Most likely she tried to take the dog’s food away.
Children do stupid things. Dogs too.
But the results are different: a poor innocent child gets a new puppy and suddenly vicious monster gets killed.
Sad. Some people just should not have animals...
Yep she probably wanted to eat it herself. Everyone knows that dogs NEVER attack children without a good reason.
That "tripped and accidentally kicked his leg" thing is making me think she might have been tormenting the dog.
*If* that was the case, it was a kindness to put him down.
8 years of utterly no signs of aggression really makes me wonder what the dog's physical state was.
I'm glad the beautiful little girl is okay.
And yes, I'm going to nag all FReepers with geriatric dogs to have them examined periodically for joint/arthritis/dysplasia issues...dogs are very stoic and -will- hide their pain until it becomes absolutely unbearable.
I knew a guy who was "proud" of his male Rott's "aggressiveness".
Naturally, I disregarded the guy's foolish boasting and cozied up to the dog.
He was as sweet as could be...until you touched his hind end.
I told the guy to have him checked by a vet ASAP.
He brushed my advice off.
Less than a year later, that decent, sweet 4 year old dog was dead of bone cancer, a disease to which Rotts are highly genetically prediposed.
His "savageness" was little more than a self-protective facade to hide/avoid his agonizing pain.
If even your "young" dog starts behaving in an uncharacteristically shy or aggressive manner, _take it to the vet *first*_ before you write if off as "just vicious".