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

[Labyrinth]

Kids always have to come first. That being said, the only way I would've considered rehoming any of my pets when I brought our daughter home is if they were aggressive towards her. The dogs and ferrets both love her, and the cats couldn't care either way. I've heard a child that grows up around animals is less likely to develop allergies to them, not sure whether that is true or not though.

 

[~Jessie~]

Well, as long as you're truly spiritually pregnant and you were spiritually married before you got spiritually knocked up, I see no reason to belittle you.
Unless. Was this intended? Or did your spiritual BC (NFP) not work?

Yes, you must be spiritually married first. Where is teh Nando? He will work for your spiritual husband. Then you can get spiritually knocked up without judgement. And then (and only then) can you drop Middie off at animal control without being judged.

 

[Danefied]

I've heard a child that grows up around animals is less likely to develop allergies to them, not sure whether that is true or not though.

I researched that extensively since our twins were preemies and everybody and their brother thought they should tell us how living in a house with multiple dogs and cats would cause them allergies and breathing difficulties.

Well, they came home after over a month in NICU (my daughter on a heart monitor), and from day one a dog has slept either in their room or in our room where they co-slept with us.

Today they are 8 years old, each with a dog in their bed at night, and they are healthy as can be. Zero allergies, asthma, breathing issues, nada. They actually get fewer colds and germies than their classmates.

There was one study done in England I think that showed that children exposed to a compound found in cow manure develop more of a protection against auto-immune diseases. Over sanitation is more damaging in the long run from everything I have read.
Oh, but I also made the effort to breastfeed even though they were preemies. I pumped for months and managed to produce enough for both of them up until 4 months at which point my daughter finally figured out how to nurse and of course was able to get much more that way. I think that makes a huge difference too.

No, I would not rehome my dogs either. I've had an aggressive dog in the house with them, and doors are a wonderful invention. If the dog was so aggressive to not be trusted with careful management, IMO the dog needs to be PTS and not pawned off on someone else to deal with. JMO though

 

[~Jessie~]

I researched that extensively since our twins were preemies and everybody and their brother thought they should tell us how living in a house with multiple dogs and cats would cause them allergies and breathing difficulties.

Well, they came home after over a month in NICU (my daughter on a heart monitor), and from day one a dog has slept either in their room or in our room where they co-slept with us.

Today they are 8 years old, each with a dog in their bed at night, and they are healthy as can be. Zero allergies, asthma, breathing issues, nada. They actually get fewer colds and germies than their classmates.

There was one study done in England I think that showed that children exposed to a compound found in cow manure develop more of a protection against auto-immune diseases. Over sanitation is more damaging in the long run from everything I have read.
Oh, but I also made the effort to breastfeed even though they were preemies. I pumped for months and managed to produce enough for both of them up until 4 months at which point my daughter finally figured out how to nurse and of course was able to get much more that way. I think that makes a huge difference too.

No, I would not rehome my dogs either. I've had an aggressive dog in the house with them, and doors are a wonderful invention. If the dog was so aggressive to not be trusted with careful management, IMO the dog needs to be PTS and not pawned off on someone else to deal with. JMO though

I have asthma (really bad asthma, actually) and horrible allergies. I have never had issues with the dogs. I grew up with a dalmatian and a toy poodle, and a few cats. The cats would sleep in my bed with me every night.

It wasn't until I went off for college that I started having allergies towards cats. We tried adopting one a couple of years ago, and had to return it due to allergies.

I definitely believe that exposure to pets from a young age helps with allergies... I was allergy tested a few years ago and didn't have any allergic reaction towards "dog."

There's actually an old wives tale that chihuahuas "cure" asthma. Haha.

 

[sparks19]

Yeah Hannah doesn't show any allergies to dogs (on her tests... just eggs and cats)... but she will have a skin reaction if belle rubs her oily hair on Hannah.

but I would say that Hannah and the dogs just co exsist lol. I honestly don't think Hannah would care if the dogs weren't here tomorrow lol. she will seek them out once in a while and the dogs will do the same once in a while but for the most part they just live in the same house and that's it haha. she's more annoyed by the dogs than anything else :rofl1:

 

[noludoru]

Yes, you must be spiritually married first. Where is teh Nando? He will work for your spiritual husband. Then you can get spiritually knocked up without judgement. And then (and only then) can you drop Middie off at animal control without being judged.

No idea where he is, so maybe I'll just marry you in the meantime. Will that work?

I'm so excited about this. We're going to drop him off at the shelter today! Woo!

 

[vanillasugar]

We also had the bigger car talk. Our Beetle barely fits the 3 of us (Sierra being the 3rd) and with a baby it just isn't gonna be possible. But I've never understood the mentality of getting rid of the dog just because a baby is on the way or has arrived. The dog(s) came first!

 

[stafinois]

I always said that the dogs would go when I have a child, and I meant it. But, I'm a terrible procrastinator. Now the baby is three and the dogs are still here.
I'm kidding, of course.

 

[Grab]

I will say that not a single person made a comment about our having 6 dogs when we were expecting. Perhaps everyone got the hint when our pregnancy announcement was a video featuring Aesop.

 

[Dani]

Kids are a long way off, if at all, but I voted no I wouldn't rehome. There are two exceptions, though: extreme aggression and extreme allergies with no solution. The safety of the kid has to take priority.

 

[Dizzy]

When my sister was born we had a collie who did not like her one bit. Every morning at the breakfast table, she would walk up, nip my sister on the leg, and walk off. One day she snapped at her, and caught her lip (she wasn't left unsupervised it was in the caravan while camping). My mum wanted rid. She loved the dog so much (and she was my best friend).

Here the shelter wouldn't take a dog which bit and they said the only option was euthanasia. My mum couldn't bring herself to do it, so they kept her despite everything.

We eventually worked it out, and penny grew old with us, and my mum says she would never have forgiven herself if she'd had her put down.

I can see it from both sides really... if she'd ended up doing something again, it could have been devastating. My parents didn't really have the SKILLS to deal with aggression. And I think that's what it comes down to in the end. They were lucky that our dog turned out ok really.... I loved that dog, I'm glad it did have a happy ending, but it could easily not have.

It's ok saying no under any circumstances, but not all dog owners are able to manage, and not all plan their family around their dogs.

 

[sparks19]

When my sister was born we had a collie who did not like her one bit. Every morning at the breakfast table, she would walk up, nip my sister on the leg, and walk off. One day she snapped at her, and caught her lip (she wasn't left unsupervised it was in the caravan while camping). My mum wanted rid. She loved the dog so much (and she was my best friend).

Here the shelter wouldn't take a dog which bit and they said the only option was euthanasia. My mum couldn't bring herself to do it, so they kept her despite everything.

We eventually worked it out, and penny grew old with us, and my mum says she would never have forgiven herself if she'd had her put down.

I can see it from both sides really... if she'd ended up doing something again, it could have been devastating. My parents didn't really have the SKILLS to deal with aggression. And I think that's what it comes down to in the end. They were lucky that our dog turned out ok really.... I loved that dog, I'm glad it did have a happy ending, but it could easily not have.

It's ok saying no under any circumstances, but not all dog owners are able to manage, and not all plan their family around their dogs.

This is a good post. I agree with everything said here

it's very noble to say that you would never ever give up your pet and that everyone who does is irressponsible or just doesn't care but that's not nessecarily the case

When you see an ad that says they are getting rid of the dog because of allergies... you don't know the extent of those allergies. You don't know this persons daily life.

You just DON'T KNOW. they may not be qualified to help a dog with aggressioni. they may not have the TIME. they may have had time for an easy going dog but may genuinely not have the time to solve these issues and if the dog is going to suffer for it (ie being crated or seperated from the family at all times) then why are they wrong for finding it a more qualified home?

I know I couldn't handle a dog with aggression. It just would NOT fly in my house and to be honest I don't really care if the dog was here first. If I really thought the dog would do some damage to my child I couldn't keep the dog. Period. I am just not a good enough trainer to deal with that and I would be tense all the time because even if you are supervising it only takes a second for the damage to be done. Not a risk I can take. It would be negligent for someone like me to keep an aggressive dog around.

 

[Doberluv]

No, but I might change the dog's name to Miracle.:rofl1:

 

[Dreeza]

Kids are a long way off, if at all, but I voted no I wouldn't rehome. There are two exceptions, though: extreme aggression and extreme allergies with no solution. The safety of the kid has to take priority.

ditto.

This is something I am concerned about given Oakley's history of aggression & the fact that he already has to be very closely watched around my sister's kid. I would obviously exhaust all options...but my kid's safety will have to come first. And if I had to rehome, I hope I could just rehome him with my brother or parents.

 

[puppydog]

Nah, babies rehome far easier then dogs. I don't know why, they are an SOB to house train!