I just gave my dog away!

Congratulations with your upcoming birth.  All the best to you and your family.

Regarding your dog, you already said it yourself:  that it was difficult to care for the dog with one newborn, and I can only imagine how exhausted you felt having to clean up pee everywhere from your dog.  And to add to that another child is coming that you need more time for.

You gave away your dog to responsible people.  It is hard to not feel guilty or regret, but you know in your heart what you had to do, no matter how difficult it was.  Trust your original judgment.

I congratulate you on your upcoming birth. I have to admit that I personally would not have made the same decision you did by giving up on the dog. While each person's life is unique in its own right, your circumstances are not so unusual. People have babies all the time and manage to teach their dogs to change their behaviors.

I would have personally sought out a trainer to come to the house to re-train the dog. Unfortunately, if you cannot make the time to find a trainer and invest the money into re-training him/her, (which it appears you were not able to do), giving him up to a person who could take care of him is the next best option.

well i have a shit eating basset hound that will take the place of your dog. come get him. maybe it will make you feel better when you come home to find out that he has eaten half your house and shit on everything.

Congrats on your birth.  As a child psychologist and a dog owner I understand how it may be difficult having both.  That said, I am very upset that you gave your dog away. 

I'm sorry to be the bad guy here, but if one of your children turned out to have a learning disability or was autistic, would you give them away at ten years old?! Well, you did that to your dog.  He/She depended on you, and you turned your back on your dog as soon as it got a bit inconvenient.

Owning a pet is a big responsibility.  It is like having kids.  And too many people give their pets away too easily.

You did not have to give your dog away.  Why didnt you just call a trainer?  Why didnt you post on Yedda to find out how to get her to stop peeing in the house? (By the way, did you ever think that it could be because of her old age?!)  Or why didnt you get her diapers?  There are ways to stop the barking, too.  A citronella collar works great with dogs when they bark when you are away.  It sprays them when they bark, and the noise, smell, and sensation stop them from barking anymore.  It is very effective, we used it on my lab.

I know a family that has 2 large dogs, 3 cats, and 2 toddlers and they live in a 5th floor walk up apartment in NYC.  (No, they arent rich at all.)  And, you know what? They are very happy, they take great care of all their animals, and their children are very sweet, happy, and well adjusted.

I think you should get your dog back.  Im sure he/she is very depressed because you abandoned them.  But make sure, if you do decided to get your dog back, that you dont give her up again in a week or two.  That is emotional torture to a dog, and can seriously emotionally mess him/her up.

Again, sorry to be the bad guy, but I think your decision was wrong.  And it sounds to me, from your post, that you also know that it was the wrong thing to do.  You should get your dog back because you love him/her and she should be allowed to live out her old age with her family.

Your guilt is understandable but you made the right decision and one im sure that was not taken lightly. Its easy for those people who commented on you giving your dog away as a terrible thing as they are not in your situation ! Pets are difficult to look after and you got your dog before you had children which now take priority in your life. Of course you didnt want to give your dog away but you had to think of your baby and unborn baby at that. Dog poo can cause major problems when you are pregnant , even small traces could harm an unborn child. Your younger baby could end up with poo in her eye and be blinded so I would take the child psychologist's comments with a pince of salt.

As a mum you have to look after your childs health first and foremost and there is no comparison so dont feel guilty as your dog has gone somewhere where he can get the care and attention he needs and deserves.

Gem