Today our dog bit our housekeeper. She bit her once, on the back of the leg, it did puncture the skin, in a single spot.

I immediately bandaged our housekeepers wound, and told her to take the rest of the day off. I paid her for the week

and gave her 2000 additional baht. 

My friend, who speaks Thai, said that she will take her to the clinic later today, if she needs, and I offered to go as well. 

Of course I will pay all of her medical expenses, but I am thinking I should also give her next week off paid.

My question is how much additional compensation should I give her? It seems like paying her medical bill, giving her a paid week off, and an additional 2000 Baht for her pain just is not enough....Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. 

 

*Our dog is fully vaccinated, had her rabies shot in March 2021 and is due for her booster March 2022

Has your dog been vaccinated for rabies? That is the major consideration in every case, not the money.

I should have added that our dog has been fully vaccinated and had her rabies shot on March 22nd 2021, and is not due for a booster until March 22nd, 2022. 

I think you are already doing a lot more than a lot of owners would do. 

 

But.. why did your dog bite the house keeper ?....

 

Was the house keeper teasing the dog or simply doing her work ?

 

The big question is...  Your dog has already proven it will bite people, could your dog bite a visiting guest, particularly a child ????

 

 

Additional compensation: Your question is not how much should you give, but how little can you get away with giving without looking like you don’t care (just calling a spade a spade) - As I wrote earlier you have already done a lot. 

 

Regarding giving the house keeper time off... that depends on her injuries - if its just a minor bite it shouldn’t impact her work much, but she will definitely appreciate the extra money.... But, that goes back to one of the earlier questions and depends on ‘why’ she was bitten. 

 

 

 

 

 

Any further action will probably depend on the attitude of the house keeper and any "advice" she gets from others I would guess.

Unless the event was witnessed as to cause and effect who knows what may or may not be any further outcome.

Enough already. You've done more than enough.

But as Richard says, you need to figure out why this happened. Is the lady or the dog wrong? Normally it's the humans not understanding dogs. 

Good luck.

19 minutes ago, Stuswife2830 said:

My question is how much additional compensation should I give her? 

Never throwing money at it next time it could be a child visiting, there's 3 things in my book,  put a mussel on your stupid dog when people visit your home,  lock it up while people visit, or put it down. 

The more you give the more you will be expected to give

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Never throwing money at it next time it could be a child visiting, there's 3 things in my book,  put a mussel on your stupid dog when people visit your home,  lock it up while people visit, or put it down. 

Maybe the dog doesn't like seafood, but a Green-lipped mussel from NZ should do the trick!!!!!????

Dodgy dog, shouldn't bite for no good reason. Housekeeper will feel nervous in future

She will get free shots if she decides on it, no need to pay. I would put any dog down that bites, could be a baby attaked next time.

19 minutes ago, 2long said:

Enough already. You've done more than enough.

 

Way too much.

 

 

Just asked my wife.She says about 6000 bht (1000) each time for rabies injections.

Even if your dog is vaccinated. The person bitten will still want the rabies shot to be sure.

Thats what we have had to pay in the past anyways.hope this info is of of some use.

10 minutes ago, KC 71 said:

Just asked my wife.She says about 6000 bht (1000) each time for rabies injections.

Even if your dog is vaccinated. The person bitten will still want the rabies shot to be sure.

Thats what we have had to pay in the past anyways.hope this info is of of some use.

What did you do about your dog biting people ?

 

Restrain it ? Muzzle it when guests visits ? keep kids away etc ?

 

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think you are already doing a lot more than a lot of owners would do. 

Yes! Normal Thai say its not our dog! Even its lay on they yeard!

You must pay her medical ,you have already paid her wages for the week and you should give her another week off paid!   She should be able to attend to her medical needs with that .Get a copy of the invoice !

The issue is the dog ! Tie it up,when she is there ! If it bites again ,curtains for the dog.

Yep you got to tie or chain the dog up now, no more contact with people outside your immediate family group. If it ever bites another person again, that's it, put it down.

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Never throwing money at it next time it could be a child visiting, there's 3 things in my book,  put a mussel on your stupid dog when people visit your home,  lock it up while people visit, or put it down. 

Could not agree more........."oh well he has never bitten anyone before!!!!......the dog owners refrain.

Does the housekeeper have rabies? You don't want your dog infected. Just a joke. Don't overdo the compensation bit or you'll get taken advantage of. People are living in straightened times and an opportunity to take money from a farang is too good to be true. 

Questions - has the housekeeper been in the job long enough for the dog to get used to her?

Does the housekeep play with the dog or interact in any way normally?

Did you witness the attack?

Does the dog normally exhibit aggressive behaviour or is it possible that the house-keeper provoked the dog by her own behaviour, perhaps towards your family members unbeknown to you?

A settled family pet will seldom attack a person it's owner has brought into the family home on a regular basis - we have 4 dogs, 3 of which are adopted soi dogs - and once a person is in the home for two or three days they are accepted by the dogs and eventually the dogs will permit petting if that is wanted. Yet if you came in off the street unannounced I am pretty certain you would be attacked and we even have a warning sign on the gate with a photo of one dog, a long-haired and coarse-haired wolf-like big yellow dog that has a disposition towards eating strangers, yet that same dog can be quite soppy once it gets to know you.

 

We had a nursery/greenhouse business in the U.S. and had a dog who would "nip" people in the butt or calf when they were doing certain things, like bending over and banging on something.  Something about that pose and making a noise got to her.  But, you couldn't explain it to staff or visitors in advance, like people who had a legitimate reason to be on the property like meter reader, propane delivery guy, etc who could be banging on a piece of their equipment while bending down.

 

After a couple incidents, we simply had to keep her in a building during the time when non-family people would be on the property and even during off hours, she was permitted to roam in the barn, a very large dog-proof structure, a greenhouse if a family member was working (she knew how to get out of a greenhouse if left alone, damaging the greenhouse in the process) and she was able to stay in the house alone and amazingly never bothered our elderly, blind cat.

 

I suggest the OP keep the dog in another room or building when the maid is working.  Somehow their chemistry is right.  It's really no different from us locking the cats in their catio now when the pest control people come because we don't want them exposed to chemicals.

 

12 minutes ago, NancyL said:

We had a nursery/greenhouse business in the U.S. and had a dog who would "nip" people in the butt or calf when they were doing certain things, like bending over and banging on something.  Something about that pose and making a noise got to her. 

 

<snip>

 

 

Yeah, I had a wife like that once. Hated me bending over and banging anything except her.

 

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

3 hours ago, xylophone said:

Maybe the dog doesn't like seafood, but a Green-lipped mussel from NZ should do the trick!!!!!????

Forgive me I don't understand what you mean, my concern is OP's dog biting kids in the face. 

6 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Forgive me I don't understand what you mean, my concern is OP's dog biting kids in the face. 

Mussel

Muzzle

 

 

A good housekeeper is hard to find, lose the dog ????.

 

In all seriousness, you've done a lot already, how long has the housekeeper been with you?  My mother-in-law has a housekeeper/all around helper that's been with the MIL for almost a decade, she's almost part of the family.

3 hours ago, KC 71 said:

Just asked my wife.She says about 6000 bht (1000) each time for rabies injections.

Even if your dog is vaccinated. The person bitten will still want the rabies shot to be sure.

Thats what we have had to pay in the past anyways.hope this info is of of some use.

If the bitten person is Thai and registered at the hospital then she will not pay. If she's foreign or not registered at the hospital then she will pay for the rabies shots.

3 hours ago, riclag said:

You must pay her medical

If she's registered at the hospital, and Thai, then treatment will be free. 

39 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Mussel

Muzzle

 

 

Ok ???? fair call English spelling it not my best I rely on google but you know what I meant.

As for dogs that bite people in our village it has its head taken off with a shovel, can't afford Vets.

3 hours ago, KC 71 said:

Just asked my wife.She says about 6000 bht (1000) each time for rabies injections.

Even if your dog is vaccinated. The person bitten will still want the rabies shot to be sure.

Thats what we have had to pay in the past anyways.hope this info is of of some use.

Baloney , I had a series of rabies shots when a dog bite me in the same place ( back of the leg)  I don't remember the exact cost, but it was only a few hundred baht.

Bit the Thai housekeeper!

Hope the dog is OK

The FILs dog bit my daughter when she was about three years old, just a nip on her face and she still has the scar. Daughter was poking the dog with a skewer and she does not poke dogs anymore.

 

That dog is long gone. 

15 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Ok ???? fair call English spelling it not my best I rely on google but you know what I meant.

As for dogs that bite people in our village it has its head taken off with a shovel, can't afford Vets.

No problem as I understood what you meant. Have a good day.