Baby coming home soon.....my dog has to leave :(

smisch51

I may have to find my baby Bella a good home. My 2 year old boxer. With the baby coming home soon and with all of his health problems, having a large inside house dog isn't going to work. And I don't want to keep her cooped up in the garage all day. We live in a 2 bedroom condo. She needs a back yard and it breaks my heart having to give her up. I'm so sad that it has come to this, but I can't have Bella in the house jumping on the baby and having all the hair and germs around. So the best thing to do now for my baby and my dog is to find her a good home with a backyard. My hubby's sister might take her which is good if she does, so we can visit. I cry just thinking about it.

lstaylor73

I know that you will do what is best for your family, but please please please please don't get rid of your fur-baby!  You can make it work, but it just takes a little more work from both you and your DH.  When people ask how they can help you you can ask them to walk the dog and play with it and work on obedience with it.  Remember that when you brought the dog into your home it was for life, like your baby.  It's a part of your family and you do not need to get rid of her.  Your DH will need to step up the walking and maybe you can look into either a dog walker or doggie daycare or even more obedience training. 

We have two fur-babies, a 96lb Akita/Sheppered mix and a 65lb very hyper high energy Catahoula Leopard dog, and we have preemie twins who were 11 weeks early (one of whom came home on oxygen) and we make it work every day.  You can do this too.  Please, I'm begging you not to get rid of your other baby.  Talk to your doctors and nurses in the NICU and they will tell you that the hair and dander and "germs" and everything that goes with having a dog will not hurt your baby, in fact this will help to build their immunity to those kinds of allergens in the future.  The only thing that would make me change my mind is if you feel your dog is a danger to your baby or someone else, which I doubt or you would not have the dog.

But in the end, if you decide that you can't deal with the dog, please please please try to find a No Kill shelter to take her.  It is a shame how many animals are homeless because of the housing crisis and poor economy, please don't add to it.  Just a 45 min walk a day can make the world of difference for all of you.  It can work, I promise.

Here's a PIP of my beasties. If I can do it with special needs preemie twins then so can you.

SBMBride406

I agree with the pp. I don't know your situation, but maybe you can try it out before you get rid of Bella? If you don't want the stress of caring for both her and the baby right away, maybe someone can temporarily watch her while you adjust (or come take her for walks, etc so you don't have that responsibility)?

 Dogs are amazingly adaptable. The second we brought DS in the house, our dog knew he was part of the pack and has always been incredibly cautious and affectionate with Marino. He just sits there and lets Marino poke him in the eye, he runs over and licks the top of his head if he cries, he looks for him in the pnp if he can't find him. He was never a dog that had behavior issues, but he seemed to expect a lot more from us before Marino came...now he is more independent b/c he knows his place in the pack.

I would just see how it is with both of them before you make a decision. You don't want to wonder "what if?"...

EverAfterinMi

I agree with pp's. We have two dogs and now.. three preemies in the house. We are crowded and tired as hell but my dogs were my first babies and I'll be damned if they are going anywhere over my dead body. And they are already protective over the babies! I love them!

smisch51

Oh....no...I would never put her in a shelter. She is a VERY good dog and right now my sister in-law is watching her so we can go back and forth to the NICU each day with out worring about her.. We live in a small condo and with the baby needing dialysis 10 hrs a day for 3 years is going to be so hard. We were supposed to buy a house so our dog can have a back yard but that didn't go as planned. She's crate trained and it just breaks my heart that she doesn't have a back yard and she's stuck in the crate while we are at work all day. I can't do that to her anymore. Plus with the baby, my hubby and MIL are freaking out that she will jump on the baby or trip me like she always does. So now the time had come to find her a good home with someone I know who loves dogs. I have a few people in mind that would give her a good home.

jlc071903

Please don't get rid of Bella. Boxers are FABULOUS baby dogs, trust me I have 2! THey adore my girls, check up on them, and even will sleep in their nursery with them. THey will often time come harass me if a baby is crying and I haven't moved fast enough for them (at least in their minds). You totally need the love and support of your dog while you'll be at home with Cody and he will LOVE LOVE LOVE the companionship as he gets older...try it, really it's sooooooooooooo easy, trust me,  I have twins AND 2 boxers...our puppies were our first babies and yes the 13 weeks the girls were in teh NICU were hard on all of us (they had lots of cage time), but they adapted and have continue to give us that unconditional love boxers are so famous for.

TriciaJoy

We have a boxer and 3 cats. I was scared they were going to tell me I should get rid of them as well, but the NICU and our pedi all agreed it is BETTER to have pets than not to.

The jumping is an obedience issue that can be managed..

i realize you're in a unique situation because of the dialysis and having to be gone a lot, but dogs are so adaptable.

If you don't want to get rid of her- trust me you can make it work!

 

DebbieMc

Although I understand everyones wish that you keep Bella, I understand why you feel you can't.

Your baby is what matters now. The dog will get a good home and everyone will be happy. It's not as if you are killing her.

Good luck with your preemie!

hollyoid7

I don't have big dogs but I have 2 chihuauhuas. One of my dogs are VERY mean. He barks and will bite anyone that will try to touch him. He only goes to me and DH. We were very scared when we brought the babies home..Well JD has never barked, growled, bite, or anything to the boys. It is so weird. Sometimes he even brings his toy to the babies to throw it. It is to funny. Try it out first and see what happens...

AviatorJJ

we have a 50 lbs dog too. about the size of a boxer. we got a trainer to come to the house to show us how to train the dog to be nice and polite around the baby. the hair and germs have NEVER been a problem. it's not like your dog is going to give your baby RSV. my son has asthma but the dr's don't think the dog has anything to do with that and having dog and cat hair in the house never bothered my son's health. if anything having a dog/cat around can make kids not get allergies later in life to animals.

you're right though larger dogs do need to be exercised. can you just take her for more walks? or hire a dog walker?

im so glad we kept Gus cause he and Rowen are best buddies now. they play together and everything.