My heart is breaking over having to give up my dog.?

Question

I have 2 dogs. one is a beagle the other one is a husky mix. . But now at a baby into the mix. it is absolutly hell. my baby is now 7 months old but it has been hell having her and the dogs. they are now more trouble then they are worth it seems. when the baby wasent here they were my babies . they are always barking expeccially when i am trying to get her down for a nap. the beagle is the biggest problem for me. a few times i have reached down at his food bowl while he was eating to see what he would do and he has snapped. . i just feel like all this dealing with the animals is stessing me out and taking time from my baby. i really love these dogs but feel i need to get rid of the beagle. i just cant bare to think if he goes to an abbusive home or what if he really misses his family and dosent adjust to his new one. i love my daughter more than anything and want whats best for her. i think i want to keep the husky she is less of a problem then i feel guilty for keeping one dog.

Answer 1

Well, honey, I think you have to make a strong decision and choose between either your baby and your dog. There is one person I know, her dog used to live inside of the house, but when she has a baby, she never let the dog inside of the house again and it has to stay at the dog's house (you know outside the backyard thing). I know it's real hard, but it just something you must do....

One more thing, watch out the fleas... keep it away from your baby.

Good luck, hon.

Answer 2

It sounds like your beagle feels he is the pack leader and is showing this with his growling over food. I would suggest to look into a trainer who specializes in behavioral problems if you want to keep this dog. All he needs is some specialized training methods to work on some of his issues.

As for the barking when you put the baby down, the funny thing about this is that your baby listened to this thru your entire pregnancy and was probably used to it when born.

My sister is set against keeping things "quiet" when the baby is asleep and even has run a rug doctor late at nite. The reason she does this is that she doesn't want her babes to wake to every little sound he hears. I took up the same methods when I had my boys and am to this day, very grateful they aren't sensitive to various sounds. If the sounds are moderate, it's a blessing to know your child can sleep thru them.

If you still must get rid of your Beagle, I would suggest searching for a Beagle rescue. They may likely find a potential owner or foster parent who is willing to work on the issues he has.

Answer 3

It sounds like your dogs are understandably jealous of your new baby. Visit some pet behavior websites to see if there is anything you can try to do before you make the decision to give the dog away. Some sites suggest spending a good 5-10 minutes alone with your dogs (playing, petting, etc) so they still feel like part of the family. The barking is only to get your attention, since you are paying more attention to the baby.

We went through a similar situation with our dog when we brought our baby home. It took a little while, but things are better. Don't let your frustration and anger make your decision for you. Think it over.

Answer 4

You could call a Beagle Rescue organization and explain. They will make sure the dog gets a loving home.
If you can handle it, though, you might work on systematically teaching the beagle not to snap at people who approach his food. He should learn that even if somebody were to take the food while he's eating, he must not snap. People are boss.
Don't feel guilty, though; your child has priority over any dog. Try this link.
http://sosbeagles.org/map/

Answer 5

Have you ever watched the TV Show "The Dog Whisperer"? Contact them. Maybe they can help. If not, contact a dog trainer. If a dog's behavior is a problem, usually the owner is unknowingly reinforcing the bad behavior. Of course, your child's welfare is the priority. Dogs are "pack" animals, as you probably know, and there's competition among the pack for the alpha position. If you don't train the dogs to accept you as the leader of the pack, they take control. The addition of a baby into the household challenges the pack structure. Again: your child's welfare is the priority. Good luck!

Answer 6

This is unfortunate but what has happened is that before you brought the baby into the pack you babied this dog to much instead of treating for what he is. A DOG. and he was never shown that you were alfa over the pack.But instead he took on the role some where along the way. VIA the snapping at you over food. Now the dog feels he has to re-establish pack leadership because another pack member was brought into the pack. Your child. You must realize how the dog mind works. He only sees the baby as another pack member not as a baby. The same way he sees you as a pack member. To him its no different than if you introduced another person or another dog.into the pack In his mind pack leadership must be re-established. You must establish yourself as alfa within the pack or this will continue. And surley get worse! And let him know that he and the other dog are only to have contact with the new pack member when you allow it. This will let them know that you are in charge of this new pack member and not them Which means he must keep his distance until you allow other wise. Do not allow either dog to enter the childs room. Do not let either dog approch the child during meals, Do not allow either dog to get up on funiture while you are holding the child, but make them sit infront of you on the floor until you are ready for them to enteract with your child, but only when they are in a calm state of mind and quiet. You will be able to tell, they will be sitting quietly and not trying to get in the childs face or jump up. When you decide to let the dogs enteract with the child sit in the middle of the floor with the child in your lap and have the dogs sit or lay around you in a calm state and guide your childs hand to stroke the dogs in an effectionate manner. The dogs must remain calm and see the child as a pack leader as well as yourself and must realize that they are not first before you and the baby. When you go for walks put the baby in a stroler and have the dogs walk beside NOT IN FRONTof the stroler with ther leads attached to the stroler. This will help establish your child as a pack leader in the dogs eyes. Do this on a daily basis. Eventually the dogs will see your child as a pack leader mearly by the sent of the child and will know where their bounderies are. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 7

A few years ago I had to give up my baby, his name was Doc, He was a beautiful Pit Bull. We had to move into a small trailer and with 5 kids at home there just wasnt room for him too. It broke my heart but I found him a home and the people I gave him to agreed that if they ever had to get rid of him I had the option to have him back. Well 1 year later, I got him back and I had to find him a new home again but at least I knew where and whom he was going to. I Know its hard because I look at pictures of him all the time and I miss him like he was one of my children but take your time in finding a home. And make sure your happy with it. And keep tabs on it too. It helps believe me. But you have to keep your baby safe too. I have a nephew who was bitten in the face by a dog at a daycare. He is 18 now but still has scars. So if the dog snapps at you it could be worse for the baby. Hope this helps

Answer 8

The underlining problem here that no one here has seemed to mention is the fact that it snapped at you when you put your hand near its food. Clearly food aggression for what ever reason and unless you receive professional help, will only get worse. What ever you do, do not physically punish this dog, it will only reinforce this behavior. Also trust me when I say that if it snapped at you his owner/master then he considers himself alpha dog and won't think twice about biting your child. So please watch your child around the dog until you can resolve the issue, because children have a way of provoking dogs to bite.

Answer 9

You have to do what's best for your baby. Don't feel guilty you have to have prioretys. I recently had to give up my dog because she was going crazy living in an apartment, I hated it but I took the time to find her a nice home and now she's much happier living on a farm. If you take the time to find a good home it might help you transition better.

Answer 10

No i don't think of we could desire to consistently spay or neuter each animal! the only's that finally end up interior the humane society, sure probally so! yet to assert that each animal to be spay or neutered is taking our rights away as animal vendors! puppy shops----that's such an considerable concern you pronounced! I agree entire heartedly! it is so merciless, to maintain an animal in a cage day in and outing, for weeks and months at a time. Why has this been allowed, in simple terms breaks my heart, to work out cats and canines in cages like that! till I have been given in this internet site i did not know what a byb become (lower back backyard breeder) for absolutely everyone new that would not know what that stands for. in the past each little thing, i assumed, by utilising the sound of it, it become somebody , who had a homey type place for animals. Then I examine, and found out, it become all detrimental in direction of breeders, that have been irresponible, people who had quite no interest interior the welfare of the animal and greater occupied with the money! How unhappy is that! it quite is not in simple terms irresponsible breeders, like the domestic dog mill kind, yet in addition irresponsible dogs vendors, that enable their canines run around get pregnent, and characteristic litters and then supply them to the animal shield, because of the fact they don't opt for to worry finding stable residences for them. that's why they are attempting to bypass the regulation on neuter and spaying each animal. possibly the thank you to regulate a number of this could be you're able to desire to be a registered breeder, like with the AKC, or a number of registered breeding organization, and then possibly could clean up a huge area of the priority. i could opt for to assert the type you approched your question, and infomation you presented will enlighten a number of the lack of understanding obtainable, thank you!