Will you rehome your dog(s) once you have a baby?

Ian mentioned to a coworker that once we have a baby we'll need a bigger car so that we'll be able to fit the baby and the dogs.

His coworker had assumed that we'd just get rid of a few dogs to make room because having a baby and 5 dogs is just too much work anyway Since you can't have multiple dogs AND a baby.

So... once you have a baby (or if you already have children) do you plan on "unloading" one or more of your dogs?

Umm 2 kids later and still have my dogs plus one, planning on adding a mastiff AND adding my dads dogs (one being MAJORLY DA) to the mix for a prolonged period of time, so I would say not. LOL

I don't think you're going to get many 'yes' answers off people on a dog forum

I voted "no of course not". The only reason I could ever see myself CONSIDERING rehoming my dog because I had kids, is if my dog was extremely agressive toward my baby. HOWEVER, I would exhaust all options including keeping the dog completely separated from my baby at all times, which would be my last resort. And as long as the dog remained fairly happy, I'd deal with that. But if I felt like keeping the dog was compromising it's happiness, I'd rehome him/her. Some dogs are just completely miserable around kids.

It'll be interesting to see. I think there have been a couple of members on here who have rehomed their dogs because it was "too difficult" with a baby.

I don't think any would admit to it though, and I think even few actually PLAN it...

If I had a baby and a dog, and the dog was seriously going to EAT the baby or something, then I'd probably have to consider it. But I certainly wouldn't plan it that way, or want it to happen.... Sometimes you can only do what you can do.

I completely agree.

My biggest fear about having children is them being allergic to dogs... because I'm not sure what I could do. Hopefully that won't happen, though, since no one in my family has ever been allergic to dogs.

Rory LOVES babies and children, and he of course would be my biggest concern since he's the largest. I'd be most worried with him licking the baby to death

And some people DO plan on getting rid of their dogs once they have kids. To some, dogs are practice kids, and just because this is a dog forum it doesn't mean that there aren't people who feel that way.

Well, when my kids were born, we did not have a dog. We had a cat, though and we got the same nonsense from friends. "Watch out, the cat will be jealous and attack the baby" or "The cat will lie on the baby and smother it". Well, the cat stayed, often sat with my wife while she nursed our kids and never - ever - attacked or smothered my kids.

That said, I think each situation is different and unique and I don't think making a decision like rehoming a dog when kids come along is ever taken lightly (with some obvious craigslist/freecycle type exceptions). IMO, it's almost always a "cross that bridge when we come to it" thing. If it becomes necessary for whatever reason, it has to be done.

If it's any consolation Jessie, I am allergic to cats and we had them my WHOLE life. They didn't get rehomed lol - as my parents said - the cats were there before I was

Nice

Amazing, but I managed to keep my dogs after Todd was born. I don't remember any of my friends getting rid of their dogs just because they had a baby. But, I don't think we really thought about it, we just did what we had to do, and kept on going.

You don't have a choice for "I wish"

LOL some days I'd like to give them both away. especially right now when there is a full moon and both dogs and child are INSANE

maybe I could give away all three?

I knew someone on another pet forum who rehomed all her 'beloved' pets before her baby was born because her husbands brother had had allergy problems when he was born. So she couldn't put her baby at risk. That was rediculous in my opinion, she completely regretted the decision and couldn't get her pets back. Just because the baby's uncle had a few problems!!

I guess I could understand if the baby had allergies, but check first, don't just rehome the pets on a whim, and then get more when your baby is fine. Several of these pets had been hand raised/bottle fed. Life and death sort of situation, and she just rehomed them. It annoyed me no end.

It's all garlic mashed potatoes for me as I don't want kids, just dogs

The only reason I would rehome my dogs is if we had a catastrophic event and I didn't have the funds or the time to take care of them properly. There are people in my family that have asked me what we're going to do when we have kids. Erm...nothing? I'm putting in a lot of time and effort NOW to make sure that our dogs are well trained BEFORE we spawn.

I was talking to my mom about how one day I want a corgi puppy and said that it would probably be 5-7 years down the road. Her response was "Well you might change your mind about having that many dogs when you have kids." I told her that having kids would never change the fact that I love my dogs and I would NEVER get rid of a dog just because I managed to get knocked up....turns out that's not what she meant and she got really sad cause I jumped down her throat. Whoops. Lol.

Not a bad choice. You don't get visits from the police if you put your dog in the yard on a tie-out. But do that once with the kids and you're marked for life

Nope. not a chance.

You don't get rid of family because things are hard.

Your dogs were your babies before you had a baby. does he/she really deserve to be replaced?
and I think every kid deserves the chance to grow up with a family dog. there is no better best friend out there lol

My mom still makes comments about how "it would be easier" to rehome Rory once we have a baby :yikes: It's annoying, because every time she mentions it I tell her that I would never get rid of Rory. She thinks I'm crazy anyway for having a border collie.

Every time we add a dog, my mom acts like I didn't think about how it will impact our family once we have a baby

Ooooh I want Belle!! Lol.

On the allergy thing, I have a friend whose daughter is REALLY allergic to dogs. According to Jean this is how the conversation with the doctor went.

Doctor: You have to get rid of your dogs.
Jean: Not an option.
Doctor: You have to make your dogs outside dogs?
Jean: Hmmmm.... Try again.
Doctor: We can try medication?
Jean: Now we're getting somewhere!

I imagine if any of my potential kids ends up allergic the conversation will go very much so like that. Lol.

My dad is one of those crazy people that thinks every kid NEEDS A DOG.
like, goes out and buys a puppy when the kids are born lol

My mom would never get rid of her dog when she has kids, thats for sure

I get yelled at for speaking to the dog in a "harsh tone" or taking his spot on the couch and I AM HER CHILD Lol

well I have to say if your dad brought me a PUPPY just after I had a BABY... he'd be in for a nasty surprise lol

kids should have dogs... sure. I want Hannah to grow up with dogs but there is no way I would be having a puppy and a newborn at the same time. not gonna happen lol EVER

Exactly this, LOL.