Ah. Ok. Makes more sense.

I think that while everyone for the most part respects a human's need for a small amount of "personal space," dogs aren't given that same courtesy, and this is often where problems arise. Most humans would not appreciate it if a stranger came running at them and squeezed them around the neck...yet how many times have you seen this happen to a dog?

While I agree that no one should have to "avoid" your (general "your," not "your=Steve's") dog, they needn't totally invade his/her space either, like happened this time.

Tess, I hope your friend is reading these posts and understanding that what happened isn't all Cookie's fault, or that she's a bad dog. I would also encourage her to share some of this information with the toddler's parents so they can be a little less 'blamey' and get that they, too, have to take some responsibility for this horrible accident. I've mentioned before that I'm a parent...I'm actually a single mom that breeds Doberman Pinschers and has had rescue dogs in addition to my Dobes. My daughter is now 14 and her face is still intact. Parents need to be aware of where their children are. Always. ESPECIALLY in a public place. Children need to have respect for ALL dogs. This is something parents need to take responsibility for too. I see the same kinds of things around my horses. I actually had to shoo a tourist and her son out of my (private) barn after she asked if her son could ride my daughter's spirited event horse because "he's pretty and it would be a great picture"! Animals have their nature. As humans we've chosen to share our lives with animals, so it behooves us to learn how to do so safely, whether we choose to own them or not. I think your friend could make a great go of things with Cookie if she's willing to educate herself a bit and be vigilant, as suggested by other posters. I feel just terrible for her and Cookie that things happened the way that they did. And of course I feel awful for the little girl too. But clearly, this is not the same type of situation as a child minding their own business who gets attacked by the loose dogs of some irresponsible owner.

Well said, Kristel. Good summary.

Okay, I'm going to play Devil's advocate here. I would never, ever keep a dog that bit a child in the face. I'm not saying the dog is a bad dog. The fact is that there are many STUPID people out there, people who let their kids run up to strange dogs, people let dogs out of the kennel when they're told not to, meter men who let themselves into your yard. To me, it's just not worth it. I don't think you can ever really trust your CHILDREN to listen to your instructions about the dog. Is it really worth the anxiety of having to worry every second about it?

I could never live with the guilt of having my dog injure a child. IMO, a dog that bites once is a dog that will bite again. Someone said about another issue, "gates get left open, collars slip off...etc" Most owners can't even handle a NORMAL dog, let alone one who "bites first and asks questions later" They better hope and pray these people don't sue. And if the dog bites someone else, they can use this case against the owner, saying that they knew the dog was dangerous.

If it was my dog, I'd put it to sleep. There are many good dogs dying in shelters, maybe they'd feel better if they saved one of their lives.

Yeah, there are many "good" (as opposed to "bad") dogs dying in shelters...how many are there because they bit someone and the owners didn't want to deal with the "anxiety?" Dogs are not "good" or "bad." These are human qualities, and subjective even then.

A dog who bites a person he/she KNEW WAS THERE, while it's AWAKE...**possibly** should be put down, dependent upon circumstances. Putting down every dog who bites would leave the world dogless. ALL DOGS BITE. The only question is thresholds.

Your viewpoint, while popular in the pet world, would probably eliminate most dogs on this forum for one reason or another. Assume your dog bites children, even if it's 18yrs old, has no teeth, and it's jaw is wired shut, and we won't have these issues. Teach your children that any animal not belonging to them needs to be viewed no differently than a wild animal. Would you sue if a grizzly bear attacked your child? (I don't mean YOU, Vanessa...just in general).

These accidents are happening, and will keep happening until people wake up to reality and take precautions. Exercising a tiny bit of common sense wouldn't hurt, either. Why punish dogs for society's general incompetence?

Not trying to come down hard on you, personally, Vanessa; you just happended to bring up many common points/arguments on this topic that I felt like addressing.

So any dog that bites should be put to death? ANY dog can bite...should they all die for being what they are? I HAVE kept a dog that bit a child...the child was a friend's son who was completely undisciplined (a very BIG problem these days IMHO) and had been warned not to lay on the dog (who was not an aggressive dog but was sleeping) and he didn't listen. He got in her face and she bit him, and yeah, it was in the face. Of course it was, since that's the part of him that was in HER face. I was lucky that my friend is a dog person who understood what happened, which eliminated the drama immensely, and the skin wasn't broken. This dog had never bitten before, lived to be almost 16, and never bit again. Having someone suggest that I put this dog to death for this would have been a joke. Common sense needs to apply here, and death needs to stop being a knee-jerk reaction to the consequences of easily avoidable situations. BTW, the kid turned out to be a pretty good guy who still loves dogs and has helped us with puppies .

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If it was my dog, I'd put it to sleep. There are many good dogs dying in shelters, maybe they'd feel better if they saved one of their lives.

Boy Vanessa, thats way out of proportion to what happened. This wasnt Marjorie Knoller walking her dog at a t-ball game. This is a family dog with a long history of good behavior not some poorly bred mutt that resembles an am-staff that went on a rampage.

I can't agree with a "I can't make my children mind, so to be safe I'll kill the dog" kind of mind-set. Death should only be an option if it's warranted, not used as a lazy way out. Some dogs are absolutely dangerous and euthanasia really is the only option, but for something like this??? This is killing a healthy dog here, not unplugging a toaster. Some thoughtfulness needs to prevail.

AH, so nice to come to work this morning and see that all the world has not lost its marbles! Kristel and Steve, AMEN.

I was a tad nervous that I'd really be in for a lashing because I came on kinda strong, but to me, this mindset is THE problem with kids and dogs these days. Parents' attitudes regarding their children are really getting crazy, and lawsuits have made everyone afraid to behave in a normal manner. This hits too close to home for me to be objective or apathetic.

I've ranted on this subject before, so sorry to everyone who already knows this, but I have a constant battle going on with parents of this mindset, and their prevalence in my neighborhood. I would move if I could find somewhere else that would allow me 4 dogs.

Do I worry that someday I could be sued for my dog biting someone? Sure, but it's nowhere near the top of the list. Could I just put my dog(s) down and grab a "good" dog from the shelter so I wouldn't have the "anxiety"? Sure I could. BUT, instead, I take responsibility for the behavior of my animals, and control their interactions with ALL people-not just kids. I don't care about being "nice" ( I know this surprises everyone,lol), and I don't care about hurting a child's feelings when I tell them they cannot pet my dog. If a child is well-mannered, I make the dog tolerate a quick pat. If the kid is a brat, I send 'em packing, in one piece, rather than risk an injury because my dog thought the kid was a brat, too. Ten to one, the parents of the brat say they can't make him/her mind...yet that's not a valid excuse to use for my dog, is it?

Accidents do happen. Neither dogs nor humans are perfect. However, we are enabling people to forgo all aspects of personal liability and common sense when we, as resposible dog owners, simply give up, deciding it's not worth the "anxiety." Not to sound like a complete nut, but fast-forward a few years; this is the kind of thinking responsible for BSL, mandatory spay/netuter laws, etc. By standing idly by while NORMAL dogs get put down so someone doesn't have to deal with the "anxiety" associated with responsible dog ownership jeopardizes our right to own the dogs/breeds of our choice. It's a slippery slope.

Jenni,

I totally agree with your posts and I feel the same way.
Great posts!!!!