Advice/opinions please * long post alert*

This afternoon my grandparents beloved dog bit my 5 month old baby (unprovoked) on his face- just above his eyebrow, thankfully I was able to intervene quickly and the bite mark isn't too bad and my baby although a little unsettled is as okay as he can be. I am very stuck now on what to do next, for context In my opinion this has always been a horrible dog, he barks all day, he charges at the doors if someone is coming in/out of them, he snaps often and has bitten before. Today my baby was fully supervised and was bitten out of what I can only describe as jealousy/ a random attack because I was passing the baby to my grandma so she could hold him, at which point the dog started to bark, growl and act aggressively towards both my grandma and the baby. My grandma was uninjured. I attempted to hit the dog as I was angry and in shock and wanted to protect them both, the dog then went for me but thankfully missed, my grandma was shouting at me not to hurt the dog, which shocked and upset me a lot as I feel she has considered the dog before myself, the baby or even herself. Needless to say I tended to the baby and left ASAP. I'm fully considering reporting the dog which I imagine will result in getting him put to sleep. However my grandparents are in their 90s this dog Is their companion and they love him so much, despite his bad behavior, in their eyes he can do no wrong, I've seen my grandad fuss and stroke him after a different biting incident where my grandad was the one who got bitten. Reporting him will break their hearts and I know I'll be the 'bad guy' with them and likley other family members too. My grandma even tried to downplay it to my husband saying it was ' only a nip'. Firstly am I overreacting? Secondly do I report the dog? I know a lot of people will probably say I shouldn't have taken my baby there in the first place but he's always well supervised and I'm so careful around that dog I would like to emphasize no one did anything to provoke this attack, I believe the dog got jealous. Also I'll probably get hate as I admitted that I went to hit him, as stated I was trying to protect my baby and grandma, I was also in shock and very angry. I am usually a dog lover and have never hit a dog before up until now. Please leave your advice and opinions 🙏 Thank you x

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Firstly you’re 100% not over reacting. As a mum you always fight to protect your kids, and quite frankly a 5/6 month old baby needs far more protection than a dog. If I was in your position I would have acted in the same way. Your grandparents may not see it as it sounds like their dog is their ‘baby’ and they treat it as such by excusing its behaviour but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it. It’s completely up to you whether you report the incident. It sounds like you’ve considered the potential outcomes, and tbh if a dog will snap at a baby I can’t see that anyone can say you’ve done the wrong thing. Even if you decide not to, I would be very firm with your grandparents that the dog is not to be near your child. It’s easy to say it’s only a nip, but what about next time? What if instead of being above your baby’s eyebrow it caught their eye? I don’t think anyone could blame you either way whatever you decide

I hope both you and your LO are ok. I can only imagine how shaken up you must have been at the time ❤️

Definitely not over reacting, I’d have hit out if instinct to protect my baby, it’s what motherhood does to you. It does not matter if it’s only a nip, if it was lower down it could have caused a lot of damage. In my opinion that dog is to be nowhere near that baby ever again, all visits it should be put in a different room with no way of getting in, or muzzled at all times as if a dog bites once, they’re likely to do it again. I’d probably report the dog, however that’s just me and because I’d never want to chance the dog getting its teeth into anyone ever again. Given your grandparents are in their 90s I find it unlikely that they’d be able to do the correct training with the dog to make sure it never happens again. If my family was angry at me for reporting their dog BITING my baby, I would tell them to do one. I love animals however my baby comes before anyone, that includes dogs and angry family members. Do what you feel is right for you, but sleep on it first xx

Not overreacting tbh I’d have flung a dog into orbit to protect my son. I don’t think I’d report the dog though knowing it’s a companion and they are in their 90’s otherwise I possibly would. Going forward though I wouldn’t have my son anywhere near that dog and if it can’t be restrained in another room then I wouldn’t visit there anymore.

Because the dog bit please seek medical help for your child due to the high risk of infection and I would say if you choose not to reoport the i would never go to there house the dog is unpredictable and dangerous

What would reporting the dog do other than removing it from your grandparents house and causing them great distress? It's awful it bit your child out of nowhere but then you brought the baby round AGAIN with the dog being present, fully knowing it bit your child once before, then in retaliation you tried to hit the dog. I understand that's your first reaction but hitting the dog actually doesn't solve anything. This dog is anxious and practically the only reason it barks and bites is because it's untrained and anxious around it's older (vulnerable) owners. It's not the dogs fault it bit your child, it's certainly not the dogs fault it bit your child TWICE. You need to either have the dog in a separate room when you visit with baby or you need to meet your grandparents away from the home/dog. This dog has no business being around a child, and you should have been more cautious when having your baby around it, especially knowing it's bitten before.