OT- Anyone Have NO Dog/Pets?

[EchoMom]

I'm seriously, seriously considering rehoming my dog. It's been a stressful consideration for 2 years now and we're still having the same talk about wanting to get rid of him, but being afraid/sad to make the final step to do it.

The reasons are numerous and too long to go into here.
My concern is for my DS. I hate the idea of him having no dog, he's 18 months and LOVES dogs.

What I want to know is from people who have zero pets or dogs in their homes. Do you love it? Are your kids missing out? Please I'd love to hear about this.

[Sprouts]

I had a dog, a really cute ****apoo...I do miss him, but then i remember..........he would bark at any sound outside, anyone coming in he would bark, he would pee when too excited....my husband is not really a dog lover so that made it even worse, we were always stressed with the dog..stressed with each other....I had my second child and the constant barking made nap time harder. We gave him to a nice older single man...he takes great care of him, the man even lost 30 pounds because he walks with him everywhere....so while I do miss the dog, and know that my son would have loved him...its a releif to not have the added stress.....

good luck

[Sprouts]

Oh but we did agree that when the kids are old enough and responsible enough to walk a dog on their own, then we would discuss it in the future!

[Patches]

I don't have time for pets right now, so I don't have any. It would not be fair to bring home an animal that I can't care for properly. My DS wants a dog really bad, but a dog is not a toy and I don't think he's ready for the responsibility.

[mamac]

I had a dog when my first ds was born. He was a 13 1/2 yr old large breed mutt. Very protective of the baby. Would sleep next to his crib at night and alert us to any noise ds made. Unfortunately, he had some inoperable tumors and had to be euthanized when my son was about 8 months old. That was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do.

I immediately knew that I wanted to get another dog at some point in my children's lives. (If it wasn't for already having a child I would have gotten one right away.) Right now they are 5 1/2 and 3 and I feel that the time commitment to raising a puppy and caring for a dog would take away from the time I have to really spend with my children while they are young. They both love dogs and have spent time in DC with one. Sure, if I asked them if they wanted a puppy they would say yes. What kid wouldn't? They have no idea what the responsibilities are to caring for a dog.

Every once in a while we will stop at the pet store to visit the animals there and that seems to make them happy and they get their puppy-petting time. Then we go home and do what we want without having to worry about not being able to spend an entire day at the park or staying in NYC until almost midnight, riding a petty cab for the first time and sleeping on the train on the way home. We don't have to worry a dog that is locked up in a house all day while we are out having fun.

Initially, I wanted another dog because I missed my old friend. He was my first "baby". Now my two boys are much more important to me than an animal companion. I have decided now to wait until they are at least a few years older and maybe even let them decide the pros and cons to owning a dog.

If this is a source of stress for you and your family, I say let the dog go. Your son may ask about the dog for a little while, but he is still so young at this point so it probably won't be a huge deal to him. And if it is causing you stress, then he probably senses that as well. I think if you are able to spend more quality time with your son without the "hassle" of also raising a dog, he will remember that much longer than a dog that he once had as a very young child. I don't think my kids are missing out one bit by being a pet-less home. There are always plenty of opportunities to visit animals elsewhere.

HTH. Good luck with your decision.

[blandino]

I have two dogs, that I adore. But sometimes I lightly consider getting rid of them. I wouldn't actually ever do it. But my time is so divided that I feel like I can't give them all the attention they used to get (they still get more than a lot of dogs- but the time just isn't there for me to give them what I used to.) Plus, at the end of the day I want my personal space, and some time to myself - and that is when I feel like I am being unfair to them. But I have had kiddos in my face all day and am ready to relax alone for a while.

So I sympathize, I really do.

[EchoMom]

Thanks for the responses so far. It really helps to know what 'the other side' looks like, as I grew up in a dog household and always thought I MUST have a dog.

But... things change...

I have a hound dog.

He rips up dirty diapers every chance he gets. Now he's started peeing next to them too. Yesterday I found 4 ripped up diapers, one in every room, and 9 places he'd sprayed urine around the house. It was nightmare, the worst thing I can imagine (well, not literally).

Tonight he did it again, one ripped up diaper and one p*ss puddle. (Yes, he's neutered). He's been ripping up diapers for a long time, but now it's escalated to the peeing too.

He is constantly in the trash, on the counters, stealing DS's food. He's EXCELLENT with kids, SUPER safe with DS, but doesn't really like DS and just tries to get away even though DS 18 months is the only one who really likes him anymore.

The dog humps my mom's dog CONSTANTLY if he's in the yard with her. It's DISGUSTING and OBSESSIVE. He escapes from the yard and I have to go find him AT LEAST once a month.

He chews up my wooden toys.

He scratches at the front door when he wants in and makes it look awful.

He's got OCD and has ripped through almost every piece of furniture we have.

He has digestive issues and vomits in the house FREQUENTLY.

My husband helps very very little with him, it's all on me.

I have lost 99% of all the affection and bond I used to have for him, back when the dog was my baby and I ADORED him for the first 3 years. But now I'm fed up and have been considering getting rid of him ever since DS was born. But now the behaviors keep escalating...

Because of his behavior and because of daycare he is crated the majority of the day, not the kind of dog owner I ever wanted to be.

He's 5 years old and we've had him since he was a puppy. He's an evil genius, extremely smart dog, worked with him alot before I had DS, excellent at dog parks, knows numerous interesting tricks.

But I don't take giving up a pet lightly...

[Lucy]

No pets here. I used to have a cat, but she either ran away or got hit by a car several years ago. I have no kids at home either - well, besides the DC kids. Two out of six of them have no pets at home either. Nobody is missing anything.

[brittburk]

I have two dogs, a weimaraner and a beagle mix. As crazy as they drive me I could never get rid of them. My daughter (12 months) loves them. I love them. I have reached the point twice where I screamed to my husband to find them another home and actually posted of FB that we were looking for a new home. After I cooled down though I realized we just needed to rework the situation. We chose to adopt them into a forever home and just because we brought a baby into the home didn't mean they were suddenly negotiable no matter how frustrated I'd gotten. Those dogs view us as their family and it breaks my heart thinking about how betrayed and confused they would feel if we were to rehome them. And I know my daughter would be saddened by her missing puppies.

I can tell you there are days when I long for a home free of piles of pet hair, and no litterboxes downstairs (I have two cats too), and not having to worry about animals getting into the garbage (we just bought a locking trashcan!), BUT I know I took on the extra responsibilities because I love animals and I know that there are steps I can take to make the family work all together even if there is dog hair coating the baby after she crawls around on the floor.

Now, if the dog is in any way dangerous for the kiddo/s then I agree it would be in everybody's best interested to rehome the dog. Otherwise there are definitely things that can be worked out. If you have been hesitating then definitely try to see if there are other options before rehoming that can work for you guys, its clear that you guys love your dog!

Everybody's situation is different, so do what you need to do! This is a really tough situation, I know how you feel. <3

[EchoMom]

But is it wrong or "evil" of me to get rid of a dog I already have??? I used to be SOOOOOOOOOOO self righteous and judgmental of people and the dog owners they were... Now that I'm a mom... It's a dog and it's a drain on me that I'm sick of...

[EchoMom]

its clear that you guys love your dog!

Everybody's situation is different, so do what you need to do! This is a really tough situation, I know how you feel. <3

Thanks so much for your thoughts. I really appreciate it and thanks for everyone not trashing me.

Here's the honest truth though... I'm pretty sure we don't love him anymore... But we once did, VERY MUCH. So it's like, no, I don't love him anymore, I know I don't want him, I do now think he's just a dog, he's not a human, he's not a child, he's not as important as my DS and family and not even as important as the daycare because that is what supports my family. But I also don't think he's trash, disposable, or doesn't have value. I still want him to have a good life and not be hurt.

But he doesn't really think all that about us, or he wouldn't have a p*ss fest all over the house/my business! (Yes, I know he's not capable of thinking of that).

[brittburk]

After reading your other posts I suggest seeing if you can't get a trainer in there to help both you and the dog. It sounds like he's probably gained some habits since your baby arrived.

I also suggest the locking trashcans by simplehuman. My dogs also ate diapers. :| So. Gross. So far we've had no diaper/chicken bone/cat poop eating incidents. *knock on wood*

But it sounds like a lot of those issues could be solved by getting some training in and sometimes the best way to do this is to seek some outside help for initial pointers and tips, they can really see areas that need work and offer an outsider's perspective.

It will take some extra time and dedication but you could do it. You could also get your kiddo involved by letting them give treats for good behavior (as long as your dog is gentle enough). Also, what is the dog's exercise like? Sometimes just getting out for a nice long walk on a daily basis can be a major, major help, especially since he has had some crate time lately. I'm sure the dog is also picking up on your anger/frustration and it can actually cause the behavior to worsen because he could be feeling stressed, so just be aware of that too.

I don't know its possible to stop loving your pet, but I do think it is entirely possible to have that love so crammed down and smashed by all the terrible things your pet has done that you totally forget it. Trust me, been there. But regardless, definitely doesn't make you a bad person if you don't love him anymore, it happens and sometimes pets do need a new home because its healthier and happier for everybody involved.

And hounds are notorious for following their noses and instincts when it comes to eating terrible things and peeing on stuff. Ugh! Its those ancient hunting and territory instincts coming out that makes them great hunting dogs. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you. It just means he's a pain in the ass. Both of my dogs are 'hunting dogs' and oh boy...just oh boy.

Otherwise, I know you don't want him thrown out like trash, so consider advertising that you are looking to rehome your dog and actually interview people instead of just dropping at the shelter. That way you can meet the people and know that they are going to a good place. I am pretty positive that petfinder.com will let you advertise your pet for adoption.

Oh, good luck lady. I hope the best for your family and your pup!

[Sunnyyy1]

I have 2 dogs a 5 yr old Boxer and a 11 month old Min Pin, they both are my husbands and daughters responsibility, I use to love when we had no pets, I already had way too much responsibility...when we got the boxer I didn't mind so much but then they brought the Min Pin home.... I am not much on dogs but I live with 2 people who wouldn't have it any other way. My daughter would have a fit if we got rid of either dog so for now I have to live with it. Do what you fill is right for you.

[jenn]

We have a cat and a fish. They are like members of our family. I love that the daycare kids are around animals here, so that I can teach them how treat and respect animals. Most of them have pets at home and it is amazing how some of them are not taught how to treat them.

As for your situation, you have to do what is best for your family and for your pet. Good luck with your decision.

[Starburst]

Have you ever tried to see if your area has any "doggie daycares" that are open during your business hours sometimes they also help with house/obiedience training.

The provider I used to work for had a black lab and everyone LOVED her. She was very well trained and if the kids dropped food on the daycare floor she ate it right up (less sweeping time) and she just roamed around the daycare loved being petted and didn't mind being pulled on much (though we still didn't allow kids to do that). And she was a total mama's girl. I used to dog sit her and she would be really clingy if she couldn't find my boss. We always said it was a good thing her human mama worked from home because she would be a total wreak. The provider's daughter had the dog's mama and they found homes for all the puppies and I guess after like 8 years one of the puppy mamas had to try to find either find a new home or a doggy daycare for her dog because she got a new job out of the house and her dog kept wrecking the house and having accidents .