Puppy bit my toddler's face. Is it safe to keep him with kids?

Question

Hi. We are a family of 5 (2 parents, 3 children ages 7, 5 and 18 months). We have just introduced a groodle puppy. Yesterday, it bit my 18month old girl on the face; broke the skin on lip, chin and check but not too serious. My instinct is to re-home the dog (not blaming the dog, just seems too early for us). I feel I can't take the risk of a second more serious bite, scarring her forever (I am a doctor and seen some serious facial bites). I have read your website material. More advice? Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | unneutered | 2 months and 14 days old | 6 lbs

Bette Isacoff · Accepted Answer

I do not blame you for being very concerned, and I'm sorry for your daughter's injury. Because you cannot teach an eighteen-month-old how to respond to the puppy in such a way as to minimize the possibility of another incident, there is a reason to believe it could happen again. I would return the puppy to the breeder if you can, explaining the reason why. Perhaps Buzz is just not suitable for a home with small children. There is such a thing as temperament testing, which can be done through your local kennel club. Though not foolproof, this can give you some idea how a puppy will react in a variety of circumstances. This may not be the breed mix for you, or it may be that you simply need to go to another source for your puppy. There are many factors involved here, and I would be happy to discuss the situation at length with you. If you are interested, just click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

Puppy bit my toddler's face. Is it safe to keep him with kids?

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