Can Someone Give Me Some Advice..........on A Two Year Old Pure Lab...

[lilacben]

Is it possible a dog who has been bought up with four children and always been good with them...suddenly go for a child?..........my daughter has two labs and had to let the younger one go to another home at the weekend...the new people who had her has just phoned and told my daughter they want to bring her back becasue she has gone for their three year old grandchild.? The child ...it is said ..didnt do anything and the dog went up to the childs face as if to bite it ...they said they got the boy away just in time.?
Do you think this could happen just like this after four children for two years.? The dog has always been great with my other daughters 3 children also...it just doenst make sense.?
could I have your opinon please.? As my daughter has told them to bring her back and is going to have her put down tomorrow.?

[boxtops]

I have no experience, but could the dog be very unhappy at being moved to a new home?

[B00]

The dogs scared, and confused and probably had a child scaring it further, no ruddy wonder it lashed out!

why is your daughter going to put it down?

[wolf63]

Why did your daughter let this lab go?

[Boto]

If your daughter can't keep her why not take her to a rescue centre?

[wolf63]

I agree with B00 - children have erratic body language and cats and dogs don't always understand what is going on.

Your daughter should consider the situation fully and get the full facts before she decides to destroy the dog. What if the dog is innocent of any crime?

[Boto]

There are Labrador rescue centre in many parts of the country and the dog seem to find new homes quite quickly.

[Sycamore3House]

I agree with boxtops the dog could be bewildered and confused in a new situation. My 13 year old lab went for my partner when we first met and he kissed me for the 1st time. He grabbed hold the back of his jacket with whites of the eyes showing and growling and he not would let go. I had never seen him like that before and never saw it again. My partner always says he was glad it was a lab and not a really fierce looking breed.

[corylus]

What do they expect? Strange house, strange family, dog probably upset and disorientated, absolutely disgraceful, don't blame the poor dog.

[lilacben]

It wasnt a easy decison to make for her . But her husband has wallked out on them and she just cannot cope with four children and two dogs...the older one is fine but at two the other one is still not really an adult and very active.
The reason she said she will have to have her put down is becasue what if the dog did it again to another child and hurt it? she would feel responsible.. she just doesnt know what to do. She has told these other people that she has always been around children and never has this happened before..We are hoping these people have just said this becasue they dont want her anymore, maybe she is too lively for them to handle. But if they have made this story up I really hope they tell the truth now they know she is going to the vets tomorrow.?

[rabet]

I have had several Labradors over the last 30 years. I think that boxtops may well have hit the mark here. Why did your daughter "have to let the dog go"? After two years in a stable environment this could have been a very upsetting change for the dog. And as for putting the dog down, any reputable vet would refuse to do this when she has not actually caused harm to anyone. If you feel you really must get rid of the dog, there are charities that will take her on without resorting to such drastic action. Think again

[lilacben]

Oh please do not get me wrong no one wants her put down...it has been upsetting enough that she has had to go. Two of my grandchildren are heartbroken still and now they are bringing her back it will make it even worse. Will the rescue centers have her if she is suspected of going for a childs face?

[AlwaysConfused]

If the situation was clearly explained, could the dog be offered to a couple perhaps, without children?

[woofgang]

rabet, vets cannot refuse to put a dog down if the owner insists. The concern is how the owner might kill the dog or have it killed if the vet sends them away.

it seems blooming hard on the poor dog though. can she not pass it to a rescue?

[woofgang]

yes rescues will take dogs under those circumstances.

[lilacben]

The couple who have her are just a couple.. it was her daughters child she was supposed to have gone for.?
I always have had dogs and never had any trouble with them and the children..as you say she was most likely confessed as to where she was or is...I would have kept her away from too many people for a few days and told the child not to corner her or go too close until they had got used to each other. These people must of not done that..Also small children can be spiteful and if that wasnt seen then the dog gets the blame..

[Peaspeculiars]

I would seriously consider NOT putting the dog to sleep if I were your daughter. The new owners could WELL be lying in order to get your daughter to accept the dog back.
Labradors (I have a lab x currently and have had pure labs as pets over years) can attack as can any breed of dog, although they are more likely to only bite if seriously aggravated, and not because of their normal nature. If your daughter has never had a problem with the dog, I would not trust the new owners excuse for handing the dog back, they may have decided they don't want a dog after all, or need the money back.

[boxtops]

It is so sad for the poor confused dog. I feel for your daughter but why can't she keep both dogs? I'd wanted to know more about the actions of the dog in the new house - if the boy in the other house was scared of the dog anyway, the dog might have bared its teeth just in play. If people don't know dogs, the dog's actions can be misinterpreted. Nobody's been injured. It doesn't sound at all like a child-attacker to me - it's only two anyway....

[rabet]

"as if to bite ". My dog will always try to approach children (and adults) in a boisterous way to greet them and perhaps to nuzzle them. I discourage him from doing this because I know that some people are nervous about dogs and could mistakenly interpret this as aggressive behaviour. Could this not be a case of misinterpretation?

[rabet]

Sorry boxtops, you said it anyway!

[corylus]

I really do despair about this situation, you can't blame the dog.