Dogs & Puppies

Hi Barb and Welcome to the Board.  I'm Laura and I'm the furmom to a 14YO dalmatian, Samantha and 3YO lab/mix, Cleo.

I'm so sorry this happened.  What breed of dog is Hummer?  What were the circumstances leading up to the bite?  If both dogs were barking, did the man try to intervene?  Perhaps Hummer thought that your children were in some sort of "danger" from this man.

What was the couple's reaction...will they be pressing charges?

I believe that you have to look at the entire picture.  My dal, Samantha, has snapped at someone on one occasion, but I believe she was provoked.  And it has never happened again.  I don't believe you can say that just because a dog has bitten once, that they will do so again....especially if this has not been the case before.

Perhaps if you can give us a little more information we can be of some assistance.....

 

First and foremost, I wouldn't have him loose outside without a leash anymore. There are just too many potential dangers for him and possibly those with whom he comes in contact.

This may very well just be an isolated incident and he could have been provoked by something the couple didn't even notice. It's possible that just keeping him contained (such as behind a fence) or on a leash will prevent something like this happening again and that will be the end of it. Since the only time he would run into strangers would be while on a leash and supervised by you, you would be able to control the situation much better. But if you notice on walks that he's developing a pattern of aggression around strangers, then I do agree with the vet that a behaviorist is a good idea because you'll want to nip that in the bud.

  Jenn 
CL-JENNBOS73

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