My mother-in-law's aggressive dog bit my toddler. What to do?

I can certainly understand being worried about your daughter's safety around an aggressive dog. She is not safe around him, as he could hurt her greatly, and I would speak to your parents's about your concerns over his aggression. Make a list of incidences where he has shown aggression (documented behavior) as proof of his aggression. If they still won't listen to reason, then I would consider finding alternative childcare while you are at work. If they do listen to your and your concerns, then I would take to them about having their dog start in training with a professional behavior expert ASAP. I never recommend owners try to train an aggressive dog due to safety issues, it should only be left to a professional. Their vet can give them a recommendation to one. Another thing to consider is if he isn't neutered. That can contribute to aggression, and he should be neutered as well.

Oh goodness. This is a big question. You may want to consider a visit with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist. As a veterinarian and a mom I can tell you that is pretty easy to keep them separated the first year of baby’s life, but as they become more mobile the next several years are hard. If you have a dog who as a low bite inhibition, meaning he has already proven he will bite, then the likelihood that he will bite a child is high. Other options are to keep them separated 100% of the time (near impossible in my experience), or to keep a basket muzzle on him any time he has access to the children. I also encourage you to consider the size of the dog - and how powerful and destructive a bite will be to a small child. I have been in your shoes and it is a very hard decision to make. I have also been the mom of the child who was bitten. I encourage you to always put your child’s safety above all else. If you want to discuss this further I would be happy to consult with you. Take care.

First of all, I am so very sorry this happened. It's an awful place to be in. The short answer is that euthanasia is the only way to ensure your son is safe from being bit by Duke again. Big dogs can seriously hurt or kill children in a moment. Many dogs won't bite but Duke chose to. He probably had a good reason (pinched, anxiety, etc, etc), but the problem is he'll probably have a good reason again (because kids stay kids for a long long time). If you decide you want to keep him, I would very strongly recommend an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist (not a trainer or non-vet behaviorist) to talk about management and treatment for aggression. Your vet can help you find one. While you're deciding, do not allow Duke to be with any children, supervise or unsupervised. This is not a punishment, it's for both of their safety. Duke will always be a risk for your son now and you have to decide if you can accept that responsibility. It's a horrible decision to have to make, but you have to protect your child. Again, my sincere condolences.

Wow, it does sound like Macie is very aggressive! I'm quite concerned that she has bitten a child in the face, pulled you down when you were pregnant, and you've had the police called on you three times. You have two options: One, you get her into see a professional behavioral expert right away for training. Do not attempt to work with this problem yourself, as aggression is a very dangerous behavior to train. Keep in mind, however, the behavioral expert may deem her too dangerous to work with, or the training may not work. Two, put Macie to sleep. If you don't want to see if training will help, I would have her put to sleep. She is a danger to other animals and humans, and I would be very concerned she could serious injure you or someone else. I would recommend making a decision about what to do very soon before she can hurt someone else. I'm sorry you are in this position :-(

This is a very dangerous situation - be sure to keep her separated from other dogs and children until you can have her fully assessed by a behaviorist. Do not put yourself, family or other dogs at risk until a program can be pt in place to deal with her aggression - you may need to consider surrendering her if she is not able to cope with a busy environment around other dogs and children

That is a difficult situation for you to be in at the moment. Regardless if they made a sudden move towards you, it's not ok for your dog to bite other people unless you are truly in danger. They likely want you to put him to sleep because he is aggressive. I would say based on your description of the situation that he is an aggressive dog, and I would recommend getting him into see a professional behavior expert as soon as possible. Aggression is something that needs to be controlled, and because it is a dangerous behavior in dogs, it's best left to the professionals. I would speak to your vet first thing tomorrow about a referral to a professional behavioral expert.

While your daughter probably startled him he should not have bitten her . You should have him assessed by your vet or a dog trainer for aggression potential and ow he interacts with you and your family in certain situations and then work with a trainer to hopefully alleviate this risk of hurting people. Your daughter needs to be educated about how to approach him (so he does not get startled, or not to interact with him without supervision by an adult).