When your wife can not supervise them, Haru needs to be in a crate. First and foremost, your child needs to be safe.
Secondly, you really should get a behaviorist. Unfortunately, this thread is reminding me of one a couple years ago when a person came to us about their Akita biting their other dog. Their other dog didn't survive the final attack. We had pled with that owner to seek a behaviorist, and they didn't. The outcome was horrible.
Please, please, please get a behaviorist ASAP. This may be nothing at all, but we can't tell you whether or not it will escalate. I'd take the safe road and think that it could.
@Kuma123 My wife just found out that one of our vets is also a behaviorist and Haru is going on a road trip Thursday with us to see him. He's very good with dogs. We've got some work ahead of us
That's great news! Keep us posted on what the behavioralist says and your progress. It's always really useful for others who may go through these kinds of things.
@Vance, that's great! I'm glad your vet can help you with this and you already know him so that relationship will probably help Haru be more comfortable working with him, etc.
It's with deep sorrow when I say that we had to put Haru to sleep last week. We were following the good advice given to us by you guys, the breeder, and our vet, but Haru slipped past us one night and went to the bathroom where our son was in the tub and bit him on the face. It was a terrible experience for us, and our son came close to losing his eye. I don't know what was going on in his mind (I wish I did). I blame the whole ordeal on my ignorance, and now I have to live with it. My son is asking about him, and has forgiven him. My definition of pain.
I'm so sorry. I had a similar experience where my Shiba bit my mom, dad, brother, girlfriend, and me. I had to put him to sleep because I couldn't help him.
I'm sorry to hear about this, i'm sure it wasn't an easy decision to make. =(( Also, it wasn't your fault or your ignorance. Sometimes there's nothing you can do or could have done. I think this was one of those cases.
So sorry to hear the outcome. All of us love our dogs like they are our own children but the safety of your family comes first. Many times there's absolutely nothing you can do but to take the last resort. You did all you can do and that's what counts, you made the most ethical decision by making sure to solve the problem on your own instead of passing haru to someone else or leaving her at a shelter. Don't let your experience with haru keep you from starting over down the line.
Thanks for the comments everyone. Our son is healing well, but will have some scars to remind us of the ordeal. A very sad situation for us, because we all loved Haru dearly. It's hard for us to live without one of our winter loving friends around, and putting one down just makes the empty feeling so much more. At least our son is OK and he's not scared. Thanks again,
I'm new here but just wanted to send my condolences as well, if its not bad to resurrect a thread like this. Don't be too hard on yourself, please! You did the best you could. In my opinion, a dog that young that had such a severe issue with children may have very well had temperament flaws that were inbred, and thus you could not have known that when you got him, nor could you fix it afterwards. You were noble to try to work things out, and you did the best you could all around. I'm sorry for what happened, but please do not beat yourself up over it. Glad your son is okay.
Comments
Secondly, you really should get a behaviorist. Unfortunately, this thread is reminding me of one a couple years ago when a person came to us about their Akita biting their other dog. Their other dog didn't survive the final attack. We had pled with that owner to seek a behaviorist, and they didn't. The outcome was horrible.
Please, please, please get a behaviorist ASAP. This may be nothing at all, but we can't tell you whether or not it will escalate. I'd take the safe road and think that it could.
Good luck and keep us posted!
My parents have a reactive dog and she's such a love bug really. We just had to learn her triggers. Now life is perfect.
I'm at loss of words on what to say.
I'm glad your son is alive and even forgiven Haru. Must been traumatic for him and you. So sorry.
I wish you and your family the best.
The update is appreciated, despite the pain you and your family must be going through. My condolences... may you all heal in due time.
Also, it wasn't your fault or your ignorance. Sometimes there's nothing you can do or could have done. I think this was one of those cases.
Vance