Dog bite at Pet Smart - Page 1

My dog bit a pet smart employee when she was petting him.  I am so saddened by this incident and I don't know what will happen.  She was petting my dog and then she kneeled down and gave him a kiss, he licked her and all of a sudden he bit her upper lip and drew lots of blood. She had to go to the hospital to get stiches.  She said "it happens, don't worry about it"  I am worried, this should not have happened.

Will my dog be put to sleep, will I get sued?  what should I do to correct this behavior?

I am so upset.

HA-ha! If I were you I would not feel bad. It's her fault not yours. In the future I would be more careful and not let others approach your dog that way! Sometimes you have to think for other people who can't think for them selfs.

I never take my dog to Petco or Petsmart. Too many things to go wrong.

You would think that employees of those types of stores would be trained NOT TO PUT YOUR FACE IN THE FACE OF A DOG!!  Good lord!!! 

They are taught how to properly approach a dog - obviously someone wasn't listening... sad for them and sad for you. 

Are people that stupid, you never give a strange dog a kiss on the face or anywhere else!

Especially a GSD!

Don't feel bad, don't be upset, as the dog has the upper hand, cause pets are allowed in Pet Smart,

More like Pet Dumb (in the employees department!)

I always call it "PetStupid".  But then, I do shop there occasionally, just to conveniently get some things.  The "obedience" makes me cringe there.

They may be taught "proper APPROACH", but I seriously doubt they are taught anything beyond that.  Pet people - INCLUDING at the vet's office - act lovey-dovey and whiny silly and do everything that makes a dog excitable.  This is a HUGE "pet" peeve of mine - especially girls with their already girly high-pitched voices going into stratospheric levels of high pitch baby-talk.  This only excites the dog and more likely gets him out of control, which is at the very least very "messy" as the sweeping tail brushes off all the retail items on the shelf.

What Cesar Millan says constantly about this is very, very true.  People need to stop the high-pitch baby talk, along with the literally "in-your-face" fawning over any animal, much less strange animals.

OK, off my soap-box.

Of course, I'm assuming your dog may simply have taken a "love-swipe" at the woman instead of a genuine bite.  The lip area is very weak and some over-anxious, over-zealous dogs who like to use their mouths can easily "make a dent" there.

I hope things go OK for you, but just be on guard.  Of course, I don't know how they're going to find you unless you keep going back.

I'm sorry , but you have learned a very important lesson, and now your dog is in jeopardy.  Regardless of whether the employee was stupid or untrained, it is your responsibility to prevent your dog from biting people.  The wiser and more prudent action is to not let strangers pet your dog, and this goes double for childeren.  Dog bites can happen in the blink of an eye  and even the most mellow dog is capable of reaching out and touching someone with a tooth.  I do not let strangers pet my dog period end of story.   If someone wants to pet a dog they should get their own.

lovedogs,

I can understand that you are upset, most people would be.  However, lots of comments here above, will tell you that although it would be better that it hadnt happened, your dog was feeling threatened and nipped out.  Imagine yourself being taken somewhere new and different and a stranger coming face to face patting you on the head -  and trying to kiss you !!!   No dont even go there.... however, you would at the very least be embarrassed and confused..... why should the dog be any different.  Your dog was probably wanting to take in all that was happening around him in such a busy place, and here was this well meaning person blocking his view, eye-balling him at close range and trying to make contact with his nose !!!

From my experience with Petsmart, their employees are not trained in the art of social dog behaviour or anything else, they are fairly low paid, hard working youngsters that feel they have a "Job with Animals".   Sad it happened, good it was no worse, lesson learned all round, for you too, so that you dont put your dog in that position again - and put the whole incident to bed..... get on with enjoying him if he is lovely in every other way  -  if he is not  -  get a good training school, and still enjoy him whilst corrective training is going on.

Can she sue you?  Well - anyone can sue anyone about anything, but the success lies in the bare facts, and if I go up to a strange dog in the street or any public place and attempt to "kiss him"  -  I think that a court would expect that it may not be just a kiss back that I got.... dont worry about it.    Mo -  Mascani.

Whatever you do, NEVER accept their training offers!!!