I Love My Dogs But...

Poop in the yard can be picked up daily or weekly. We pick up our husky/collie's poop twice a week.

Your dogs (unless aggressive) can share the yard happily with humans.

Get them out every night at least for O. walk!

I'm thinking b/c your LO is young that you feel overwhelmed.

Our dog has rarely missed a walk in 7 years since our son was born because we are committed to it and we make it happen. Usually my hubby walk the dog while my son is in the tub. That's our routine. It can work if you want it too.

Hi Tangela,

I can't make your decision for you so I'm just going to throw out some more information for you. Dogs, as long as they are well cared for, do not miss us. They miss what we provide for them. They can be lovingly cared for by others. Also, dogs can be replaced. They are wonderful creatures but there is a time and place to have them. If you want to keep them, there will be more work for you and you need to determine if the emotional attachment is worth the work and your daughter's discomfort right now. She probably will love them in a few years but do you want to wait for that?

As much as our pets are part of our family, sometimes we love our animals so much we forget they are animals. I took in a friend's cat that she had for 6 years. It didn't mesh with their new little one. I loved that cat terribly and I know my friend loved it but I really don't think she missed it. She knew the cat was taken care of. This is all about what you want to do. I don't think your decision either way will be wrong....

Regards,

M.

Hi Tangela,
Some people are so harsh.......I get your question and I don't sense you were looking to be attacked. I have felt the same way, especially now that our lil' G. has an allergy to the dogs. We have set up a nice dog run in the backyard; big dog house for both big dogs, they have a porch, and air conditioning for the summer time since the male won't get in the water. They have about half the yard so the kids can play in the other half. Even when we let the dogs run the whole yard, they seem to know to go do their business in the dog run. We do have a service clean up after the dogs. Pet Butler is the company we use. It is really hard when kids come especially when both spouses are not committed to truly caring for the pets. I love my husband, but he does not walk, bathe, cleanup pooo, or any of the like. This is overwhelming for new moms. I am glad we stuck it out since our oldest now is 5.....she LOVES them. The 4 year old is getting there but is a little more cautious. Honestly, they could be cared for more, but they are fine. They are a pet and have all their needs met......it just took some shifting around to find the right fit for us. The one thing I have noticed is when you call the SPCA or the like, the guilt trip they put on you is crazy. So trying to do the right thing is not always commended by all. I am sorry for the people here that are so rude. I have been in your place and really thought about getting rid of the dogs for about three years due to thinking they were not getting all the love we could give. But they are dogs, they are healthy and we do pay attention to them---they just live outside. Do what seems right for your family----if you think you will regret getting rid of them in a couple of years, see if there is another solution that you can come up with. I know my 5 year old is glad we did, just as we are.

We have a dog too and I have two young kids (now 2 and 4). We did have 2 dogs and 2 cats (one of each passed away) and it was a lot, but the animals did not stay in kennels all day. One daughter loves our remaining dog and other daughter is less interested in the dog. Our yard would be full of poop but we pick it up often so it's not a problem. We also brush and bathe our dog regularly. We do it because we love her and she was here before the kids were.

Why aren't they neutered? I think you should probably find a new home for them. To be honest our dogs drive me nuts and have ever since my first child was born, but we wouldn't be able to find a home for them and my boys do love them. However, they're both fixed and have a large backyard to run around in plus our basement and 2 car garage.

Don't give them to a kennel, but start looking around for loving homes for them. Once your kids are older, you can always get new dogs