Should You Put a Dog Down for Biting? Episode 431

In this episode, Niall asks: Should you put a dog down for biting? A distressed listener wrote in about a painful family dilemma. Her five-year-old dog bit their three-year-old son on the leg badly enough to need stitches. Her husband now insists the dog must be put to sleep to protect their child. She believes it was a one-off incident that could be managed with training or rehoming. Who is right?

Some callers sided with the husband, saying once a dog bites a child so seriously, you can never fully trust it again. They argued the safety of a child must always come first, even if it means making a heartbreaking decision.

Others said putting the dog down is too extreme. They pointed out that dogs often bite when provoked or scared and that proper training or rehoming could prevent it from happening again. Some argued families have to take responsibility too, and killing the dog is not the only answer.

As Niall points out, this is not just about a dog. It is about balancing love for a family pet with the responsibility to protect a child, and deciding whether one bite should mean the end.