This 15-month-old Staffordshire terrier is in quarantine with Calgary's animal and bylaw services after biting three people. (CBC)

Three members of the same family were sent to hospital after being bitten by a dog in front of a northeast Calgary home on Sunday.

Greg Steinraths of Calgary's animal and bylaw services said the dog, a 15-month-old Staffordshire terrier named Alphie, has been apprehended. The animal will be quarantined for 10 days and examined by an animal behaviourist.

"I think what is concerning is that the dog bit some people. Friends or family, regardless, it still bit some people. So we need to see as part of our investigation what was going on and where the dog was at," Steinraths told CBC News on Monday.

Dog owner Mark Travadi said his sister and his nephew had an altercation on the front steps, with his sister waving her arms and making threatening gestures.

The dog attacked, biting Travadi's sister and brother twice on their arms and legs, he said. Travadi's nephew was also bitten.

"It scared the heck out of me when he wouldn't respond to my calling him off. I mean, he's not a little puppy anymore. His eyes turned back in his head. I didn't recognize him," said Travadi, who is reluctant to take Alphie back.

Steinraths said the dog might not be put down.

"[Offficials will] be looking at a number of factors in regards to socialization, level of aggressiveness, social ability, obedience, all these types of things. There's a series of six factors that they'll go through in a test."

Travadi said the dog has never responded like this in the past, but says Alphie has "never liked violence."