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).

There may be Snow. I am not really involved in the dog side - mainly the cats and there is not such high demand for those outside Hungary.

Some of the vet students here set up their own charity taking dogs to new homes in Scandinavia - mainly Norway. The have found homes for hundreds :) Pedigrees are expensive there and lots of people do want to save a life as opposed to buying a puppy. The shelter animals are neutered, health checked, vaccinated so much better than buying off a backyard breeder.

I guess you have to ask why does anyone want a shelter animal? To save a life maybe :) I hope :) The cost of a shelter cat is way less than a breeder and less than a 'free' kitten as they have their checks, de-flead, vaccinated etc. Older shelter cats are neutered too which is a big expense ticked off.

I would also like to know why in some countries there is not such a huge stray problem as we need to be copying the attitudes here and in the UK

I have read this thread like :( and !

Op you and your Dh are unbelievably lazy. Its shocking!

If you have another dc...will you not take the older obey to school because younger one is ill? No! You just get the fuck on with it!

I used to manage a fecking shetland pony and a pram for walks, and it was bloody lovely just strolling around with pony and ds clearing my head!

I am amazed at your selfishness .

Why can't dh have baby whilst you walk the poor things?

Do the kindest thing and get off your arses and walk your dogs - i bet it would solve most, if not all your problems! If you can't do that then have them pts .They will be unlikely to find a good hone especially as you couldn't be arses to trait then in the first place!

Shocking just shocking :(

No-one has said the child doesn't come first. What they have said is the owner needs to be responsible and not shove the cost and heartbreak onto someone elses shoulders. There was no indication from OP that the dogs were a danger to the baby - just that she could not be bothered with them after 9 years of them unconditionally loving her.

The big deal is they almost certainly cannot be Happy. A lot of dogs in UK shelters are ending their life in pain and misery - confused and unhappy after being turfed out of their home, before being PTS. Who do you think pays for the shelter? Not the person that's abandoning the dog that's for sure. Resouces are infinate, tough decisions are made, healthy animals are put to sleep. Have you ever taken a life? Every time you do it it hurts, even when that animal is dying or sick. Do you think its a small deal for vets - who trained 5 or 6 years in vet school and swore to save lives - to kill these healthy animals who wag their tail and lick their hand as the needle goes in? Some vets do get traumatised by putting to sleep healthy animals who have owners that just don't care. There is a loss all over society when animals are treated as disposable.

aggg - I meant of course that resources are NOT infinate. I am tired and need my bed!

Have you tried head collars for them? Have a look at gentle leaders/halti head collars. That should limit the pulling problem if you haven't got the time to commit to lead training right now. Incentivise putting the head collars on with a tasty treat (they really won't mind once they realise that wearing them means they are going for a walk), take buggy downstairs, then go back for dogs. Spin them round to the local park for some off-lead time. I imagine they will feel less stressed if they have a quick walk every day, then you can start reintroducing them to DD and reassess the situation in light of this.

The op said that the dogs (or one of them) has growled at her baby. This would be enough for me. I appreciate that dogs are loved family members to a lot of people and that is must be terrible for a vet to put to sleep an animal that is perfectly healthy but unwanted. However, despite this, I would rehome a dog in a heartbeat if it growled at my child and I considered it a potential threat. So many people humanise dogs. They do not sit in kennels thinking "oh no, where are my family? why have they left me here? why don't they love me any more?What will happen to me? I'm so scared!"
There are many shelters that take dogs and will not put them to sleep if they are healthy. A dog can be responsibly rehomed. Even if it's heartbreaking for the owner, if it's the right thing to do for their family at the time, they shouldn't be made to feel like a monster if they choose to rehome. The people who are lazy and cruel are the ones who dump their pets on the roadside.

Happy The ops dogs associate her ddi with a negative change in routine.

Wold you not be pissed if your mum shunned you for something else?

The op has made no effort to make apositive association and they no.longer get walked. Its no bloody life for a dog. Laziness is the word for this!

Regular walks and some positive training and all problems will be gone!

Re the growling. An older dog might have eyesight or hearing issues.
Possibly painful joints so a bit more wary of being approached by a baby (especially if the baby has previously slapped or grabbed the dog, as babies are apt to do,. They're babies).

I'm of the view that an animal you take on is your responsibility til the end.
Whether that's the end of it's natural life or if you sell it (like in the case of a horse, selling it if it's outgrown or if you are not giving it the care it needs). But you need to ensure it's the correct home.

Unfortunately, Rescues vary alot.
They shouldn't be seen as a retirement home.
They should be a stepping stone to find them a new home.

And 2 older, paired dogs who don't walk well on-lead....

As has been pointed out before, there aren't people falling over themselves to take them on. Especially with health issues more likely. I doubt you could get insurance.

If you can't keep them toughdecision don't just rehome them wherever you can send them to.

Erm, no offence, but the op is NOT the dog's mother. That's what I mean by humanising dogs. However, I do understand and appreciate that the dog associates the baby with a change in it's normal routine. I also agree that dogs need and to, and must be walked every day. But I hardly think it's the crime of the century to consider rehoming a dog if your circumstances change. I rehomed my cat when my first child was around 7 months old (various reasons). So shoot me.

Could you possibly get someone to do walking duties in exchange for babysitting?

Maybe another mum who knows about dogs?

When I was a mothers help (bit like an au-pair but not a visitor to UK), I looked after a dog as part of my house duties.
There were sometimes visiting family. Some days I took four children under 8 yo to the park with the dog.
One child in a buggy.
The dog was a large breed, but admittedly well behaved which made things easier.
But still a responsibility as none of them was mine.

There is no excuse for not walking your dogs at least once a day. It is cruel.

Even if you plan to rehome them, please take them out in the meantime, until they go, poor things.

This sounds backwards as i absolutely love my dogs and indeed all dogs

But rather than risking rehoming them you should do the kindest thing and take them yourself to be PTS

I had a barney at some woman not long ago who said she wanted to rehome her dog before it got too old and died or had to be pts and that it would devastate her kids.
So she wanted to shovel the problem and the heartbreak and expense onto someone else?!

Poor dogs, given you most of their lives worth of love and now are going to be thrown away.. and they only act a certain way with your DD because there's something you as the owner have or haven't done.
Walking them will stop them being so stressed.

I feel :( and on behalf of your dogs

OMG i can't believe threads like this, my sister has a rescue Shih Tzu

I got this off a rescue site for them

Dog Temperament
The spunky but sweet Shih Tzu is both a gentle lap dog and a vivacious companion. He has an upbeat attitude and loves to play and romp. He is affectionate to his family and good with children. He is surprisingly tough and does have a stubborn streak.
Shih Tzu Dog Care
Despite his small size, the Shih Tzu needs daily exercise. He does not do well in hot humid weather, and he should never be expected to live outdoors. His luxurious coat needs brushing or combing every other day; puppies should be taught to accept grooming from a young age. Pets may be clipped.
Shih Tzu Dog Health
Life span: 11-14 years

Poor wee sods deserve better they are amazing wee dogs very intelligent sop pick a treat that'll work to stop the stubborn streak and turn this situation around

On these kinds of threads you will always get people who jump up on their little soap boxes and spout. Generally because they are the kind of people who have bought a dog without giving any consideration to the hundreds and hundreds of dogs who are being "put to sleep" (such a nice way of saying it!) because nobody wants them. Thet always have a reason. They are always pathetic reasons.

If you choose to take on a dog then you take that dog on without having the "back up" in your head that if you decide to breed that you will then fuck the dog off like a piece of unwanted shit that has become a problem.

There are very very few excuses that make it "OK" to toss off something that has been part of the 'family' for a time just because it is EASIER to throw it away rather than explore and deal with the simple solutions that are presented. It is SO easy to waffle and whine about a growl a snap a fucking look in the eye of a dog and the easiest answer is, well of course, BIN IT, get rid of the animal, let someone else deal with the choices you made.

Disgusting. I would be ashamed.

No, I can't speak as well as lots of the people on here can. No I don't have the big clever words that lots of people do and the ability to get across their point far better than my attempts at speaking "properly".

Well fuck me, I'm passionate about this. Your animals are not toys to play with and drop when you get bored and something better or "more important" comes along.

I'm so sad. Wish I could take them, but we have four mean cats. They will be so frightened and confused if they get shipped off to shelter. Also, not fair to refrain from walking them. Possible to hire neighbourhood teen to walk and play with these little guys?

I was worried about my dogs reaction to DD. It was difficult at first as he had to learn that he couldn't have all of our attention all of the time. But we made sure that he associated DD with good things. Now she's 17 weeks he adores her, she's part of his pack. I put her in a sling, him in a halti and go for 40min walk a day with them. DD watches him, he gets a walk, I get fresh air and the pleasure of watching him enjoy himself.

When we first came back with DD all he was doing was jumping at her, has just taken patience and positive reinforcement.

Your dogs will associate your baby with the bad changes, so of course they will growl. If you don't have the time or effort to put into making your child a positive thing for them, and helping them to adjust then let them go somewhere they'll be loved. Because, quite frankly, you don't anymore. People change when they have babies and maybe you don't have room in your heart for them anymore.

The dog has growled at your DD on several occasions? I understand why you might want to rehome your dogs.

OP (if you haven't left the thread) - your dogs are important, but not as important as your baby. None of you is happy (although I do think your OH needs to pull his finger out to look after the dogs if he wants them so much - why should it be left to you?). Also, despite some of the comments on here, Shih Tzus aren't always placid little creatures; all but one of the half dozen or so Shih Tzus I've known have been quite snappy, even though most of them were owned by experienced dog owners and all by considerate dog owners. They can have "small dog syndrome," meaning that they will try to be dominant over all members of the household using whetever methods they can. They are also not necessarily recommended as dogs that are good with children.

Despite what many people on here have said, in my experience it is rare for a UK animal rescue centre to routinely PTS (the RSPCA is a whole other issue and you should never consider asking them to help you). The Dogs Trust is excellent and will work with you to find the best solution. People will take on older dogs and pairs of dogs, as this thread has proved; you have had many offers on this thread for your dogs. Rehoming your dogs might be better for them too: they may never be able to accept your baby and could be happier with an older person/couple who will be able to give them the attention they want. You might not be able to do that now; no matter how good your intentions, your baby does come first.

I hope you can work this out and that you do keep your dogs but if that doesn't happen, the Dogs Trust is the best charity to work with. And don't forget to give them a big donation :).

Repeatedly it has been suggested that you leave dc with dh and go walk the dogs. As you've ignored this advice as far as I can see, I suggest you have bigger issues than the dogs if you cannot leave your child with their dad for 20-30 minutes.

I'm not an expert At All, but I do have a dog. She is different to your pair as she is a collie from farming stock, so bred to run and to work. On the rare occasion that I haven't worked her (illness on my behalf) I have definitely noticed a change in her behaviour the next day. She wouldn't be naughty but you can tell she is frustrated and pent up. Couldn't you give your dogs a good blow out in the park and see how their attitude is then? Haven't you got anyone who can watch the baby for an hour while you drive them to a field and let them play?

You said yourself that you fussed them a lot and that changed when you had baby - which is fair enough - but (and I'm humanising here) see it from their point I view. They had everything they needed and wanted, yn your dd comes along and they are punished and as a result of their punishment are showing bad behaviour, for which they are again punished. They have no outlet for this frustration either.

Give it a go op, because as others have said, who will rehome two nine year old dogs with a rep for pulling and growling?

Those of you saying the op obviously cares about her dogs, can you point out how.
She refuses to excersise them.
She refuses to care for them and is willing to potentially send them to their deaths in her approach to getting then "rehomed"
She has refused to pay for any more insurance.

I suspect the, frankly minor, growling incident is just another increment, or excuse for her to justify getting rid.

I knew the sling suggestion would be met with a bad back. Yet the op ban get a pram up and down stairs. I also didn't expect a response as to why someone else like her child's father could not look after her child in the evening whilst she walked her dogs.

The ops motivation for this thread is to get people to tell her she is doing the right thing by dumping her dogs. She will systematically ignore and dismiss all the good advice on here.

This woman no longer wants her dogs. I don't think it's any more complicated than that tbh.

Another thread where a supposed dog lover hasn't put the time or thought into owning an animal, and what that entails.
OP, your dogs should have been trained to walk correctly in a lead years and years ago, why didn't you bother?
They are older, grumpy, not trained properly and want to stay in a pair you say, presumably they also need a lot of grooming. Who on earth is going to want to rehome them when there are so many alternatives available?
You haven't answered all the people who suggest that a couple of times a day, you leave your DH with his daughter and take the dogs out for a walk, why is that not a possibility? Get out of bed earlier, I have friends with dogs who walk them at the ungodly hour of 6am, because they have to be on a train to work by 7.15am.
Yes, the baby comes first, but why is the choice so stark?
The shelters and mounds of PTS dogs are not created by dog-dislikers like me, I'd never own a dog. They are created by feckless and lazy dog lovers.

Oops, irritation took over.
The shelters are created by dog lovers and those who see a problem that needs a better solution than death.
They are filled to overflowing by the consequences of feckless and lazy dog owners.

InvisiblehotPinkWeasel,

I agree with everything you have said. The OP doesn't want any help, she just wants shut of the dogs. I too waited for the 'bad back' excuse as soon a sling was suggested. It always happens.

I'm glad Val isn't here any more - it's this type of thread that would get her banned!

I don't hold out any hope for these dogs. OP hasn't responded to any practical, helpful suggestion. She hasn't acknowledged the informative and correct advice given by seasoned dog owners, rescuers and behaviourists. She just wants shut.

These dogs will die. It will be a miracle if they are successfully rehomed