OT: Dog Bites

[Pufferpunk]

Has anyone been seriously bitten by a dog? How about a relative's dog? Are you still afraid of it?

I brought my sweet Kalvin (a Jack Rusell Terrier) over to meet & play with my sis-in-law's terrier mix puppy (4 months old) on the 4th of July. As soon as the door opened, her dog bounded out (much larger than the last time I saw it) & started fighting with Kalvin. I thought to give them a minute to decide on who was in charge but the dog kept viciously attacking Kalvin & wasn't backing off, even when I pulled Kalvin away. Kalvin held his own but the owner finally got her dog on a leash. The dog broke the leash & started on poor Kalvin again. I grabbed him up & tried to get out the door with him & the dog kept leaping at him & bit me in the arm & leg. I could barely get out the door.

The bite on my arm just bruised a bit w/4 small wounds. The one on my leg was much worse & really hurt. I could see flesh in the worst cut. It bruised badly. Now the circumstances of her & this dog is: she already had an old golden retriever from Anti-Cruelty. Her son came home from the navy & she got this puppy for him. God knows why--he's as lazy as they come, moving back into his mom's hous & not working or lifting a finger around there. This dog, as it's getting bigger, is starting to look like a terrier/pit bull mix. No trainig of any kind. No excersize either. Just hangs out in the house or yard. She never reprimanded the dog after it bit me & NEVER CALLED ME TO SEE HOW I AM!!!

I've been a dog groomer for 23 years & have been bit countless times (even on the lip) but never been viciously attacked by one. I don't think I ever will go into her house, as long as that dog's still there, nevermind that she didn't call me. My mom-in-law has called 3x to see how I was. My husband said she got bit too (gotta be by her own dog), so I left a message asking her is fhe was OK & if she wanted help with her dog--I have countless books telling what to do about vicious dogs. Still no call... Hubby says she blames me, for bringing my dog over there & greeting them at the door.

 

[Caragol]

I hate to hear stories like this, I hope you're feeling better. I've been bitten many times like you but never seriously enough to make me afraid, just more cautious.

 

[Doubledown]

Not sure if this helps, but my mother was attacked by a German Shepard that had loosed it's collar while she was walking around her block. The dog came running from the back yard, knocked her down and she was bitten twice.

This was several years ago and she still will not walk down that same street alone and still fears larger dogs.

 

[Naperville Reef]

Re: OT: Dog Bites

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10332343#post10332343 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Hubby says she blames me, for bringing my dog over there & greeting them at the door.

And therein lies the problem. my sister had a couple of Huskys, one of which was not trustworthy. it occasionaly snapped at people (my daughter included) and my sister always had an excuse fot it. finally the dog bit her 2 year old son in the face.

imo, this dog sounds like a disaster waiting to happen....

but to answer your question, i was bitten in the a$$ as a child and it never really effected me that much.

 

[sugartooth]

Can you report it? That way someone has to check on the dog and the situation and may witness firsthand this behavior.

 

[JPagliai]

We just had a similar incident in my home last year. My 16-year-old son took our dalmatian out for a walk around the block (she's 15 and can't walk long). One of the neighbor's pit bulls broke through the bedroom screen window and attacked my dog. My son got bit trying to separate the dogs. Both are okay... the neighbor never paid the medical/vet bill. One week later, the same dog, along with its sibling did the same thing again, this time biting the mailman and seriously hurting the guy.

Honestly, I would report it. Every town has different ordinances when it comes to animals, but in Gurnee, if a dog bites a human or another animal 3 times, it's put down. My neighbor's pit bulls were both put down after these incidents. Could you really live with yourself if a child got severely injured by this dog sometime in the future? Report it, so it's on record with animal control.

 

[Pufferpunk]

If I report this dog it's gonna put a huge riff between me & my husband's family. I'm really torn--this dog is gonna do some serious damage one day--I don't know what to do...

 

[Caragol]

I don't think there's too much you can do, it's out of your hands but it's your husbands family, is he on your side? Can he talk to them about dog training without it becoming a lifelong issue? They need to understand that no matter what the circumstances it's never OK for a dog to bite a person, not even if you showed up with your feet wrapped in bacon and kicked at the dogs lips (don't do this).

 

[Pufferpunk]

I don't think he's on my side with this, which makes it that much more difficult. He thinks the dog was just going after Kalvin & bit me by mistake (2x).

 

[Caragol]

Then your family relationship is going to have to be your priority. Avoid going over as much as possible while the dog is around, don't bring it up, and hope for the best.

 

[MSU Fan]

I was bit in the face (through the cheek) by a lab mix when I was 8 at my friends house. 3 weeks later he was put down for biting another person (you only need 2 bites in Michigan).

After that, I was leary of dogs for quite a while. I have realized since then that dogs respond negatively to fear more than anything else. Since then I figured that I have nothing to lose by acting brazen with out of control dogs. So far, it has worked.

To me (I have seen nearly every dog whisperer), your sis-in-law's dog has territorial aggression issues. Unless she is willing to admit that and deal with it (read the books, etc), then that dog will escalate in aggression and its attacks because it thinks that it is doing the correct activity (also because it believes it is pack leader).

It is most definitely not your fault her dog is completely unstable, nor is it your fault that her dog reacted so aggresively or negatively.

Your sis-in-law would need to take charge and curb its behavior or face the consequences of what that animal will do (and it will not be pretty). It's only a matter of time.

 

[jski711]

ok here goes my rant and im not taking sides just pointing out things i see wrong. first of all you took your dog into another dogs house and they met at the front door. ime thats a no no. the dogs should have met outside prior to coming into the house. some dogs are a lot more house territorial than others. i know i don't like strangers coming into my house that i don't know. also if i had to guess the dog probably bit you on accident still trying to go after your dog, thats just a guess as i wasn't there. also pit bulls are terriers so what kind of dog was it again? also you contradicted yourself by calling her son lazy, i don't know the situation but this "lazy" kid probably just got back from overseas protecting this country from more of the @$$holes that are trying to kill people. you have no clue what he went through if he did indeed go overseas. sorry my little brother is in the navy and has been overseas to iraq twice already and is going back next year. sorry about the navy rant, i probably could have left that out but too many people in this country don't appreciate them, not saying you don't puffer. i wouldn't go back to that house again with the dog thats for sure. about dealing with the family though thats going to have to be your decision, no ideas here. good luck.

jake

 

[Pufferpunk]

My nephew never left the waters of California. Sorry if that sounded insulting to the folks that do defend our country. I do know it was my mistake to try & walk in the door with my dog. Just never expected the other dog to be so aggresssive. Last time I saw it, she was cuddling on my lap. I think she's a Pit/JRT mix. I have no intentions of setting foot in that house as long as that dog is there. Too bad though, that's where all their family getherings are.

 

[sugartooth]

Is the dog up to date with shots and vet visits?

 

[Pufferpunk]

My husband said she mentioned something about taking the dog for it's shots a couple of weeks ago.

 

[oralsturgeon]

As a facial surgery resident, everyone who got bit may need antibiotics. The bacteria in dog bites is Pasteurella Multocida which may cause some infection - Pasteurella multocida is a small, gram-negative, nonâ€"œspore-forming coccobacillus. It is actually better to get bitten by a dog than a cat because of the nature of cat vs dog teeth. Dog teeth are more conical and cause more tears while cats teeth are thinner and cause puncture wounds which may not allow a blood supply to reach it, therefore increasing the probability of an abcess formation.

If you dont have a penicillin allergy the recommended antibiotic is Augmentin-

with pen allergy, Bactrim is the recommened antibiotic

Watch yourself for infection, they are typically pretty bad and many of the face and hand bites that I have seen end up in the operating room to be washed out.

Sorry about the bites

 

[A Reef Scene]

Yes I have 3 scars on my arm from being used as a chew toy when I was 4. Still can remember getting the stiches. Not the least bit scared of dogs. My current dog is part doberman and is the coolest dog. His is like my best friend.

 

[cas]

I was bit by a poodle when I was four or five. Bit my middle finger as I went to pet him. I still remeber having him off of all four legs as I tried to shake him off my finger, he would not let go until my friend's dad pulled him off. The worst part was after going to the hospital walking back to the car and lifting my arm to open the door, it hurt so much from the shots, that I could not use my arm for several days.

I will never forget after this my freinds parents called Sears to put up a fence to keep the dog in the yard. As the truck was backing up the drive way with all of the fencing my freind's mother opened the door to talk to the guys and the stupid dog attacked the truck tire and was turned into a pancake. Talk about Karma.

I had a dalmation as a kid and now have an australian cattle dog (blue heeler) and I still hate little dogs and never let them out of my sight when they are around.

 

[whiirly]

well Puffer I would be a little upset with the hubby on this
I think you know how I feel about Dogs (all 8of them) I too was bitten when I was little on the face still have the scar
any way back on point every one that knows you knows Kalvin is gonna be close so if they thought it was a problem they should of locked up there dog or asked you not to bring yours
If one of my dogs bit a family member it would get kicked across the room and never get the chance to bite them again

 

[Pufferpunk]

No need to worry about infection. I can't tell you how many times I've been bitten by dogs & cats un the past 30 years. Probably hundreds. I don't even get swollen much by cat bites anymore. I think I must have built up an immunity to their bacteria. I'm thinking of having my Dr call animal control about this. I just had a physical & he saw it. Then I could say it was out of my hands.