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.

As others have said, I would trust your 4 over her 4, size really has no bearing on likelihood of biting. Now if you had 4 Jack Russells I might have agreed with her.

Thank you @IAmAGnu and @LakieLady. Our dogs are wonderful.
@user1489261248 She's 7 and we do live in a farmhouse with a lot of land. So, not really a problem as she wouldn't have to even see the dogs if she didn't want to.

Of course not! How judgemental, my mam has 5 in a four bed terrace. 3 pointy hounds a schnauzer and a cocker. Theres plenty room, the dogs are happy and her grandkids love going over. There's her, my dad and I have two sisters still at home.

Totally depends on the dogs. Obviously. My friends parents bred Bullmastiffs. They had 4 adults and umpteen puppies at any given time and a pet dog that was their prize winning male. So a lot of dog.

Big house and totally controlled. I can remember using my foot to move the big male out the way, I.e putting my back on the wall and shoving. He was over 16 stone I think. Totally controlled.

My neighbour has a pug that has bitten me a lot and I'll go no where near it.

Depends on the dogs and owners. Maybe invite her round for a coffee (if you can bear it) so she can see the dogs aren't running the house. Of course that will be the day they have toxic farts and squabble over a ball.

I wouldn't like to send my dd to a house with 4 large dogs. But I would have made up an excuse.

That woman was extremely rude!!

So much ignorance - here (as usual) and from her, if they're all well looked after it's absolutely fine. I had 4 dogs until very recently, 2 large, 1 medium and 1 small - the small one was the one to watch out for

If you had them all crammed in a house my size I'd think you were a bit barmy

And I must admit I'd probably want to meet you first (that's more due to my own fear of dogs, well, more a fear of irresponsible owners)

But I definitely wouldn't be judging you. If anything I'd be admiring your organisational skills 😁

Well I'd be befriending you just to come see the dogs!

If you have room, train the dogs, train the DC, and all are happy and healthy as they can be then there's no problem!

I think you're perfectly sane and she's barking (scuse the intentional pun). But it's each to their own. Just tell her not to be so damned rude.

Admittedly I speak as someone with four (soon to be six) dogs, cats, rabbits, horses... They're all well kept and well cared for and mich loved. Living and exercise quarters all suitable. Oh, and the dogs are a mix of big guard type and small yappy type - personally, as a stranger, I'd be better with the big dogs (none of them actually bites!).

Its up to you how many dogs you have. I wouldn't let my children go to your house but I wouldn't be rude about it.

If i saw you out with your kids and dogs i would think 'aw what a fab big family'. Ignore the woman, some people just dont get that a dog is as much a part of the family as anyone

My kids would be begging me to go on a playdate to your house and I would be lingering and getting slobbered on as I dropped them off

Four biggish dogs here, plus 2 foster pups at the moment ...Yes, some people think we're nuts but I really don't care. we have the space, they're all nice, people friendly dogs
My kids gradually drop the friends who don't like dogs anyway

How long does a vacuum cleaner last in your house?
You could get Hoover and Dyson to pay you to test their new models

Your dogs and lifestyle sound ideal! Tell the silly woman that her daughter is much more likely to be bitten by small dogs. With equines, ponies are generally much naughtier than horses.

2 dogs here. I would prefer my kids to visit the home of 4 well trained big dogs than 4 small, snappy, unpredictable ankle biters tbh.

Are your dogs well trained OP?

I thought you were going to say mastiffs or Rotties op.

Dd would love to come, there is a lady down the road from my mum with 2 sheepdogs and Dd adores them. I will have to come with her though, just in case she needs help with stroking them all. Next weekend?

Can I come over?!

No kids though

See I only have the one dog but she's boisterous with new people (not snappy at all) she's a rescue training is ongoing. When DD's have friends over they are kept separate, I imagine most dog owners would do the same.

I have no issues with DD's going to doggy households as long as I know and trust the parents judgement.

This thread has reminded me how much I love otterhounds.

OP, your home sounds bliss. She's jealous which is why she is being spiteful about your dogs. She didn't need to give a reason, she did because she's feeling insecure.

Unlikely to send my child round but wouldn't be rude about it either.

From comments from others here, I am not allowed to talk about dogs.

But I will.

Who will walk them twice a day and the vets bills need to be factored in.

OMG.

It's a mad proposition. But if you can do it, that's fine.

Before I am banned lol.

I'd assume that the children would be playing somewhere and the dogs would just sort of ..be there. Not all thrown in to a sealed room somewhere and told to get on with it, a la Hunger Games.

I wouldn't have a problem, but my kids have never been bothered about dogs, whatever their size. My big old lad was terrific, but my Patterdale would have to be locked up somewhere secure with kids around. And probably weighted down with chains.

I fekkin hate dog hairs everywhere and the dog smell is awful.

But I like dogs that are not my own. Is that OK

This thread is hysterical "why on earth would you want 4 big dogs??" Because they like them, of course! I often think "why on earth would you want a car that costs tens of thousands to buy", but just because I don't see the attraction doesn't mean that others are wrong for liking and buying them.

I've got three dogs, and was severely tempted by an otter hound in our local rescue recently, they're so gorgeous!

Forgot to say that if I saw you OP, so long as dogs all well behaved, I'd smile like a smiley thing on a happy day

Re the children - when our DDs were young the house would be full of children, a lot of them wanting to be with the dogs. We'd teach those that needed to learn and keep two of the littlies (stressy dogs) away from the madding crowd