Help - my Basset Hound bit my daughter

Question
Hi. I have a 20 month old basset hound that for the most part is an awesome loveable dog. However, yesterday he bit my nine year old daughter. I was extremely upset and unsure what to do, but I later found out that my daughter was trying to pull him into the sprinkler to play with her. And he is afraid of the sprinkler. But I still feel uneasy about the situation. I explained to my daughter that she can't force him like that, but is there a way to teach him that biting (esp. kids) is unacceptable? I worry he may bite a neighbor kid for doing something he doesn't like.

Answer
Hi Jacqui,

While I can understand your concern, this was not your dog's fault and 100% your daughter's.

Dogs have two options when cornered or in fear...flight or fight.  His normal reaction would have been to first try to back up, your daughter probably had to catch him (even if she didn't have to give chase)...then to pull away (which she didn't let him do).  She ignored at least 2 warnings (hard to say if there were more as neither of us saw it).  His last response was to bite her so she'd let go and he could get away.  

This was an extreme situation and if his normal attitude/behavior is that of a happey, loveable dog, I would not expect him to bite again if he isn't normally a biter.

Children need to be taught to respect dogs.  Dogs need to be taught to respect children.  Your daughter is only 9 and probably thought it would be great fun to have the dog in the sprinkler and she's not afraid so why is he?!  :)  So that she's not tempted in the future, you may just want to leave him in the house when the sprinkler is on or supervise the situation.  (I personally would just choose to leave him in).

Don't be nervous around him.  He's the same dog you had up until yesterday.  ;)  There's not a way to teach him not to bite in these kinds of situations.  Bite inhibition should have been and probably was taught when he was growing.  Like I said, this was an extreme situation, please don't feel as though you've got an aggressive dog all of a sudden (unless there's something you've left out).