To have four large dogs in the home with my family?

[fallingdownasteepsteadyslope]

We have 5 children. Wasn't particularly planned as we have two sets of twins. Our oldest two are 9, the middle child is 7 and the youngest two are 4. We have four large dogs (three are what we consider giant breed).
Our 7yr old has made friends with a new girl in the class. We invited her over for a playdate but new girl's mother is refusing to let her come due to our 'big beastly dogs'. She's seen all of them as we take them on dog walks. She then said I was irresponsible to 'have so many dogs and so many children because one of the children will get bit eventually'. It set me off thinking, if you saw me in the street, would you think I was ridiculously irresponsible and 'a inadequate mother'? BTW, this mother has four dogs of her own, three cockerpoos and a cav.

Sorry I've not read the whole thread, but I wouldn't think your were irresponsible. As long as your children and dogs are well cared for I don't see a problem. I'd love to have 4 dogs and 5 children actually (I've just got 1 of each!).

I like dogs, had them growing up, including an old english sheep dog. But in the unlikely event that a normally soft dog turned aggressive, I would need to know that it could be overpowered by a human. I don't think I could stop a st bernard from attacking in the same way I could a westie.

But she was rude.

OP your home sounds like heaven !!

Dogs kill. They can do this in the wrong hands, just look at the reports
People therefore can be terrified of dogs.

If this was a thread about someone afraid of dogs then you might by some stretch of the imagination have a point.

BUT IT ISN'T the parent in question has 4 dogs as well, she is just being judgemental, oh kinda like yourself.

Cows kill people every year maybe you could start a threaad about how awful they are too and stop repeating youself ad nauseum about something that doesnt concern you as you clearly dont have a dog so no pet hair to clean up, no walks to do and no vet bills.

Just what is your actual point? As from every post you have put up about dogs there just doesnt seem to be one except "I hate dogs so nobody else should have them"

When I picked my daughter up from a friends - I found her and her friend rolling on the floor with 2 staffs - all just playing but she never went back. At least your daughters friends mum has been honest. I wasn't honest I just never let her go back. Years later the mum doesn't speak to me but I thought she was utterly irresponsible.

I think she's crazy judging you for having 4 dogs when she has 4 dogs?!!! Until recently I had 3 dogs, 2 big & 1 medium, I've had loads of kids over to my house to play over the years including a little girl who was afraid of dogs so I locked them in the kitchen whilst she was with us. One of my best friends is scared of dogs & I don't think she's ever seen mine as I just keep them out of the way when she comes over. It's quite easy to make small adjustments to make sure everyone is comfortable if you just communicate?!!!

"I would need to know that it could be overpowered by a human. I don't think I could stop a st bernard from attacking in the same way I could a westie"

I've pointed this out on other threads (don't think it was to you, though it could have been, I forget usernames) but if overpowering a dog in an attack is a consideration, chihuahuas are about the only breed suitable to be pets.

In theory a small dog is easier to overpower than a large one, but in practise you're talking about the difference between stopping a moving car or a bus, yep one is easier than the other, but you're not going to manage either if they're going full pelt.

user1489261248

Maybe you should read ops posts about where the dogs would have been, how she would have been happy for the other parent to come over and see the set up, you know the other parent who has 4 dogs off her own. How much time and money she has spent on training her dogs, how big her house and land is etc. She wasnt planning on throwing the child in a room full of dogs and shutting the door.

Oh and advance search Havana and see how her opinions have upset people with her rants about dogs. Its like listening to a stuck record. She doesnt like them, fine, but she goes on and on stating the bleeding obvious and her 'views on all dogs being 'killers'' ad nauseum.

OP your set up sounds wonderful and the other woman is mad not to have come around and met all your dogs and had a wander around your gorgeous sounding house and land. I would have been round to you like a shot !

Havana is just bloody odd

BTW OP
I would be round like a shot. Your place sounds fab.
I love big dogs, had a gorgeous GSD many moons ago before they bred the breed out of all recognition. Not keen on small yappy ones (and have only ever know small dogs that are yappy )

Update on child and dogs. Had to take 7 year old to dog training with me today. She was really uncomfortable. The only dog she wasn't scared of? Our own bloody enormous hound!
This woman was rude. But some children are nervous around dogs. Even when they live with them!
My solution would be to ask to take mine and yours (dogs not kids) for a romp in the fields whilst the kids played. Wolfiedog does love to play!

Of course you are not irresponsible. If we had the time and space I would have lots of rescue dogs.

Some people are just weird and dislike animals. Their loss.

It set me off thinking, if you saw me in the street, would you think I was ridiculously irresponsible and 'a inadequate mother.

I would wonder why on earth you would choose to have such a busy household. I have four kids and a fish, the thought of five kids and four giant dogs makes me want a lie down. All the poo for one thing!
I don't 'get' pets though I love animals in their natural environments I enjoy seeing dogs running around in a field or on a beach, I have no desire to have one in my house.

miaow totally agree with you. Larger dogs tend to be better trained too as they can't get away with some things that smaller dogs can such as jumping up.

I don't understand the posters asking why anyone would have 4 large dogs. How many people have even one dog for a practical reason - you have a dog because you want a dog, ditto for four of 'em. You have the space for them so it's no-one else's business. Weird that the other mother also has 4....

I'd be quite happy to send my child to your house - assuming you aren't secretly harbouring the canine equivalent of an axe murderer! I'd possibly want to meet you and your dogs first but TBH when mine were small I'd want to meet the family of my kids friends anyway - dogs, cats, horses, orangutans nothwithstanding.

"Dogs kill. They can do this in the wrong hands, just look at the reports."

So do human beings - in larger numbers, more often and in far more cruel and inventive ways.

tabulahrasa No it wasn't me that you've said that to before!

I have to disagree. I had a collie (so a medium sized dog) and I would definitely have been able to overpower him if needed. Sure, I might get hurt, but I would win. St bernard - no chance.

If we ever get a family dog, it'll be a small breed like a papillon.

propertypriceguide no they're an ignorant gf and wouldn't suprise me if they were a pbp

have to disagree. I had a collie (so a medium sized dog) and I would definitely have been able to overpower him if needed. Sure, I might get hurt, but I would win. St bernard - no chance.

I disagree with that. Excluding any behavioural issues, I would find a St Bernard a lot easier to control than a Border Collie as their motivations are very different.

You are talking about overpowering and winning, and that's where you will not successful in trying to manage dogs.

I work with my dogs. I find what is important to them and we work with that. Some of my dogs work for food, some for toys. Our work is a big game, and my dogs enjoy what they do. My dogs are happy with their life, and actually want to be with me.

If you are trying to 'overpower' dogs, then you are absolutely going about it the wrong way, and you will end up bitten and with dogs that have behavourial issues from their treatment.

midnite I'm not trying to overpower dogs! You've taken that out of context. This is what I originally said:

I like dogs, had them growing up, including an old english sheep dog. But in the unlikely event that a normally soft dog turned aggressive, I would need to know that it could be overpowered by a human. I don't think I could stop a st bernard from attacking in the same way I could a westie.

I don't see any issue with well cared for dogs and it wouldn't stop me letting my daughter come and play - absolutely not. Personally I don't really approve of big families though, even if you can afford one. I wonder what kind of world the next generation are going to inherit! Population growth is going to become a serious problem, are two to replace the parents not enough? I wish people would give this more consideration.

@Hiphopfrog, I wasn't asking for your views on my family. In case you didn't read the OP, I have two sets of twins so didn't ultimately make the decision to have five children, but I DO and I love every minute of it!
I agree that we never know when a dog will turn but we have rules and boundaries for a reason.

Shamelessly lurking in the hope of pics of big dogs!