Adopting whilst owning dogs

[candygirl5]

Please can someone share the process of adoption whilst owning dogs please from their experience.
Thank you

We have a very bouncy (but affectionate!) medium/large size dog. We had to complete a pet assessment form, but SW were happy that no further assessment was needed as they could see they listened to commands and were good with strangers etc.

Was there anything in particular you wanted to know?

We adopted with a large breed dog. We had to get a vet report done on him.

We were told by the placing authority that they wouldn't place a child with more than one dog as that constituted a pack.

We adopted with two dogs, no issue at all. Just the pet assessment form as mentioned above.

So just a form did they meet the dogs? My dogs are friendly and I have no issue with them with a baby/a child whatsoever but they can just be a bit reactive. Obviously they would be supervised they have been amazing with my Niece and long for a child of my own.

AHH I have more than two so I don't think I'd be allowed then 😔

@candygirl5

All agencies will have different views about dogs so I wouldn't give up yet.
A couple of observations from a non dog owner who does love dogs
Ive never heard a dog owner say anything different than my dogs are friendly, there's no problem with my niece/nephews etc etc.
Its very different with a visiting child, presumably with other adults present.
What happens when you are on your own with a child and several dogs who you say are a reactive.
If you want to pursue adoption you need to have very firm plans in place for how you manage multiple dogs and a child and don't just rely on the line that my dogs are friendly.

You should also bear in mind that children can also hurt animals. Only last week I read a very sad post on another forum about a dog that had been seriously hurt by the families foster children, and the dog didn't survive. Its an aspect of animal ownership that gets overlooked

As part of the process, social workers will spend a lot of time at your home and so definitely will meet and get to know them. However we were asked at approval panel what we’d do if the dog and child didn’t get on - the expectation being that you would rehome the dog. You do need to be prepared for this to be a potential scenario.

That was one placing authority. They won't all have that rule. But I would say that adopted children and pets can be tricky. I'm glad we didn't have two. We have two now (my girls are in their mid 20s) and my younger daughter loves one of them with a passion and hates the other one. And that's horrible to see.