Hello. I hope you dont mind me posting a message on here but I I thought that you might be able to shed some light for me.

My mum was walking her two dogs last week when they ran after a rat and between them mauled it to death. I dont know if it is an Old Wives Tale, but I have heard that dogs can "turn" once they have tasted fresh blood / killed. Is this true?

I am concerned because I have a young toddler and I am afraid that at least one of these dogs may turn on him now. We do not see my mum's dogs regularly and so they are not used to seeing my toddler in their house. I am more concerned because they are usually quite timid dogs (well, one of them is a bit aggresive, but that is because he is nervous), and yet they killed another animal. One of them is a very small dog - smaller than a Yorkshire terrier (not sure what breed, white and very short hair, like the one in the film THE MASK). The other is half collie half doberman.

I hope that you can put my mind at rest that the dogs wont turn, and dont need destroying. Its not like they attacked a cat or another dog.

Thank you in advance.

Louise (Mum of 14 month old Daniel)

My friends Border Terrier regularly kills rats & a nicer gentler dog with people & other dogs you could not wish to meet.

It is an old wives tail :D

There is no truth in that at all, so don't worry. My dogs regularly kill rabbits, and get given them for their dinner, and there's no way they'd turn on an adult, let alone a child.
:)

I agree with the others but as you say one of them is nervous and a bit aggresive I think you should be particularly careful that they are never alone with your toddler and, in fact, if I was your mother I would have thought it a sensible precaution to remove them from the room when you were visiting at least until your child was older. I would not have said there was any need to have them put down though.

Dylan has killed a couple of rats at the stables where we do agility, but he is the best dog with our small children and is a very gentle dog in all normal situations. But as the last poster said, always be careful with dogs that are not used to children, they will not be used to the sudden movements and (very) high pitched noises, and have not been taught how to react to being grabbed by a small toddler (mine look to me for permission to pull away so they can have a treat! But they have to stand still until the child is safe)

All the best

Hayley