are snappy or vicious or have a "low tolerance" with kids

Growing up we had JRT's at home, the first one came from a litter that my grandmother's JRT had and we adopted one and had him from a pup to 15 yrs after he passed away we had a succession of rescues and my parents have another rescue as the resident rat catcher at present

I have never seen any of our JRT's snap or bite at anyone
Its not specifically the breed its the dog & the way it is reared IMHO

As kids we pretty much did everything with our dogs, from pushing them around in the pram and pulling & dragging & hide and seek all over the garden (including dragging them up trees) and never once did any of us come to grief over it

I hate it when people generalise about breeds

eilo1

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I offered advice and gave my opinion, they come as a set. Would you rather I not give either?

<ETA> Of course I don't have the option of now withdrawing the post as you have unnecessarily quoted the whole thing

Ah yes its all my fault.............

Justask

willow tree wrote: »

my dog is a terrier cross. she is 7/8years old. she has become more and more aggressive as shes gotten older. shes normally really sweet and passive but always had this thing if you touch her paws or if she thinks you are going to touch her paws, she snaps. ive done everything, after she snaps i give her a slap on the bum and put her outsisde. ive tried to make sure she is not dominant (she walks out after me, i lead her on walks etc)... she normally does what shes told. today a child was playing with her (i dont normally let her play with children but i was out) and she snapped at him, just left a little mark and he said he was fine (no blood). i felt sooooo bad, i dont know would classes help. does she need to be put down?im really upset and confused... please help:(

Do you know the child that she bit? What did his mum say?

I would if I was you go to the vet for starters to make sure all was well with the dog that somthing is not sore on her paw etc.. and then i'd never ever have the dog around a child again. its just not worth the risk

willow tree

thanks for all your replies. i will bring her to someone(behviourist) and see what they can do. shes been like this with her paws since she was a pup and i rescued her. a few vets have said that some dogs are funny about their paws being touched so we kept touching them (first by offering food) and now she lets us touch her paws no problem. i am a responsible owner, i love my dogs and i dont ignore issues. when im in the house and children come round i put her away tbh. when i got her for the first few years it was just me and her in the house and on walks but ive had a baby recently and lots of other stuffs going on and i think she was just used too and liked just the two of us. anyway, thanks for comments and i'll take it on board, i do try my best.

lambox

Zero tolerance Willow.Dog had its chance and proved it cant be trusted.Why wait for the next bite?The next one could be a lot worse.

Mo60

lambox wrote: »

Zero tolerance Willow.Dog had its chance and proved it cant be trusted.Why wait for the next bite?The next one could be a lot worse.

So what are you suggesting should be done?

Cherry Blossom

angelfire9 wrote: »

Can I just say as someone who has spent her entire life with JRT's that not all of them are snappy or vicious or have a "low tolerance" with kids
<snip>
Its not specifically the breed its the dog & the way it is reared IMHO

<snip>

I hate it when people generalise about breeds

I agree completely I have a terrier in a house with 4 kids the oldest being 6. Have not had a single problem and don't forsee having one either. However all of the jack russells I know, (which granted isn't a huge number) are owned by people who are either completely incapable of dealing with their personality or too lazy to.

No I'm not generalising about the breed, I'm generalising about the people (that I personally know) who own them. That part in bold there, that's basically it in a nut-shell.

eilo1 wrote: »

Ah yes its all my fault.............

Ah sarcasm . . . Of course it clearly wouldn't be the fault of the person who has taken responsibility for the dog, it's training, general care, socialisation . . . . It's obviously the child to blame, the dog itself, it's previous owner or the shelter it came from, anyone but the person who is actually responsible for it. It always is.

planetX

Some dogs do get grumpier as they get older though. The dog didn't attack the child, it gave a warning nip. Letting a child play with her without you there is something you'll just have to make sure won't happen again. And get advice from a trainer on the paws thing - what happens when a vet needs to check her legs?

willow tree

thanks all, yeah theres a pen out the back and she will be in that when im not around from now on. ive always had to put a muzzle on her when vets touch her paws, she gets so distressed about it that one time she was put to sleep for an examination. other people who know her dont believe me when i tell them this as she is sooo passive and gentle other than this major problem. ( child was nephew, his dad said not to worry but of course i am and taking this v seriously)

kildare.17hmr

lambox wrote: »

Zero tolerance Willow.Dog had its chance and proved it cant be trusted.Why wait for the next bite?The next one could be a lot worse.

<br />
+1 if it was my dog they would only do it once and if it was my kid the owner had better do the same

roosterman71

You need to show that dog the pointy end of your boot everytime it steps out of line. Your the master, and the dog should behave as you want it to.

Discodog

lambox wrote: »

Zero tolerance Willow.Dog had its chance and proved it cant be trusted.Why wait for the next bite?The next one could be a lot worse.

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

<br />
+1 if it was my dog they would only do it once and if it was my kid the owner had better do the same

roosterman71 wrote: »

You need to show that dog the pointy end of your boot everytime it steps out of line. Your the master, and the dog should behave as you want it to.

I commented recently that I thought that this forum was getting better but clearly I was wrong.

Unfortunately some people here still believe that a dog has the mind of a human & clearly some should never be allowed near a dog if they think that kicking it is a good idea.

OP for some reason your dog has a thing about it's paws & it's nothing unusual. Children should never be left alone with dogs - no matter how reliable the dog is. This often has nothing to do with trusting the dog but it's more about not being able to guarantee the behaviour of the child.

A good behaviourist (not always easy to find) may be able to minimise the effect & possible remove it. But there maybe a risk of the "memory" coming back especially if the dog feels stressed. At the end of the day the dog didn't bite - as in meaning to bite. I don't think that you can blame a dog for asking not to have it's paws touched. I would avoid doing anything different from routine except not leaving the dog alone with a child.

If you give us your approximate location then someone here may be able to recommend a behaviourist who could meet the dog & give you some advice. In reality non of us can do this without knowing the dog.

Yes it might of been easier to treat before it became too established as a behaviour but the saying that "you can't teach old dogs new tricks" is rubbish.

And please ignore the kind of advice quoted above. You don't own a killer.

Hellrazer

roosterman71 wrote: »

You need to show that dog the pointy end of your boot everytime it steps out of line. Your the master, and the dog should behave as you want it to.

Infracted.

willow tree

thanks discodog, thats sound advice. i could really go to anyone in dublin/clare area as im in both regularly. would be willing to travel for someone good, thanks in advance for any dog professional recommendations. (honestly i can understand how some of you are feeling. the parents have said when i rang today that im overreacting, it was more of a snap and hes fine. i would be fairly mad if it was my child so i do understand and i am taking it seriously). i would NEVER kick an animal, i do see this as my fault not the dogs.

Discodog

I have never had to personally use a behaviourist but I have heard good reports about these people:

http://www.dogtrainingireland.ie/home.php

click on the behaviour clinic tab

kildare.17hmr

my opinion is just as valid as yours discodog and if my dog snapped and bit a child weather it drew blood r not it would be end of days for him.


out of interest how much do these behaviorists normally charge?

andreac

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

my opinion is just as valid as yours discodog and if my dog snapped and bit a child weather it drew blood r not it would be end of days for him.


out of interest how much do these behaviorists normally charge?

You cant just put a dog dog not knowing the full circumstances of why it snapped/bit.

What if a child was teasing the dog or hurt the dog and it just reacted as it was in pain etc, why should the dog be pts?? You cant blame an animal for lashing out in a situation where its being hurt or abused so why should a dog suffer when it wouldnt even be his fault, so you should always weigh up the situation and find out exactly why a dog lashes out. Ther eis usually a reason for it...

Discodog

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

my opinion is just as valid as yours discodog and if my dog snapped and bit a child weather it drew blood r not it would be end of days for him.
out of interest how much do these behaviorists normally charge?

Ok so your dog bites a child, you put the dog down & then discover that the child was yanking at it's ears. Or you find out that it had a curable illness. Dogs don't bite without a reason & they rarely bite without a warning. It's not their fault that we don't see the signs. The dog in question gave plenty of indications & it still didn't bite.

My opinion is backed up by just about every reputable expert.

Take a look on the link - I think that have prices on there.

Edit Andreac beat me by 2 seconds !

kildare.17hmr

andreac wrote: »

You cant just put a dog dog not knowing the full circumstances of why it snapped/bit.

What if a child was teasing the dog or hurt the dog and it just reacted as it was in pain etc, why should the dog be pts?? You cant blame an animal for lashing out in a situation where its being hurt or abused so why should a dog suffer when it wouldnt even be his fault, so you should always weigh up the situation and find out exactly why a dog lashes out. Ther eis usually a reason for it...

of course thats different if the dog is being abused. I ment if they were playing and the dog snapped

a nip is not a bite?!?!

andreac

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

of course thats different if the dog is being abused. I ment if they were playing and the dog snapped

There very few dogs that just snap or bite while playing, so unless the adult actually saw what happened, then who knows what the child actually did to the dog to warrant it lashing out.

Elmidena

I'd say that there's nothing to worry about, the child wasn't hurt and now he knows not to play with the dog without supervision or at least has some idea why he came to get a warning nip. As others have said before, take her to the vet and get a professional opinion. It being there from puppyhood doesn't mean it's not something medical; could have something under the skin and it hurts, or the bitch nipped the paws if it was feeding too roughly from her, so it could be psychological. When I was a kid, we had a huge cat who would snap if you touched her tummy and scratch out. Her scratches were a lot more damaging than a nip that didn't do anything, and we sure as hell didn't get her put down. It was something she didn't like so we respected it. Nowadays have two cats that snap if you don't give them tummy tickles!

If a small child not at talking age pulled your hair when you picked it up when it didn't want to, you surely wouldn't put them down! Dogs aren't the same as children obviously, but still a creature a lot smaller than you frightened of something and unable to voice its fears or pain.

Tbh, I'm not sure it needs a behaviourist; the dog isn't often around children and you plan to segregate it when you're not able to monitor it, and it's fine with you touching the paws as it trusts you.

As for being mad if the dog bit your child, kindly take some perspective. The child was apparently fine and blood wasn't drawn (by the OP). Did you never get a nip from an animal as a child? This isn't a blood thirsty animal by all accounts, it's not like it did any damage or nicked an artery or child needed stitches or anything! If your child played in a meadow and got stung with a nettle or cut with a briar, would you forbid the child from playing in there again, or only let them play on "safe" short grass? Your nephew won't need years of therapy to recover from this and I'm amazed your instincts were if the dog you've had for 7/8 years should be put down for nothing other than a surface mark. If it was a vicious attack I could understand, but from what I've read it was far from it and I'm bewildered that in spite of all the accounts around you saying all is fine you thought about doggie heaven

planetX

wow, some pretty strange pet owners on here today.
OP, I had a dog that bit my niece once. No injury, the dog nipped because she tried to pull it away from a doorway where it was waiting for me to come out. We all learned from it - my niece was taught to never try to pull the dog, I learned to never leave my dog in a situation where I couldn't supervise. It never happened again for the rest of the dogs life, and we all got a lot of pleasure from that pet.
One strike you're out? When you've loved a dog for 7 years - can't be serious.

givee

ya couldn't put the dog down for giving a warning,i got bitten by a dog last summer and even tho he took the leg off my trousers and a chunk off my leg i asked his owner ta treat him properly and maybe he wouldnt be so agressive.she has him and 3 other dogs locked up now behind a house she doesnt even live in,calls once a day to feed them.your dog is well cared for and maybe just doesnt like his paws being touched,the kid will be cautious in future and thats not a bad thing really because not all dogs will are tolerant of children.

Shanao

I remember my brother being nipped on the nose when younger because he blew into our collie's ear, which any dog owner knows, dogs do not like. Did the dog get put down for that? No, and why should she have been? It was no different than me punching him for annoying me.
We're far too quick to blame the dogs in this country. Desensitizing is the thing here, and a good behaviourist will help out with that.

Discodog

Deleted User wrote: »

a nip is not a bite?!?!

In reality no it isn't. Dogs can snap - where they deliberately miss. Nip - as they would in play or when correcting a pup.

A bite is different as it is a move of last resort. As an animal if you are in a confrontational situation you avoid biting because there is no guarantee that you will win. You could get injured & be unable to hunt. So even wild animals never bite without a very good reason.

Last night my little fella got threatened by a local Collie. It happens often but this time he decided that he had to stand his ground & there was an almighty set to with all the usual growling, snarling & snapping of teeth. I knew that it was just posturing & neither dog had a mark on them.

Needler

Whats this ridiculous idea that the dog should be put down over this? Fecking mad tbh. If it wasn't an oh so precious CHILD that got nipped there wouldn't even be a thread about it i'd say

givee

why do u think the dog bit me then?ive always wondered why he did that particular day as he was used to me walking by the house evey day.i would have understood if i was on his territory but i was on the opposite side of the road!

DBB

givee wrote: »

why do u think the dog bit me then?ive always wondered why he did that particular day as he was used to me walking by the house evey day.i would have understood if i was on his territory but i was on the opposite side of the road!

I'd imagine the dog's level of frustration at seeing you pass his house yet again exceeded his inhibition to attack on this occasion... if a dog is going to be aggressive to passers-by, they tend to be more aggressive towards other dogs or people that they see passing their house every day, as their frustration builds each time until it reaches a stage where the dog just can't rein it in any more.
As for you not being on his territory, I'd suggest that dog, like many, does not define his territory the same way humans do with fences, walls, hedges and roads. Once you're in view of his house, it's likely he considers you to be on his patch.
OP, there is a very good and reasonably priced behaviourist in Ennis... Bev Truss of Pet Problems. A Google search will find you her website. Putting this dog to sleep given the info u gave us seems a bit extreme at this stage.

givee

oh well there was method in his madness then that put a stop to me walkin that direction since,poor dog!!

Noodleworm

givee wrote: »

why do u think the dog bit me then?ive always wondered why he did that particular day as he was used to me walking by the house evey day.i would have understood if i was on his territory but i was on the opposite side of the road!

Dogs have a different idea of territory, I'm having a nightmare with my dogs barking at the windows or the gates everytime people walk by or a car pulls in across the road, they get uneasy if it looks like anyone is approaching the house.

Its seems unlikely that the OPs dog was just playing , and then suddenly nipped. More like the dog just didn't want to be a approached and the kid didn't know to look for warning signs and did anyway. You should always teach your kids to ask before petting a dog, and to let the dog approach you, don't try to pet a dog thats shying away.

My first memory is of being bitten by a dog, a small terrier, I was 3 and saw the dog and I love dogs (still do of course ) so i got excited and ran over to it and bent down to pet it and it bit me on the face! drew blood etc

Looking back as an adult I know that i had actually run up to a dog that didnt know me and cornered it - its only escape was blocked by me with walls either side and the dog was literally standing beside the dog. I had also suddenly stretched my arm out to its head. It probably thought I was going to hit it or something (my rescued dog was afraid of being petted on the head when i got him first he even wet himself when i raised my hand to pet him on the head!). My family never kept dogs so i had no knowledge of how to behave around dogs.

Also the dog was loose on the street and its owner should not really have let it out with such young children playing on the road.

A nip is not a bite, its just not comparable, I`d even feel bad about the dog being put down for biting me in the face lol - i`d rather it be sent to a farm or made sure it was kept away from children. Maybe I`m too soft

Noodleworm

Noodleworm wrote: »

Dogs have a different idea of territory, I'm having a nightmare with my dogs barking at the windows or the gates everytime people walk by or a car pulls in across the road, they get uneasy if it looks like anyone is approaching the house.

whenever they look uneasy distract them with commands and give treats when they are ignoring whats going on outside and are paying attention to you

and if they bark squirt them with a watergun!

givee

Deleted User wrote: »

My first memory is of being bitten by a dog, a small terrier, I was 3 and saw the dog and I love dogs (still do of course ) so i got excited and ran over to it and bent down to pet it and it bit me on the face! drew blood etc

Looking back as an adult I know that i had actually run up to a dog that didnt know me and cornered it - its only escape was blocked by me with walls either side and the dog was literally standing beside the dog. I had also suddenly stretched my arm out to its head. It probably thought I was going to hit it or something (my rescued dog was afraid of being petted on the head when i got him first he even wet himself when i raised my hand to pet him on the head!). My family never kept dogs so i had no knowledge of how to behave around dogs.

Also the dog was loose on the street and its owner should not really have let it out with such young children playing on the road.

A nip is not a bite, its just not comparable, I`d even feel bad about the dog being put down for biting me in the face lol - i`d rather it be sent to a farm or made sure it was kept away from children. Maybe I`m too soft

thats the way i feel about the dog that bit me even though he was so vicious,i don't blame him at all and i just wish the woman who owns them would treat them properly,locked in a run all day every day is terrible!

beagle001

willow tree wrote: »

my dog is a terrier cross. she is 7/8years old. she has become more and more aggressive as shes gotten older. shes normally really sweet and passive but always had this thing if you touch her paws or if she thinks you are going to touch her paws, she snaps. ive done everything, after she snaps i give her a slap on the bum and put her outsisde. ive tried to make sure she is not dominant (she walks out after me, i lead her on walks etc)... she normally does what shes told. today a child was playing with her (i dont normally let her play with children but i was out) and she snapped at him, just left a little mark and he said he was fine (no blood). i felt sooooo bad, i dont know would classes help. does she need to be put down?im really upset and confused... please help:(

Unbelieveable,"does she need to be put down".
What sort of person would even think like that after this dog has been so loyal to you for 8 yrs,the answer is bloody no she does not need to be put down.
Get her a couple of lessons max 100 for 3 lessons of any decent trainer and the dog probably has a good 6yrs left in her and how do you know the kid was not poking the dog or annoying the animal.
Its this sick attitude that is hard to take,a dog has feelings also and needs to be shown right and wrong not sent of to the kill house like a nazi victim.

evo20

Just be VERY carefull around children in future and deal with the issue by training etc.

ToniTuddle

beagle001 wrote: »

What sort of person would even think like that after this dog has been so loyal to you for 8 yrs,
Its this sick attitude that is hard to take,a dog has feelings also and needs to be shown right and wrong not sent of to the kill house like a nazi victim.

Jaaaysus! Calm down like! The owner is hardly a Hitler wannabe

The OP said in her post that she was very upset and confused. She's probably heard plenty stories of pets having to be put down after they nipped or had bitten a child/person and so she freaked out a bit and wanted advise. Which she has got and is going to follow, did you miss those posts?

If I still had my dog and he had nipped or bitten someone my first thought would be "Ohhhhhhh shit! Are they going to try and get him put down". Some folks would panic and think such things momentarily.

All the best OP can understand why you were worried and please do come back and let us know how you get on with the behaviour therapist

willow tree

Thanks for understanding exactly what happened tonituddle, i was in bits when i found out (as a friend of mine, last year, had the most beautiful dog. he nipped someone as they had food in their pocket (no bite, a little nip). my friend was brought to court, with all these lies from the person that they were traumatised and my friend was fined stupid money but worst of all she had to put her beautiful dog down, so upsetting.) my mind just went there and i was so scared this was going to happen. anyway i dont want to go on about this any longer, im going to get her to a behaviourist this week and i'll let ye know how we get on. thanks for suggestions (very emotive issue).

Discodog

willow tree wrote: »

but worst of all she had to put her beautiful dog down,

This is one of the changes that is needed to dog law here. The Control of Dogs Act is all about control but make no consideration for welfare.

seamus

beagle001 wrote: »

Unbelieveable,"does she need to be put down".
What sort of person would even think like that after this dog has been so loyal to you for 8 yrs

Unfortunately this is pretty standard fare in Ireland. The old wives' tales and the idiots will always say that any dog should be put down when it bites someone because it means they're unpredictable and "have a taste for blood". Which is of course nonsense. But it's repeated so often in Ireland that when actually faced with a biting incident, many people believe that they are legally required to put the dog to sleep or that it's the "right thing to do".

Unfortunately as Discodog points out, this attitude is backed up by outdated laws designed to suit farmers and nobody else.

I should of course note that Ireland isn't alone in its backwardness. Canada (in some parts) has even more ridiculous law which requires any dog which has caused an injury to anyone (even its owners) can be seized on the spot by the authorities and put to sleep. At least in this country there's some scope for pleading/defence.

beagle001

seamus wrote: »

beagle001 wrote: »

Unbelieveable,"does she need to be put down".
What sort of person would even think like that after this dog has been so loyal to you for 8 yrs

Unfortunately this is pretty standard fare in Ireland. The old wives' tales and the idiots will always say that any dog should be put down when it bites someone because it means they're unpredictable and "have a taste for blood". Which is of course nonsense. But it's repeated so often in Ireland that when actually faced with a biting incident, many people believe that they are legally required to put the dog to sleep or that it's the "right thing to do".

Unfortunately as Discodog points out, this attitude is backed up by outdated laws designed to suit farmers and nobody else.

I should of course note that Ireland isn't alone in its backwardness. Canada (in some parts) has even more ridiculous law which requires any dog which has caused an injury to anyone (even its owners) can be seized on the spot by the authorities and put to sleep. At least in this country there's some scope for pleading/defence.

I can safely say 100% that no court or law would get me to put my dog down as I would never cooperate with such antiquated laws.
Yes things need to change here

boomerang

When you're down in Clare OP, Bev Truss (www.petproblems.net) is an excellent behaviourist with 25 years experience, and she doesn't use any harsh methods.

Also Tara at Dog Training Ireland, in Blanchardstown.

If you email either, they'll surely give you an indication of how much a consult would cost.

ToniTuddle

seamus wrote: »

I should of course note that Ireland isn't alone in its backwardness. Canada (in some parts) has even more ridiculous law which requires any dog which has caused an injury to anyone (even its owners) can be seized on the spot by the authorities and put to sleep. At least in this country there's some scope for pleading/defence.

Wow! Never knew that about Canada. That's pretty mental

ohmfg

The Canada thing comes more from the fear of rabies than from a backward view of pet ownership to be fair.