Two days ago my little niece (10 months old) back in Aus was attacked by the family labrador, leaving her with fairly serious flesh damage to her cheek (no eye damage luckily).

This was the first time the dog has shown any aggression to the baby and really out of character given the dog's usually so friendly. It wasn't near the dog's food, which I know from experience is often a cause of aggression for dogs, so it's really an unexplainable occurrence, other than the dog suddenly feeling territorial towards the baby.

The problem now is what to do with the dog. There is no question of the dog remaining in the household, but being such a normally lovely dog my sister- & brother-in-law do not want to take the knee-jerk action of putting the dog down.

As such, can anyone suggest what kind of environments might be suitable for such a dog? Similarly does anyone have an idea why the dog would just snap like that and attack my niece? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Unfortunately this happens quite a lot with Labradors, them being fashionable dogs at the moment, supposedly kid-friendly and being bred by the millions.

Sorry for your niece, I hope she won't have lasting injuries / scars / trauma.

My opinion: a dog that attacked a baby once will do it again. Sorry for the dog but I would not see any other option than putting it to sleep.

Thats very sad.

I have been around Labs since I could walk and never experienced anything like that.

I can't say why it attacked her obviously, a sound, movement, startled, the list goes on.

I do hope you find a home for it though. Best of luck.

we had a lab (he was a wonderfull boy... =( ) when i was a little kid. after two years, he started showing a wierd behaviour towards other kids. luckily, he never attacked my sister or myself, but once he attacked a playfriend of mine who he knew since he was a puppy. it was nothing serious, but he managed to bite in his hand. my parents decided together with the vet that they dont want to put him down. but a few months later, all of the sudden he jumped and managed to bite off a earlobe of a friend. obviously, we then had to put him down...

I am sure that there will be a Lab Club with possible a rescue section attached.
I would contact them for advice and explain the situation and if they feel that the dog could be rehomed with owners who have no contact with kids, that might be an option.
Rescue for specific breeds are usually well aware of problems and will advise the best measure.

So sorry to hear about your niece and I hope that she makes a full recovery and is not too badly scarred.

It is a funny thing, as I grew up with labradors and never witnessed anything remotely territorial or aggressive in their behaviour. However, I would imagine that it depends partly on the background of the dog in question. And, indeed, I have heard of a few incidents recently involving Labradors that have made me question their suitability around small children.

I do think though, as you have rightly said, that the dog needs to be taken away from its current environment. As to where it should go, I am afraid I am not sure, unless someone who is experienced in the handling of dogs and does not have small children is prepared to take it on.

I'm very sorry to hear that this has happened, and wish your niece a swift recovery.

I'm glad that your sister is stepping back and not reacting in the heat of the moment. This is an emotion-fraught situation, she is to be commended.

Did your sister get the dog from a reputable breeder? If so, she should contact the breeder in the first instance. Often a sales contract requires one to do so before passing a dog on. (This also applies if a dog came from a rescue - one is usually required to contact the rescue if one cannot keep the dog.)

If returning the dog to the breeder or the rescue he came from is not possible, then my next step would be to contact a breed rescue. A good breed rescue - one dedicated to labs - should be able to evaluate the dog's behavior, and would likely be in a good position to find a more appropriate home for this dog. If your sister cannot find a breed rescue, then I would look for a good no-kill general rescue with an assessment policy, possibly one with a foster option, certainly one offering rehabilitation support.

A pound is generally not a rescue. Some pounds work with rescues, trying to get the dogs into rescue care before their time is up, some pounds have very good rehoming criteria, others sell the dogs to the first person with cash, no assessment. Some automatically PTS. One should understand the difference.

I'm afraid I don't have any contacts in Australia - hopefully others here do. If not, look for a rescue forum - often these are good places to start. Your sister's vet may also be able to point her in the direction of a rescue who can help.

Speculating on why this happened is pointless here, as no one here was present to witness what when on. But once a good rescue is found, is important that your sister give the rescue as much information as possible about the dog - the good, the not so good, as well as portrait of the family environment and how the dog fit into that. Also a run down of the dog's training, how he was trained, and the dog's relationship with each family member. It's important to paint as accurate a picture as possible, as this will help in understanding how to prevent a similar occurance.

I have taken on dogs who have bitten - and who went on to live happy, safe lives, never biting again. There are some people willing to do so, whose family circumstances allow them to take risks that a family with small children cannot. Many dogs can indeed be successfuly rehabilitated, or can live safely when managed in a different environment.

It may take time to find a suitable rescue place. Does your sister have a way to keep the dog separate from the child in the interim? Or another family member who could step in temporarily while arrangements are made?

But when your sister speaks to the breeder or rescue she is considering handing the dog over to, it is important that she understands exactly what the breeder/rescue is prepared to do for the dog. Not every rescue or breeder is in a position to accept a dog who has a bite on his record.

And it is important to understand the consequences of signing the dog over.

I'm going to be very blunt here. If your sister cannot keep the dog and if after an exhaustive search in a realistic timeframe she cannot find a rescue prepared to work with him, if the only rescues she can find say they will euthanize him - then it would be far more humane for your sister to do so herself than to have the dog languish in kennels only to be PTS by strangers. I hate even saying this, it goes against everything I work for - but I have seen it happen too often.

But I sincerely hope that it does not come to that. I am a firm believer in second chances - and from the brief description of what happened I would like to see him given another chance, in a more suitable environment. No, the dog should not remain in your sister's home, but I hope with all my heart that another home can be found for him.

Hoping for a good resolution to this, and again - wishing your niece a speedy recovery.


ETA:

A quick google came up with this labrador rescue group in Perth (Im making an assumption by your user name):

http://www.4paws.com.au/

Also, another lab rescue with links to groups in Melbourn and Sydney

http://www.rescuealabrador.com/

No personal knowledge, just google-foo.

I feel for the wee lassie and whilst I sympathise also remember that dogs can have off days or feel neglected or unwanted sometimes. Don't get me wrong I am not backing the dog here but I had a similar situation with my Westie who at 13 (at the time) never hurt a fly BUT she did get aggressive for a short while, started growling at the wee one and bit her too. BUT that was a warning bite as the lass was pulling her tail at the time and we realised afterwards that since the children came along she was not getting as much attention as she was before. (like the excluded older sibling with the new baby kind of scenario) After including her more in everyday life she did return to her normal self.

This lab attacked a member not from the family circle also and perhaps it was a protective streak or jealousy who knows. Has the dog been neutered at all ?

First of all I'd like to thank all of you for your sentiments and great ideas.

smackerjack and meloncollie, thank you very much for the dog rescue concept - I was not aware of this and will pass it on to my sister-in-law straight away.

She and her husband picked up the dog when it was 6 months old from a friend that was moving overseas, so I'm not sure if it originally came from a reputable breeder. I'll make sure she checks that out.

Yes, the dog is currently staying with a friend of my brother-in-law's for the next few weeks at least, so won't be in the house when my niece returns from hospital.

Thanks also meloncollie for the links to rescue groups.

Your niece is 10 months old, but you do not write how old the dog is.

Whom is going to explain to the little girl why the bad dog is still around when she asks if it is going to bite her again? She will probably now always have a fear of these dogs, and might easily, through showing fear, be bitten again. Does your family place more worth on the dog than on the child?

The dog broke the family trust and has to go, immediately. It is sad, but it might attack again. It might have cancer or a brain tumour, it might just want to keep the pecking order clear.

Take it to a dog rescue center immediately, then decide what to do! I take rescue dogs from the Oberbottingen dogs home for walks. Most are seemingly lovely dogs, but they all have a history. Only one had to wear a muzzle, but most of them come with safety instructions.

Chances are the girl will not even remember being bitten. My son was bitten on the face by a dog at the same age & he does not remember a thing or have a fear of dogs.

That is a very good point Ittigen, though I do not feel that the family in question is placing more worth on the dog than their child.

However, the sad fact is that this incident will probably have a lasting effect on the poor child. Indeed, if I may, I will tell you what happened to me when I was two years old. Ironically, it was a Labrador who jumped up at me when I was in my pushchair - it was simply being friendly and not the least big aggressive. However, although I had no recollection of the event, I was absolutely terrified of dogs until about the age of ten. It was then that I was made aware of the childhood experience and my parents offered for me to choose a puppy if I liked, which I did (a Lab as it happens!) and have never looked back.

That said, I have no idea what psychological effect such an incident may have on a 10 month old baby, but if my experience is anything to go by, then an introduction of a cute, fluffy little puppy a little later in life may go some way to overcoming any possible fears.

I disagree, most traumatic things from that age upward have a lasting memory in youngsters and she may develop an inherent fear of dogs. Think of the bicycle approach when you fall off. Get her around another dog soon (not too soon) and show her that they are not all bad.

I hope this wee thing recovers well.

She may develop a fear of dogs & she may not, I was just giving my personal experience of what happened with my son who went through the same thing at the same age.

The dog is 3 years old.

Sorry Ittigen, perhaps it wasn't clear, but the dog will never be back in the home again - my family are definitely getting rid of it, but were hoping to find a more humane option than putting her down, for which some great suggestions have come on this thread and I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the suggestion regarding integrating her with dogs some time in the future breagh - you're so right, an inherent fear can often be created if positive experiences with dogs are not reinforced in the future.

I was bitten by a dog when I was 4 - no permanent emotional scarring whatsoever, and in fact a little bonkers about them.

OP, I am really sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident. Unfortunately, when something like that happens, the first reaction is for the dog to go.

Just playing the devils advocate here, children are very prone to sudden movements, screaming (happy outbursts) etc that startle dogs - especially the more nervous, timid or shy ones. Not privvy to the incident, I am just saying that its a possiblity.

You've received good advice from some of the posters in this thread re your sister's options. I personally will not choose to put the dog down but to never let the dog and child be alone unsupervised ever again. Another option is to look for an alternative home for the dog. I always believe that no dog is beyond rehabilitation and there is always a cause and effect in each situation.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope everything works out in the end for all parties, especially the lab. I hope your niece is feeling better. Children are super resilent, and a big kudos to your sister for not having a knee-jerk reaction.

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I support everything you said in your post, except for this bit:

If the child is bitten in the face to the point she needs to stay in the hospital, it isn't a small thing. If a dog bite my daughter's fingers, I'll keep them under supervision at all time. In this case, I wouldn't want the dog in the same room than her, even with me next to them.

Dogs are very quick, and if something happen, you may not have the time to react enough fast to avoid any damage...

I believe in second chances too, but not in the same family where a child got attacked.

I have received some good news today - not only is my little niece out of hospital, but my family have found a couple (with no children) willing to take on the dog for a trial over the next few weeks. If it works out, then they'll keep her. So fingers crossed the new home and dog gel well.

I really hope your niece is not going to keep bad scars on her face.