Heartbreaking Decisions: Aggressive Dog in the Family

It happens fairly often – “We got the dog before children… and now the dog has bitten our child.”

When I get the phone call for training, I have to ask the difficult questions, like, “Is it okay with you if your dog bites your child again?” Because, let’s face it, accidents happen. I can never guarantee that a dog that has bitten will not do it again. In fact, my money’s on a repeat offense, and, double or nothing, that it will be a worse bite, the next time.

Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and highly regarded dog training expert, has created this scale for discussing dog bites:

Ian Dunbar's Bite Assessment Scale

Level 1- Dog growls, lunges, snarls-no teeth touch skin. Mostly intimidation behavior.

Level 2- Teeth touch skin but no puncture. May have red mark/minor bruise from dog’s head or snout, may have minor scratches from paws/nails. Minor surface abrasions acceptable.

Level 3- Punctures ½ the length of a canine tooth, one to four holes, single bite. No tearing or slashes. Victim not shaken side to side. Bruising.

Level 4- One to four holes from a single bite, one hole deeper than ½ the length of a canine tooth, typically contact/punctures from more than canines only. Black bruising, tears and/or slashing wounds. Dog clamped down and shook or slashed victim.

Level 5- Multiple bites at Level 4 or above. A concerted, repeated attack.

Level 6- Any bite resulting in death of a human.


This scale is a useful tool when communicating with parents whose dog has bitten their child. The thing to point out, though, is that the next time – that next bite, when it happens - will not usually be a lower-level bite. In other words, it’s all downhill from here.

Some dog behavior counselors set their clients on a protocol for training and management that borders on the ridiculous: Supervision of all interactions between the child and the dog. Step-by-step desensitization to teach the dog to accept handling from the child. Response substitution to teach the dog to be relaxed and comfortable, rather than predacious when the child is at play. Meanwhile, the dog-owning parent is often holding down at least one job, caring for the family and involved in other obligations in and outside the home.

What’s the sensible answer? Is it reasonable to ask my clients to put their lives on hold while they train the family dog for a few months? If we do that, can I guarantee the dog will not bite the child again? Not likely. In the end, after they have done the work, they still are going to have a dog that bites at least at the level he did the last time. Some time, some where, some one will be bitten by that dog. Especially if that some one is going to be a child, I have a moral responsibility to sternly warn the parents of the risk.

But, it isn’t any fun. Today, I told a family they should consider re-homing their beloved pet because any amount of training we do will not prevent him from biting their two sons if surprised or provoked. It breaks my heart.

Several years ago, I had to make that tough decision. I re-homed a fearful Sheltie girl that I had owned for 8 years because my active sons terrified her and she had begun biting. Her bites were “only” Level 1 and 2 on the above scale, but I wasn’t willing to see if the theory held true – that her bites might become worse. I agonized over it for a year and cried about it for months later. In the end, it was a great thing for her, though. She lived out her retirement years as queen in a household with no children. She was one happy dog, and never showed the kind of anxiety she had in our home once the boys came along. (Meanwhile, I continued training my “bomb-proof” golden retriever, that barely looks up when a boy accidentally falls on top of him while he’s sleeping.)

Not every dog is a good candidate for re-homing. Some aggressive dogs should simply be euthanized due to their dangerous nature – another heartbreakingly difficult decision. But, for the dog whose aggression is specific to one stimulus, in this case, children, it is easier to think about re-homing as an option that can bring peace to the family and the dog. It’s still tough to come to that decision, and my heart goes out to my clients tonight while they discuss their options.