Online Users Debate Over Whether A Dog Should Be Put Down After An Incident Of Biting
A rescued terrier mix, a seven-year-old boy, and one bite that sparked an internet argument, because people cannot agree on what a dog “deserves” after an incident. One side is yelling “put it down,” the other side is pointing at the exact moment the danger happened, and insisting it was avoidable.
In this story, the dog had to learn to trust after an abusive home, so her body language mattered. The boy kept getting his face too close, even after his parent warned him that the dog didn’t like it and might bite. Then he peeked from under the couch, the bite happened, and suddenly everyone wanted to debate blame, responsibility, and whether the dog should pay for a lesson.
And that is where the comments start splitting, because the real question is not just “did she bite,” it’s “what led up to it.”
Little Boy Learns a Lesson.
It depends on the situation. We had a little terrier mix that we rescued from an abusive home.
It took a while for her to trust us. Our son was seven at the time, and he would get his face close to hers, and I would tell him not to do that because she didn’t like it and she might bite him.
Well, this went on a few times, and she was hiding under the couch; my son looked under, and she bit him. I told him this was going to happen.
It wasn’t the dog's fault. I wasn’t going to put her down for something I told my son over and over not to do. He never picked on her again.
Dog Bites Always Have a Reason.
No. I would need to know the reason why the dog bit someone.
Was it being teased? Hurt?
Threatened? There is always a reason. It might not justify why the dog bites someone, but I would need to know.
People Just Need to Use Their Common Sense So They Won't Get Bitten by a Dog.
In the majority of instances, I would say I do not agree with putting a dog to sleep for biting someone. Many people have zero common sense when it comes to dogs, and many traumatized dogs will react in fear if they feel threatened.
Some dogs are in pain and reacting due to that pain, while the owner has no idea. Because dogs cannot verbalize their issues, they are often left in that pain.
I would suggest taking the offending dog to the vet to see what’s going on. Do they have an infected tooth (which is very painful), an ear infection (also incredibly painful), or maybe they are even battling cancer in silence?
Do your due diligence to figure out what prompted the dog to bite. You will usually find a reason.
The vast majority of dogs are just looking to be a best friend to their person, wanting to be near them and love them unconditionally. It is our responsibility as dog owners to advocate for our animals.
We owe them that. That said, there are rare cases where a dog is actually vicious or unable to control its impulses, such as a traumatic brain injury or previously having an owner that promoted violence.
Sometimes these dogs cannot be rehabilitated and will need to be euthanized. However, this is extremely rare.
Most dogs, even abused dogs, can and will return to their previous good nature if given the chance.
It Takes Evaluation Before the Dog Gets Put Down.
Not automatically.
Dogs that are genuinely good or well-behaved can act unpredictably in a stressful situation they didn’t cause. I think it’s fair and reasonable to consider the situation in which the bite occurred.
We don’t put humans down for having a single moment of bad judgment. They receive a fitting sanction (a slap on the wrist, fine, or short jail sentence).
Luckily, this is how it works in Switzerland, at least. A dog bite is always evaluated according to the situation in which it occurred.
In my opinion, that is the right approach.
Sometimes it’s humans that create the situation in which the dog feels it has to defend itself. I don’t see why the dog should die for that.
Some People Believe That Those Who Tease Dogs Deserve to Be Bitten.
It depends on the incident.
If someone teases the dog, then the person deserves to be bitten.
If someone comes up behind the dog or approaches the dog suddenly, yes, the dog might bite because it may understand that you mean it harm. That is the fault of the person, and the dog should not be put down.
Do not approach a dog that is eating. It may think you are going to steal its food and is protecting it. No, the dog should not be put down.
If a dog rushes at you for no reason, then it has problems that likely cannot be trained out of it and needs to be put down.
People need to read the dog’s body language: barking, frothing, ears back, haunches low to the ground, and other body language warnings that Sir Google can tell you.
When It Comes to Unprovoked Attacks, There Is a Great Chance That the Dog Will Be Put Down.
It depends on why they have bitten. But for an unprovoked bite or attack—especially if it has happened before—yes.
A Dog That's Comfortable with Its Environment Will Not Bite.
It depends on the severity of the bite, the dog’s previous bite history, if training and/or medication has made a positive difference, and the handler’s comfort with the situation and their ability to handle the dog.
A dog that nips, leaves small scratches, or small punctures is a dog that can benefit from a combination of veterinary intervention and training for both the dog and their guardians. This dog gets rehomed a lot, and it does a huge disservice to both the new guardian and the dog, especially if the new guardian is unaware of their previous behavior.
Still, some dogs with bite histories find themselves in a less stressful home and never bite again. A dog that has bitten several people badly may be salvageable, but that has to be weighed against public safety and the handler’s tolerance for lawsuits, fines, or jail for their dog’s behavior.
Sometimes it’s the best option in a bad situation. For dogs that maul or kill a person, it’s not worth the risk to the public or handler.
If It's for the Sake of Public Safety, Then the Dog Has to Be Put Down.
It depends on the severity, but if there's been a death or a gravely serious injury, then yes. I can't stand dogs, and I don't feel safe.
However, I must say, what if a burglar breaks in and gets savaged by a Doberman? There's a 'Beware of Dog' and 'No Trespassing' signage visibly displayed?
Or a mugger or potential murderer tries to attack, and the victim's dog attacks them to defend the owner? Then I would question if they should be put down.
A perpetrator then brings it on themselves. But too many dog maulings are unprovoked and against innocent people minding their own business and are accused of having done something to cause it.
The terrier mix was already hiding under the couch, because trusting them took time, and that detail changes how the bite gets interpreted.
This also echoes the girlfriend controversy, where people blamed the lady after her boyfriend’s untrained dog seriously bit her, then labeled her a “brat,” in this online debate.
After the boy bit the boundary by putting his face close again, the parent’s warning turned into something much uglier, fast.
The debate heats up when someone asks for the “reason” behind the bite, pointing to teasing, pain, or fear, not just the moment of impact.
Then it lands on the parent’s argument that the dog was reacting to something, like an infected tooth or ear pain, while the boy never did it again.
Most Quora users don't agree that the dog should be put down right after biting someone. A lot of dog bites come from provoking the dog—it's not the pet's fault.
People should evaluate whether the dog is a threat to the community first and whether the owner can prevent the biting from happening again. That's the only time they can decide to put down the dog.
The bite did not end the family, it ended the lesson the boy kept ignoring.
For the same “keep or rehome” fight after a child bite, see the family divided over putting their dog down.
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