Hello, everyone. Thank you all for your kind concern and advice. I am so glad that I posted this topic. The dog in question has been in an isolated portion of our yard -- not tied, but securely fenced from the rest of the property. Since his trip to the vet and his isolation, I have done much thinking and I have decided that I must find him another home; it simply isn't worth the risk to my little guy or any other children who might come our way. Fortunately, this situation looks as if it will have a happy ending after all. My vet. (bless him!) has located a couple who are willing to take the dog AND all of his "baggage." They asked if, after behavior modification, if I wanted the dog returned. My heart says "Yes," but my emotional state of mind, my fears and my brain all tell me "NO!" This is not a problem as they are willing to provide for the dog the rest of his life. This couple (with NO children, by the way) live in a more urban area than I do and have ready access to whatever necessary to help this dog be a good pet, beginning with animal behavior modification. The vet. is confident that this dog can become a good companion, since I caught the new behavior pattern so early, rather than waiting for a major problem to occur. To "PJ's Mom," your sad story really helped me to decide what to do before things got out of hand. What a remarkable daughter you have! Naturally, I am very upset at having to re-home this dog, but I know that this will be better for him and for my family. Can you believe it -- I am already thinking about getting another dog from the local shelter! But I think I will wait a while before adding to our pack. Again, thank you all for your advice and concern. I have already begun to teach my little boy about the proper way to approach and touch a dog (thank you, Carrie!)and we will work on other forms of interaction when he is old enough to understand. This site has really helped me through a difficult situation, and I think that, if my dog could talk, he would say "Thanks," too.