Aibu to not want the dogs around now baby is here?

[Jadamba]

My parents have a Great Dane and a St Bernard. Huge dogs. GD can be boisterous and jumps around a lot. SB is more chilled out but when scared will lunge into your lap (he gets scared of silly things too like the tv turning the volume up a bit). My dd has arrived early, she is now a week old! Her due date was 20th December.
Oldest twins are 15. Then I have a 5yr old and a 3yr old. Dogs are very good around 3yr old and 5yr old. All children adore the dogs. But, neither dog was fully grown when my youngest two were little so I was never worried about the baby with them. But, I am terrified of having baby around dogs. Here's my AIBU- parents are going on holiday for fourweeks and wanted to leave dogs with me. I agreed to keep them for the first two weeks and then sister could have them for the next two weeks as I would have had baby girl by then or be in process of evicting baby. But, I am worried about having the dogs around our daughter now.
DH agrees with me but is worried about where the dogs will go.
DM told me I was being ridiculous and they wouldn't hurt a fly.
DF said in a very grave voice that it would be a problem and sister called me an overprotective idiot.

I am a dog lover and I think YANBU. The dogs will be perfectly well cared for in a kennels.

I couldn't cope with dog sitting having just given birth. Yanbu at all. They don't have to be aggressive, I'm sure they wouldn't deliberately harm a fly but big puppies like that don't know their own strength. They don't know how big they are and accidents happen.

Tell them to call a dog sitter company, or some such, or is it the 'free' aspect of you looking after their dogs that they like?

I could completely understand you not wanting the extra work of looking after two dogs, having just had a baby. I am not sure I understand why you trust them around your other DC but not the baby though. Surely a 3 year old, is at risk as much as a newborn?

I am sure I am not alone is saying fucking hell. It doesn't matter if the dogs are as quiet as lambs and a similar size - you've just had a premature baby! You can't be doing with poop scooping and walking and feeding! You've got enough on just doing that for the kids... Tell your parents that the HV says you need to rest and spend your time bonding with your baby (because you do). Their dogs, their problem (and I speak as one with dogs).

1 week early is not premature! (Not OP). Maybe the dogs could go to your sister for the first 2 weeks leaving you 2 weeks to see if you feel up to coping. I'm sure the doge wouldn't be an issue around a new baby but you on the other hand will be pretty exhausted, and may be you should give that as a (valid) excuse instead?

Or each have just one dog for the whole month? 2 big dogs are my idea of hell.

Apologies. I read that baby was a week early. In that case of course you are not being U not to have the dogs. Refuse.

Yanbu - dogsitting any dogs with a newborn is just too much! Fair enough if they're yours and part of the routine, but they're not.

To a pp, though - I've never met an aggressive great dane ever?! They're stupidly soppy things. They're just too much work to dogsit with a newborn, especially with a st bernard as well!

Do you live near to your parents house? Could your15 year olds house sit? I'm surprised they even asked you in the first place - it's a big ask for someone with 4 kids and 36+ months pregnant. Congratulations on your new baby

Kennels or sister, definitely not you.

YANBU at all, your parents and sister are! We have two Irish Wolfhounds & a rescue dog and there is no way I would have them around a baby, as they are clumsy and awkward, despite the fact they are all softies. Huge dogs need a lot of looking after and you have got your hands full. The dogs need to go to kennels or your ds should have them! Don't feel guilty, the dogs are not your problem.

Of course you can't look after these two huge dogs, you've just given birth and have 4 other children. How would you possibly cope with them. I take it you're expected to walk them? It's totally unreasonable and unworkable.

The dogs are not your problem. I have a dog, I don't want her to go into kennels so I don't go away on holiday.

Stand in front of a mirror and practice saying no in a very firm voice.

What the hell is your family thinking.

Are they generally so entitled?

A) they should not have asked any favour of you around your due date.
B) it is a MASSIVE favour

Do they generally put the dogs and having a holiday above you and your possible pregnant/have a new born baby needs? I don't mean that in 'omg the world must stop for a pg woman' but...you know, I would want to be available for my children, I would NOT be asking favours around a due date, I would be doing THEM favours and helping them out if they needed it...it all seems rather topsy turvy.

I'm guessing your parents and sister will not see it from your point of view in their own little bubble of a world. You need to put YOU and your children and new born first, not them and their needs.

I fear you will need to be rather firm with them and decisive. NOT what you need right now!

How dare they speak to you like that?!

Just because they dont want to spend any money and your sister doesnt want to do it for a month (I cant blame her but being insulting to you has lost any sympathy I had for her) doesnt give them the right to speak to you like that.

Dont discuss it. "When we made the arrangement we werent expecting DD to arrive until late in december, as she was a month early we are no longer able to have the dogs" End. Of. No discussion, no negotiation, just NO. If you are feeling helpful you could email them kennels that have vacancies for the time they are away.

In fact it might be worth ringing a few local places to see if they have space in case they come back with "You will have to have them, all the kennels are full"...which they will.

I'd say no on the principle that its too much work. I am not worried about the dogs (they dangers of dogs are vastly overstated - I think the GD would be fine) but the work level would be very high.

Congratulations on your new baby
You would definitely be right to stand your ground here - reading your story has made my blood run cold due to an accident that happened to a friend. He has a GD- lovely natured boy and so soft and soppy. However, he is 13.5 stone+ and so causes a few accidents just by his sheer size. On one occasion he accidentally stepped on their cat. Long story short, the poor moggie was so badly injured he was euthanized.

So I think your concerns are well - founded and not "nonsense".

Another one saying no way to that arrangement. You need to focus on your family at this early stage, plus you need to heal from birth (not inconsequential btw!!)

Absolutely not.

Maybe approach it by saying with a new baby you feel it will be too much to cope with - that's not unreasonable...

OP, I'm a dog lover and owner, but I wouldn't do this. Those huge dogs need a lot of exercising and with an early baby, its too much work.
Incidentally 18 years ago, my DD3 was due on 20th December and was also born 4 weeks early.I remember being exhausted.
Your mother needs to get a grip and understand

Not a chance in hell.

it's a big ask for someone with 4 kids and 36+ months pregnant

If the op's 36 months pregnant, she really has my sympathies!

Perhaps talk about how your health visitors and midwives would put you down as a concern if you were attempting to look after 2 big dogs whilst recovering from birth and looking after newborn.