Just dont know

[lisaandshaun]

Hi,

I am a little worried about how my two dogs are coping with the new human additions. they are very sooky and demanding lots of attention. One of my dogs is a rescue dog and we dont know his history. (it took me 3 months before we could pat him.)

Has anyone had their furry children put to sleep or given away because of there concerns for their human children?

[BabyMama]

Hi Lisa and Shaun

My dog was 11 when DS was born. The dog was very much our 'baby' prior to this. It took a good 3-4 months for her to get used to having a baby around and getting less attention. Give it some time (I'm not sure how old your little one is) and see how it goes.

I always supervise the two of them if they're in close proximity though. We just can't anticipate what may happen if our dog is inadvertently hurt by DS.

If you are concerned about your dogs' behaviour towards your bub, maybe have a chat to your vet first before you decide anything.

Good luck!

[AliBaby]

How old is your baby, what type of dogs are they and how old are they. What has changed for them since the baby arrived> ie. sleeping area, where they are allowed to go, feed time, less walks, less attention from you?

If you can answer some of these questions, I can try and help you with your situation.

IMO Putting a dog down just because an owner is worried is not an option. There are other ways to resolve the situation so that everyone is happy and everyone can live.

[YoYo]

I second what BabyMama said, you have to give it time (how old is your bub?)

My Pooch was 1.5 (ish) when DS was born. He is VERY much a major part of my life (the dog that is) and I made a conscious effort to make sure he wasn't 'put out' by the baby....as I didn't want him to react badly towards DS.

I still made sure I spent time grooming him, walking him (with baby) and letting him run around in the garden.

I always supervised the dog and bub together......even though I completely trust Charlie, as with animals (especially ones you haven't had from puppyhood) can be unpredictable.

If the most your dogs are doing are being sooky and demanding attention, then I would definitely give them more time...they have to get used to a baby as much as a new parent does! If there was anything else that came about (nasty behaviour) then that is the only time I would consider the possibility of re-homing. I wouldn't ever consider PTS though.....unless a dog attacked a child.

Good luck

[lisaandshaun]

Sorry i should have put a little more info in. and i would like to add that putting them to sleep WAS my LAST option. i would never do this unless they were sick and need it.


The dogs are cavalier king charles spaniels, one desexed the other not. Both male dogs aged 7.
Our daughter is 6months old.
The dogs lives have not changed too much, they still have the run of the house and have learnt not to go on our DDs blanket when she is on the floor. They dont get walked every day but are atleast every second day by either myself or DH.
they are put out side a little more then what they used to but they dont seem to mind it too much (often see them laying out in the sun or chewing on a rawhide.)
We do supervise them when they are near our DD all the time.

I know cavs are very friendly towards children and people but i am just a little worried will they eventually settle down and realise they arent top dogs any more?

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I know cavs are very friendly towards children and people but i am just a little worried will they eventually settle down and realise they arent top dogs any more?

I guess this can only happen when you show them you are "leader of the pack" - dogs need a pack leader and if none is there, they will assume the role! we have two dogs, one staffy and one chihuahua and our DD is 14 months. Both dogs are very protective of her and listen when i talk (they know im the "leader" ) and yeah, they are always supervised when together (they're outside dogs and have been since we got them)

[Freya]

Dogs are pack animals and they have to know their place otherwise its chaos! Theyve been the only things below you and your partner in the pack for a long time and now your daughter is here and she is higher than them. They are probably confused and a bit jealous maybe. It sounds like they are just trying to adjust. Unfortunately its hard when theyve had run of the house and then this little being comes along and they dont anymore. We've had a similar issue; we have 3 small children and have just got a new puppy. She see's the boys as litter mates more than higher on the pecking order than her so we've had a few issues with nipping and such. We're having a hard time trying to make her understand that human children come before furry ones. It helps we have two kids that can talk so they are learning commands and teaching her who is boss by being dominant.

Have you thought about maybe consulting a dog trainer for some tips? Theyd be able to help you with some strategies.

[nickle730]

My DH had a dog when we met. He was a stray my DH had picked up when the dog was about 6-8 months old and the dog had obviously been abused. He had a myriad of behavioural issues, which I tolerated until we had kids.

I first started to not cope with the dog when I went on maternity leave and so I was home a lot more. Perhaps because I was pregnant, the dogs behavioural issues seemed to become more pronounced. The neighbours started complained about his incessant whining and barking (they had complained since shortly after we moved in). We couldn't have people over because he would bark if we put him outside and scratch at the door (he destroyed 3 doors ). If we let him inside he would jump up. If my DH or I showed affection for each other the dog would move in between us. He had to sleep inside at night (otherwise he would bark, whine and scratch...) and he would sleep in between my DH and I, much to my disgust. He was a large dog, maybe wolfhound?(Not sure how we ever made babies!! ) He had a whole lot of other issues, such as taking food if it wasn't up in a high cupboard and racing at you when you were walking around the house then stopping dead in front of you so that you would trip over him.

My husband provided him with plenty of exercise each day and he had a pretty big yard to play in with lots of toys and chews. The dog was not bored. We took him to the vet, tried a citronella collar for the barking, put him on Valium and paid Barkbusters hundreds of dollars. Nothing worked. At all.

When we brought DD home, I couldn't cope with the dog. I had to have him inside (the barking, the neighbours!) and he drove me NUTS. All his behavioural problems were compounded by the fact that I was also caring for a baby. He was quite protective of DD and would rush at anyone who came near her. He was never aggressive, but who would trust a big dog around an infant?? I used to go out, leave the house, purely to get away from the dog.

I had told my husband many times that the dog had to go. I couldn't live with him, but DH loved the dog and had the attitude that 'a pet is forever'. That was all well and good for DH who was at work all day!! It came to a head when I was pregnant with my DS. The dog had been particularly badly behaved and I had put him outside. We had just received another letter from a neighbour and the council had been on the doorstep. The dog was barking and barking and barking.... at NOTHING. So, I found myself 28 weeks pregnant, with a 2 year old inside, chasing the dog around the yard... knowing absolutely that if I caught him I would kill him with my bare hands. I was shocked at myself. Thankfully, I didn't catch the dog. I packed up my DD, went to my mum's and told my DH that either the dog went or I did.

We tried EVERYTHING. Barkbusters said that there was nothing else they could do and suggested rehoming the dog, but couldn't suggest what sort of home he would be suitable for (he chased farm animals!). The vet told us that a pet should bring joy to a family not stress, anger and resentment. The vet suggested that the dog should be put down. Ultimately, when my DS was 3 weeks old, my husband took the dog to the vet and had him put to sleep. My husband was devastated, I felt like the worst wife in the world to tell my husband he had to put down his beloved dog. 3 months later, my husband said to me, 'It's so peaceful. I didn't realise how much stress the dog caused.'

A lot of people were disgusted that we had put the dog down. My MIL went berserk. But anyone who spent an hour in our home, even devout animal lovers, understood why we had no other option.

So, the short answer to your question (although it took me a long time to get here!!) is yes, we had our dog put down because of our concerns for our children. Concern for their physical safety around an unpredictable big dog, and concern for what type of stressed, unhappy household we would be raising our children in. Some people judged us, but they weren't living in our house.

I don't know how old your baby is, and I don't know the personality or behaviour of your pets. I do know that I wouldn't trust any dog around a baby, infant or small child. If you have concerns I believe you should act on them, even if that just means sending your dogs to stay somewhere else for a while. I know some people would adamantly disagree with me, but IMO your human children must always come before your pets.

Sorry for such a long post I still feel angry and upset when I think about it!!

[YoYo]

Some things I learned over the years with regards to making sure that you dogs respect you as the 'pack leader' is to only acknowledge them on YOUR TERMS...not theirs. If you don't want to pat them, don't....if THEY want you to pat them and shove themselves on you, and you don't want to, then turn your back and walk away from them. Dogs don't speak english, they speak DOG....so it's about body language. The tiniest things, like making sure you eat before they do, only paying attention when it's instigated by you, using more body language than words to correct behaviours can really help. I guess have them know basic commands too like sit, drop etc helps.

My Dog also had free reign on the house, and he continued to once DS was born. Charlie is happy with attention, but also happy without attention, and I think that is the key.

Luckily having two of them means at least they have eachothers company.

I read a book called 'The Dog Listener' by Jan Fennel which I really liked the approach of too.