Am I a bad dog owner?
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The simple answer I’m afraid is yes. You are a bad owner for this. If you can’t stand them then let them go to a home where they will be loved and get the life they deserve. Dogs are here for such a short time. I have a GSD who took some adjusting to my baby but it was down to me as his owner to put in the work. He’s now brilliant and my 10 month old adores him. Let them go to someone who wants them. They deserve more than this. It’s not always easy as a new mum to give our dogs the attention they had before the babies arrived; but you’ve only made things worse by turning their life upside down and then basically ignoring them. On a different note a bit of dog hair isn’t going to hurt your baby. It’s actually scientifically proven that babies who grow up with dogs have stronger immune systems and less allergies.
The way I see it they are fed they have water they’re good however they do deserve a bit of time inside and your baby I’m sure isn’t going to get sick it’s pretty healthy for them to build germ tolerance coming from a mother with an 8 month old and 2 German mixes. Yes I can see that being gross but if your dogs have shots and are healthy your baby will be good. Also I don’t think giving the dogs away is just an answer (the pound) it’s crazy because I’m going through the same exact thing. I just created more distance but they’re inside or go to sleep in the cage or blocked off from areas and outside I mix all day. Makes it easy to keep it clean. Living like this rather than being in the pound is a better life I always say. Try giving more treats and spending atleast a couple minutes a day of the attention to them or a walk (hard) I know. My dogs have been doing literally the same thing
Also if there’s someone who wants them that’s a good option but at 12 years old I’m sure it’s going to be hard!
No, you’re still freshly postpartum. You’re not a bad owner. Hormones are still wack and baby crying/being woken up by them is super frustrating. Our older dog started pooping in the house and acting out too, she didn’t like the baby at all. She started barking at every noise (probably trying to protect us) but it used to drive me crazy! When baby was older, we also got two more puppies (German s mixes) and I thought I was going to lose my shit every single day. There wasn’t enough space in our two bedroom apartment and I was exhausted. We eventually bought a house with some land to meet everyone’s needs. It got SO much better when everyone had more space. Having the dogs outside is totally fine, I’ve just been bringing mine in during the hottest hours and they’ve loved using it as their nap time before going back outside. It’s normal how you’re feeling and normal how they’re acting as well. Baby is still little and is top priority 100%. Now that my son is a proper toddler running…
The dogs get way more attention. We keep favorite toys, bones, etc outside for them. Also, they have each other and they’re dogs. They don’t need 24/7 human attention, they’re not humans. I’m a vegetarian so I’m a huge animal activist/lover and I still think how you’re feeling is normal! We also have chickens, ducks, other animals lol it takes a while to get a good balance going
@Jade thank you for this! We’ve had our dogs since puppies and giving them away is not an option. I guess we’ll have to accommodate our house to have them back in even if it requires extra work on our end.
@Kate thank you! I feel so bad now that the hotter days are coming so we’ll start making some changes inside the house for them. But as you said, baby is right now our 100% priority.
I understand what you feel . I am a dog mom too and very protective about my baby. Once my baby goes to sleep , I spend time with my dog and also let her sleep with us as this is also a way to bond/ spend time with us. Also I sticky teaching her to have boundaries with the baby like no licking etc. I try to get her new treats and toys and take her for walk once everyday so she feels like take. Care of and it’s my time with the dog.
taken care of *
My lab was my WORLD. I cried for the time we spent apart when I had my baby, I love her so much. But, I felt and still do feel so scared about the germs she brings into the house and so scared if she goes to lick or sniff the baby. It’s just something we have to get over. Babies and dogs have been bought up together for decades, and although I’ve found hair all over everything before, if I segregate them too much over how I’m feeling now which I’m sure is a temporary blip of feeling scared, then it’ll never get better. Face your fears, wash your baby’s hands regularly and get your doggies back to being close to you and your family 🩷
Have you tried getting a large baby pen for where baby can be and they won’t be directly around them?
I mean, yes it's bad to be neglecting them. They're going to continue to act out if you continue to neglect them. It's your responsibility as a pet owner and parent to do what's best for both. If you can't give the dogs what they need then they should be given to someone who will. Not trying to be harsh.