Rehoming? Do I need it?

[Natasha]

I adopted two dogs when I was single, 4 years later, I have 2 kids, a toddler and a newborn and my family is incapable of giving them what they require. Both dogs are pit mixes and they are a large (100lbs) and medium breed (75lbs). My first child was in an accident with the large breed requiring him to get surgery and forever altering his face. The medium size, is always growling at him whenever he comes near. I have gates everywhere but am paranoid about them interacting and truthfully there is only so much supervision, one can do with two kids. What will happen when my second starts to crawl?

The dogs also though they have GREAT traits, their bad ones are starting to affect me. Since the storm Sandy, we had to move to a smaller place, the dogs "always" feel like they are in the way. I hate myself for pasting so much rejection on to them but I am so tired. We have a yard, due to the sizes, I can't walk them. My husband is dead when he gets home and can't bring himself to do the nightly walks in the winter. The dogs are pullers on the leash, runs after small animals such as squirrels and each have individual issues with people and other dogs. We have had trainers and it has improved, but it still a struggle and have given up on that since the new baby arrived. It's not fair that their only exercise consists of just the yard (which we are not able to use for social events because its completely destroyed). I desperately want to go to the dog park located 2 minutes from the house to run and give them some fresh air, but the whole time is spent yelling, pulling and struggling with the dogs, its is not fun.

I am aware the issue is with me but after 4 years, high costs for vet bills and medical bills for my son, my inability to walk or interact with them as I use too, I wonder if rehoming is the best option. I feel so guilty when I look at them but the truth is, I can't deal with the barking, the jumping on all of our guests when they enter the home, the inability to take a nice stroll, the VET bills, the training, never being able to use the yard due to excessive digging, destruction of property in the beginning now its only down to the bed sheets and toys but prior it was the couch, futon, shoes, dinning table, pillows, walls, its never ending.

What would you do?
In response to the training - Yes, we have training and we have tried on our own, although issues have improved, its still a struggle. We adopted both dogs from shelter and I have and still trying with training, we have had a trainer come in a few times, I have tried with the treats system. This is the extent we have gone, I am sure more is required clearly.
And in no way am I planning to pass this one to another unsuspecting family. If I re-home, I will pass on all info to both the shelters and the family, only looking for families/individuals with no small children. I love my dog, I don't want harm to come his way or his family.

The issue with the large dog was not a bite it was an accident where my son was injured due to the size of my dog and babysitter at the time not paying attention.
Ocimom, I agree, despite our imperfections, having all these gates, I am starting to feel like I am living in a prison. We can't be in the same room with the dogs, I mean we can, as long as we are (adults) are there.
BYBs and Crazies rule DS - thanks for making an already difficult situation more difficult with a response like that.

[Pat]

You need to get these dogs out of your house. Take them to a good local shelter and tell them everything you know about your dogs.

[OsirisTheCat♥]

You need to find a pit or all breed rescue to take these dogs, or take them to a no kill shelter.

Even before you had the kids, the dogs should have been trained. You clearly can't handle these dogs, and they are not safe to have around children at all. Dog aggression is one thing, a dog can find a home without children, but if these dogs have socialization issues with strangers and any aggressive tendencies other than overall bad behavior it's possible they will never be adopted.

Your childrens safety comes first and foremost, but the dogs have no quality of life stuck in a yard either. They need a responsible, experienced handler who can give them what they need. I can only hope they find that, but it's very likely they won't. Don't try to rehome these dogs yourself. They need to go to Very carefully screened correct homes.

[Verulam 2]

Protect my very young KIDS is what I'd do. I'm concerned that one of your children has already been injured - by one of these two dogs or an outside dog? If so, quite honestly can you 'happily' pass that one on to somebody else, risking similar happening. And for sure, a Shelter will need to know - although they should temperament test both these two before putting them up for rehoming.

I know it's harsh, but if one of these two has caused injury to a child, he probably needs to be pts. unless you can sort all this out.

Your husband too needs to get real with all this - it's a partnership after all. You say he comes home 'dead' etc. Can't he see how stressed you are with your children and the fact these two dogs MUST have at least one good daily run?

I can't make up your mind about what to do - you need to sit down with him and talk all this through, before you have another injury situation there, perhaps a fatality.

ps If you've had these dogs for 4 years, and only now have a toddler and a newborn baby, surely you had time previously to TRAIN your dogs?

[Nicole]

I would recommend re homing, as it sounds like life is not that great for you OR the dogs.
It doesn't mean that you have failed, or that you don't love the dogs, it just means that your situation has changed, and it is dangerous and not fair on the dogs for you to keep them.
If you are worried about where the dogs will go to if you hand then into a shelter, then you could do it privately and find a new home yourself so that you can meet the people, and know where the dogs will be going and who they will be with. This way you will know that they are going to a loving home and will get all the love and attention they need!

I hope this helps .

[gregory]

When children are involved, particularly toddlers & infants, always side with caution when any dog starts to show aggression (even just food aggression). The same applies to a large breed that is excitable as they can get a bit rough and it can turn to aggression fairly quickly.

As to the rest of it...woulda, coulda, shoulda. I'm fairly certain you don't need me to preach to you about dog training / leash training from day 1 (and constantly reinforcement) because you have experienced what happens (hindsight is always 20/20). An adult (or 2 adult) humans can deal with a little bad doggy discipline issues, even if it can be obnoxious at times. However, the moment life changes and you have children it ceases to be a small issue.

Find a good shelter / rescue for your dogs, let them know of any medical issues or training issues they might need and let them find a good home for your dogs.

[Ocimom]

Personally if the dog seriously hurt your first child (accident or not), the dog would have been put down in our house. If you have to have gates all over the house, then its time to put these dogs down - rehoming is not the answer - they cannot be around any child and a shelter WILL put them down.

And because of their history it would be VERY difficult to keep these dogs from interacting with kids.

[Dynamicafternoon685]

Sorry, two giant Middle Aged pit bull mixes who haven't been trained will be dead in a year. There isn't some magic rehoming farm for dogs like this. Dogs privately rehomed tend to get rehomed again and eventually end up "escaping" and hit by a car or in a shelter.

You and you husband have a responsibility to do and keep up the training or you humanely kill the dogs while looking them in the eyes. And the no more pets for you. Ever. Ever. You guys decided to keep popping out kids despite the high costs, but have a thousand and one excuses for not training or exercising these dogs. So, kill them before they die alone and neglected in a shelter or get your act together.

Edit: Not sure if your edit was a legit Ty or a passive aggressive sarcastic response. Call a kill shelter. Ask them what they kill and how the dogs get to them.

[tigrillen]

Sounds the dogs were never consistently trained. If the dog have so bad recall that you can't drive them to the dog park without even needing a leash, then to be honest, I don't think anybody wants to adopt badly trained dogs of that size and age. Do you really think if you don't want to be pulled around by your dogs, somebody else will relish the prospect? If you can't deal with your dogs it will be a breeze for somebody else?

I don't think rehoming is a realistic option unless you find just the right person for them who has the time and energy to combat years of bad behavior. Some of the behavior is most likely due to insufficient exercise though, which might give them a slight chance.