To rehome my dogs?

[toughdecision]

I've NCed for this and apologies in advance for the rambling nature of this post. Am trying not to dripfeed.
DD is 8 months old. My dogs are 9 years old and I've owned them since they were 8 weeks old, they are 5 months apart in age.
One of my dogs has growled and challenged my DD on a number of occasions, she's never bitten anyone before (she has mouthed me when she was a lot younger, when I was grooming her as she hates it. I don't groom her now at all, I send her to the groomers every 2 months for a short clip to keep her coat in check). I'm worried she might bite my DD although she has shown affection towards her as well at times.
I have been removing my DD when the dog has growled/challenged and locked the dogs in their sleeping area. I spoke to a behaviourist at a shelter this week and she said I shouldn't remove my DD as this is sending the wrong message to the dog, that what she is doing is okay, she says I should leave DD where she is and correct the dog's behaviour by banging 2 saucepans above her head and this will show her I'm pack leader. I tried banging a biscuit tin when the other dog was barking incessantly and she did stop but my DD was sobbing because the noise was so loud.
I'm very nervous about not removing DD as I do feel it's putting her at risk.
I'm waiting for the shelter to get back to me as I'd want them to be rehomed together as they've never been apart from each other for longer than a few hours if they are at the groomers separately or at the vets.
At the moment, they don't have much of a life. They spend a lot of time in their sleeping area because of the growling and they never get walked anymore as I can't manage them and the pushchair on my own (I have to go down steps to get out of my house and they are very unruly on the lead) and my DH doesn't feel they need to be walked as they're quite sedate breeds and he thinks they're happy [sceptical]. They used to spend all their time being fussed and loved, now they're just being told to constantly move or get in their bed.
But when I look at them, I can't imagine them not being here or with us, they've been our babies for so long.
I've talked to friends and family in RL and I'm getting very mixed opinions, they all know how we feel about them.
DH doesn't really want to rehome but feels that it's making me very stressed out (which it is) and it would take away that anxiety for me.
I really don't know what to do. I feel guilty for keeping them as their quality of life has decreased as they never get walked anymore and they confined a lot of the time but then I also feel guilty if I rehome them that I've not tried hard enough.
I also can't rehome them separately or get rid of one because they are very attached to one another, when we do take them out if one of us crosses the road before the other and they're separated, they are desparate to get to one another. They are in excellent health for their ages and although they are unruly on the lead, they are small dogs and are very affectionate and friendly (apart from the growling dog with my DD).

Geez how many mistakes did I make in my rant post.

Puts 3rd glass down

"sadly missed Valhalla" ive been away for a bit, has something happened? :(

Yep, I agree I wish Val was here! We keep going with the pug (shes a x with a king charles, pugalier) shes got all our other comands, but going to the park is just too much for them both, they love it. I excuse the beagle as shes a rescue and had a terrible life, couldnt walk on a lead when we got her. But I love them both, we all do.

Yep, the neighbours laugh at me, I stop all the time because of the pug and the beagles takes that as a sign to have a lie down, then I need to [drag] encourage her to walk! (beagle had never been walked in 8 years! as well as being beated and burnt, shes absolutely gorgeous and everyone is amazed when they see her off a lead, but she wont leave my side!)

I haven't seen Val around for a really long time but I am not a regular poster, more a regular lurker so perhaps she is around in a different name?

Val was banned Manatee

Banned? WTF for?

Sorry, snowflake, she was, but now gone. I really miss her straight talking with OPs such as this.

Putting another poster straight basically.

Christ on a bike! I have seen some bloody horrible abuse of OPs on mnet - i thought we weren't censored?

Haha dreams I am picturing you having a quick lay down in the street while pretending to be training the beagle

Friend of mine has a beagle and has just taken on a second rescue bitch only 15 weeks and she has lost a leg, 'they' don't know how, she says they are particularly hard work! I just enjoy stroking the puppy (ooh er!).

Your poor pooch, who could do that to an animal, just awful . It is lovely to have that trusting bond with a dog though isn't it. Lets hope she learns to trust again. Bless her. (Aw i've gone all nethuns xx )

The poster in question egged her on and asked for it, it is a shame as Val gave fantastic advice and is sorely missed.

What on earth was she banned for? Telling people straight? I'm shocked tbh. She was fantastically supportive towards me on a thread before I revealed too much and had to namechange.

Valhalla was a mine of useful info, and a strong advocate of animal welfare. Sadly she went too far on more than one occasion. Just because you are passionate about something doesnt mean that you need to ram it down others throats.

Passion for a cause can do that though. I can certainly empathise with that.

We`ve had her a couple of years, I cant understand how someone could do that to a dog, shes so trusting. However, shes a bugger with food, pretends that shes never fed and gives me the eyes! All I hope is that her later years are happy with us.

It is awful isn't it how anybody could do it.

I do bang on about it but the BC I took on was a terrible specimin of a dog, heartbreaking to see him. First time I took him out for a walk in public (had to use two leads AND a halti and muzzle) he was attacked by a GSD off lead. Wasn't the fault of the other dog tbf, I shouted and screamed at the owner to call her dog off as BC was terrified and therefore became aggressive but she was happy to tell me her dog was "friendly". We both lost chunks of flesh that day.

He's a happy fella on a farm in Wales now. I am waiting for the invite

I just have to say I think you're all giving the OP a hard time. Yes she should walk her dogs but to say they're better off dead?! And to claim that they are as important as your children, your babies, is just plain ridiculous. Is that what you're all claiming? They're animals ffs, of course your child's safety and well being are more important - isn't that obvious? I'm really surprised there's so much outrage about this thread. OP if your dog growls at your baby take your baby somewhere safe away from your dog and tell your dog off. It's a DOG. Seriously you lot are making me

Bottom line is OP doesn't want to walk the dogs. Doesn't care. As someone else said - she hoped mentioning the growling would have everyone up in arms and saying get rid. I hope I am not misjudging her and she isn't really depressed or something - but 2 healthy able bodied adults can't walk or train 2 tiny dogs. Come on.

I rehome a lot of cats but we have loads of dogs in the shelter too. I don't get angry any more, just get on with trying to find a new home. Thankfully we are a no kill shelter and take them all an give them a nice life as much as possible

Ah well we have all been told now. Get a dog, use it as a pretty accessory until you pop a child. When you have done that your a REAL person and you can stop caring about anything else. Feck the dog, feck the cat, stick them in a shelter and let someone else deal with it. How stupid of me to have gone wrong for so long.

Remember people, if your hamster gives you a funny look it probably wants to eat your baby. Be safe. Get rid.

I don't think anyone is saying the dog is more important AugustMoon. Simply that OP should take responsibility for her own actions by training her dogs. And yes, having them PTS by her own vet can be better than putting them in a shelter for an uncertain future. Animals have no concept of life and death. They do however understand pain and suffering. Many older animals coming into shelters get depressed - they won't eat, get sick, are PTS etc etc.

Who claimed dogs are as important as babies?

Obviously they're not but unfortunately this makes it all too easy for people to get rid of their dog rather than makes the effort to integrate dog with new baby. It is cruel to not walk a dog. From what the OP has said it sounds as if she should never have been a dog owner in the first place as one of the criteria for choosing this breed is because she thought they didn't need to leave the house, that they'd get enough exercise indoors. Madness.

The growling issue sounds like a red herring to me. The dogs are an inconvenience and no longer needed. Sad. And yes they would be better off being put down as it's highly unlikely that at their ages they'll be rehomed and even more unlikely that they'd be rehomed together.

Er August, the point is you dont get a dog and then get rid when you have a dc, thats just stupid.

Shih tzus, really? How much threat does a growling ankle dog pose to your baby if you are in the room!

Seriously, you can't walk them with the pushchair? I'd think they are more at risk of being ran over by it than you are of being pulled over by a 10-16 lb handbag dog.

Take the things for walks when your dh is in and train them to walk on the lead without pulling