DH wants to get rid of our puppy!!

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Long story so please bear with me...

Puppy is actually one year old GSD, who is absolutely lovely. She has so many positives including being a genuine sweetheart and cuddling up to me when I'm feeling low, I love her, pretty much do everything including feeding, grooming etc. DH takes her on long walks which he seems to enjoy!

Problem being she has started to blow her coat and it is irritating DH no end, he's constantly moaning about all the hair even though I'm trying to brush her and keep the house clean. She is also at times quite naughty, nipping and chewing on all manner of items! She can jump the baby gates to stop her getting up the stairs and just generally trashes the place!

He's said a few times over the last week that we've made a mistake and wants to get rid of her!

Im also 8 weeks pregnant and he is using the new baby as an excuse that there will be hair everywhere when baby arrives. I hate people who get rid of dogs because their pregnant and would never be that person!

I think he's being very unreasonable to expect me to get rid of her and I won't even discuss it with him, I just tell him she is not going end of!! He tells me I'm BU! What does everyone think?

Well firstly your DH is an utter cockwomble. I'd know who I'd be getting rid of.... I don't think I could ever respect my DH again if he wanted to get rid of a living creature he supposedly loves to avoid extra hoovering.

As @wolfiefan says, by 1 year old, this isn't the behaviour of a well trained dog, you should look at further training. Has the dog been spayed?

So you're shut in the house for 12+ hours a day and your dog has such bad separation anxiety that is cant cope being the other side of a gate, where it can see and smell you? And you couldn't do any basic training to lessen that anxiety, or give your dog some toys to keep it occupied.

And your toddler is so high energy that you can't possibly leave the house to go to a park for a run around combined with a walk for the dog?

You are either the most disorganised person on earth, or you were looking for any excuse to get rid of your dog

Grooming and training, not sure what you will do with the dog though.

Would it make you feel better if OP got rid of her dog daytona? She's said she's not going to.

I love the romantic happy ending dog rescue you describe - only the dog rescues we got our 2 dogs from couldn't tell a more different story - far too many dogs needing homes, not enough homes. Far too many puppy farms/backyard breeders - not enough homes.

A charity would not recommend rehoming as initial advice in ops situation. If you're going to dabble in GFery at least make it a bit less obvious. Ops baby is the size of a peanut for a start!

I can therefore totally disregard anything you say from this point as either more GFery or sheer nonsense.

I'm with your OH - poor chap!

Spare change I've no idea what your on about I'm talking about dogs over a 10 year period , all have found home eventually this situation with dogs and family's is a common problem that many rescues face.

Gah B ok I'm not arguing with you, believe what you wish.

Shoes yes rescues are bursting with dogs esp the one I helped being Staffies,

Yes I walked my dog yes I left my house what nonsense are you speaking , but when inside the home my dog spent its time depressed and miserable sat behind a dog gate. You might thing keeping a dog locked away from the family is acceptable but I'm sorry I don't and never will.

I wonder if you people keep dogs this way and are trying to justify it to yourself your dogs are happy...

OP as I said discuss it with people who understand dogs not people on a forum who by the sounds of it have no idea what right and wrong for keeping dogs.

I'm shocked to read people saying it's ok young children and dogs mix

That is the most irresponsible thing ever, and how so many children end up hospitalised each year from dog bites and attacks.

Daytona I'm sorry to burst your bubble but toddlers most certainly CAN be taught not to hurt or annoy the family pet. We were always gentle when stroking/grooming/playing with our dog and DD got a firm "No!" if she was ever even accidentally about to hurt or annoy him.

Obviously even the best and most trusted dog shouldn't be alone with a baby/toddler but blimey, that's not difficult with playpens/stairgates for the short time when you're on the loo/answering the door/hanging washing out. Making out that people who have dogs and children together are somehow irresponsible, and that all our dogs have been miserable - sorry, not true.

Anyway, sorry OP - back to your dilemma now.

Young children or toddlers and dogs don't mix if they aren't closely supervised. They can absolutely share a home together if the adults in the house are responsible.

My dog's happy - I don't keep him away from the children. He's a ridiculous softie.

I know not all dogs are like this - but to try and make out the millions of homes with children and dogs co-habiting happily are somehow keeping unhappy dogs in misery is ridiculous.

Daytona "Also many people think they won't be like that, but untill you have the child you won't understand how your life changes and how little time you will have for your dog also the stress you will feeltrying to make sure baby/toddler is never left alone with the dog"

Lots and lots of people have dogs and then have children and it works out perfectly well. I'm sorry you weren't able to cope with it but please don't make out it's a universal truth that you can't raise a child happily in a home with a dog in it because it's patently bollocks.

I never found it necessary to keep our dogs away from our children - even from birth. They have to learn to get along with each other =, and that will only happen if they are allowed to get to know each other - under close and careful supervision, obviously.

And if you feel that you wouldn't want a dog or cat around a very young child - don't get a pet to fill your time until you choose to have a family.

Animals should not be treated like commodities.

Oh this gets better! So not only was it a rescue with a 100% successful rehoming rate, with no dogs left stuck in rescue, but it was a Staffie rescue? What a pile of steaming crap

I used to do assessment fosters for a Staffie rescue, and most dogs would go to their homes as foster-with-a-view to adopt because it was so well-known that many rehomings don't work. Battersea, Dogs Trust, RSPCA - none of them have more than a 60-70% success rate in a good month despite a lot of background checks

Oh, and the Staffie I rehomed through the rescue went on to be a Pets as Therapy dog who started work at the age of 5 and stopped at about 10/11. Mixed delightfully well with small children and toddlers to the point of having certificates to prove it
But I'm clearly not as lazy a dog owner as you were

Of course dogs and toddlers can mix safely, with the correct setup, training and supervision. You don't leave them alone, you get the dog used to any new gate arrangements in advance, you give the dog a safe space to retreat to and most of all you don't allow the child to torment the dog - and that's just the same as teaching the child not to knock over the tv, or bang the windows. You get up off your bum, and you make it happen, you distract, you keep repeating it and you always praise the dog and the child for showing good, gentle, tolerant behaviour. It's not easy, but since when was anything worth doing easy?

OP, you really need to step up. Dogs are not items of furniture that you buy to decorate your home.
I raised my children with my dogs and my breed are working terriers. My kids had their friends visiting. I could do that with confidence as all my dogs are obedience trained, trained to be soft mouthed on command, and will hand over anything.

OP, you and your husband are typical, average dog owners who want a dog, and go and buy one based on looks and what you want, without doing any real research.
GSD's are prone to separation anxiety. They need intensive training. They are a working breed. Neither of you is being fair on this dog. If you dont train her now, she is a high risk for biting in the near future. Separation anxiety turns into possessiveness very easily, and dogs dont understand babies are tiny humans..

See a trainer that understands the breed and do the work. Not a titbits and positive only trainer, a proper balanced trainer that works their dogs and competes in obediance. And hire a dog walker.

If your dog will allow it, vacuuming the dog pays dividends. I have 2 long haired dogs, yes you do get, and mud, and lots of love, and excersise, and company. Try and keep the dog if possible, I always tell dog novices who ask me, having a dog is like having a baby, without the napppies and the cot, but its a big comittment. Theres always a Chinese Crested hairless dog!!