Have 2 Legged Children, Get Rid of 4 Legged Children...

[kimbt622]

I agree with what's been said mostly. I think it's very important for kids to grow up with animals in their lives. It plays a big role on the type of people they will grow into in MOST cases. My sisters and I all grew up with pets -- hamsters, cats, dogs, fish, etc. My mom has loved animals from when she was a little girl and thought it was important for them to be a part of our lives. Now that we are all older, I obviously love animals. My dog is my baby and I have my four chinnies that are entirely my responsibility. When my boyfriend and I decided to get a chin, my mom was unsure because she was afraid it would end up being on her shoulders. 2 years later, she is very proud of the fact that we do everything and she knows it. I even do most of the care for my dog even though he's the family dog. My oldest sister also loves animals and has cats of her own. Her one cat recently had kittens. She also has a four year old daughter. Guess what? She helps my sister and is great with the cats. IF my sister sees that she's being too rough, she shows her the right way. And when my niece comes to my house, she loves seeing my chins. I can already see the compassion in her personality just because of the wonderful creatures she's surrounded with. I honestly believe when people use excuses for getting rid of animals or they don't like the "responsibility" of animals altogether, they're usually not that nice of people and not responsible in other ways. Owning pets is the building block for a lot of other things you need to do in your life, and if you can't do that... well good luck with the rest. :wacko:

 

[hkkjstwcl]

Killing (sending pets to shelters in where they are likely to be euthenized) living things, how can they every been good parents to their kids? They will NEVER be good persons to take care of other lives, including their kids!!

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

I think that there are a few cases where finding a new home for your pet is a better option than trying to squeeze a bunch of people and animals all together. For example, there was a person (I don't remember the name...) who posted about expecting their first child. They don't have the money in this economy to move into a bigger home, and as the chinchillas were currently in what they want to be the baby's room, they feel it's best to rehome them. I agree-if you ensure that your animal is going to a home where they will be loved and taken care of (NOT dropping them off at a shelter or tying them outside of a vet office) then that is the best solution for everyone involved. I don't think anyone anticipated the state of the economy, as it is now, during the 90's when the economy was doing really well.
I don't think that every case in which people rehome their animals when expected can be written off as lazy or using excuses. If, for example, Caiti's family hadn't had cats before and inherited her Nana's cat, only to find out they were severely allergic and didn't want to take antihistamines for the rest of their lives (which is not something I find fault with..if you're allergic, you have the right to stay away from what bothers you...no one's gonna force people to eat peanut butter if they're allergic), well then I think it would have been reasonable to find a better home for the cat. I do enjoy the fact that you kept the cat, though, Caiti
I can also understand concerns among women who are pregnant and either own reptiles or their partner owns reptiles--salmonella isn't something to mess around with, and yes you could say that the partner should take care of it etc etc but if the reptile is shut off in another room only to get attention from one person when they have time (especially when the newborn arrives), how fair is that to the animal, versus having a new home with people who have more time to care for it?

Now, when someone shows up during the 40th week of their pregnancy and drops an animal off and are obviously in a rush, there's clearly a problem with that. They've known for at least 7 months, that's a heck of a long time to find a new home for an animal!

 

[KristinC1983]

When I was 5, a doctor told my parents I was allergic to cats and I should get rid of my new kitten. My mom, an RN, didn't really agree and I was TOTALLY not having it!! I had allergy shots and eventually grew out of my allergies altogether. My kitty was with me my whole life up until this year, and I love(d) him like a family member or best friend.

When I was maybe 11, I started getting allergies from pets as well. My doctor told my mom thhat it'd be a good idea to get rid of our pets. Even if my mom would've agreed, I would've NEVER let her, but she wouldn't have done that. I was taught my whole life that pets are family and that is what I'm teaching my daughter. She LOVES animals-she even freaks ouut when someone kills a daddy long leg, lol! She is definitely her mother's child

 

[Meemxes]

As much as I dislike taking an opposing stance in regards to the problem here, I do have a couple of things that need to be said. Animals can be unpredictable as well as most humans, but at the same time there needs to be precaution. What breed of dog was tied to a post or sent in to go to the shelter? My guess would be breeds that are known to snap at children. Parents don't want to take that chance and I don't blame them. It still doesn't excuse them for getting the dog in the first place, which I wholeheartedly agree with by the way, but at least they are preventing a possible scenario in which a child could be severely injured or end up having a scar. Boxers, Rottweilers, German Shepards, and pitbulls are notorious for their aggressive behaviors and I have literally seen what they can do to children and it's not pretty. People need to think before they buy their companions.

 

[starleomach]

I remember when I told my hubby's family I was pregnant..."They all said what about the chinchillas....all I said was what do you mean? the baby won't hurt the chinchillas any LOL" It is all about adjusting slowly I think we will see but I am not too worried. My dalmation is old and a bit aggressive now we will watch her close and just never leave her alone with the baby but I don't tend to leave her alone with grown ups either LOL. She has been fine with my sisters kids but IMPO no dog should be left alone with a baby/kid no matter how good they are accidents happen especially with animals involved

 

[harleycowgirl22]

this annoys me! i have had pets since the day i was born. my dad had two Siamese cats that were mean as can be, but they liked him and were not mean to him. my brother might have terrorized the cats a little (a bath in the toilet never really hurt anything) but now he is an adult in his mid 30's and has a cat and a dog of his own, they are working on adopting another dog and he has the most caring and patient personality i have ever seen. the dog he adopted was scared to death when it came to live with him and now you would never be able to tell it was the same beaten and abused animal. he has a 3 1/2 year old daughter that is very much like him. while growing up we had dogs, cats, chinchillas, ferrets, fish, birds, the list goes on and on and to this day i have two dogs, 2 cats, and the chinchillas. i will not be getting rid of any of them. my boyfirend and i got the 2nd golden three years ago this Labor Day and he is my boyfriends dog for sure, but when my boyfriend and i started having problems he knew already that he can go and the dog will be staying with me.

my male golden and my 6 year old son are thick as thieves they have a mutual love to hate relationship. all day long they will chase each other around the dog steals my sons toys and my son hides the dogs toys. the biggest problem i have with my son is he positive since the dog is a golden retriever he is one of the "buddies aka air buddy" the dog that can play basketball, football, soccer etc. so my son throws the basketball and the dog watches it hit his nose or face. my son is determined to teach the dog to play sports and the dog does not seem to mind. the biggest problem i have with the dog is if my son stays the night anywhere but in his own bed and the door is left open the dog will go in and get revenge. his favorite is to climb on the bed and "leave a present on the pillow" needless to say we have learned to keep the door closed when he is not home and double check sheets and blankets before he returns.

on the other hand i had my female golden retriever before my son and i was quite lucky because she was born a mother. she was and still is like a second mother to my son. she learned what everything was called and would literally go get anything asked of her. she new where the diapers were and the wipes and would fetch them proudly. she knew the clothing and the bottle and would always carry them around for him. even now when my son cant find his shoes she will obediently go get them. she is older and has arthritis but still does not let that slow her down when it comes to my son.

my son has not always been great with animals. he has held a cat too fight, up side down, pulled dog and cats tails and numerous other things and we have fixed these things. it is a kid thing and as long as they are taught the right way to hold and play and care for an animal they learn a great deal from animals. through everything even when he seemed to hate the animal as soon as someone came into the house his proudest moments were showing the dogs and cats off and telling everyone their names, and taking them into the chins room and telling them and showing them all the "cool" things about these animals.

when i got pregnant i had a dog and a cat and i had no intentions of getting rid of them actually i am thankful for having animals in my life because i honestly feel that they helped structure me to make me a better mother. they have taught me love and compassion and patience and consideration. as well as being a caretaker and being responsible for another life. you also learn to be mature from the responsibility and all of these thing are necessary to be a parent. you no longer have the ability to be selfish and inconsiderate, everything that is done is for your child and your family there is no more "I" there are many crappy pet owners....two in my neighborhood alone (one only likes puppy and kittens) (and the other has very little money and thinks her pets health depends on any and everyone else, luck for her she has a room mate with two dogs so she doesnt need to buy dog food so they are not starving) as well there are crappy parents who dont give a **** about their kids and what they do. in my situation i believe being good at one has helped me excel at the other.

my pets are my family and my family has humans and furry friends

 

[Jenn]

I feel that having my children surrounded by animals is one of the best things I can do for them to enrich their understanding of the world around them. Animals are part of our world and I want my children to understand the importance of having these animals around, not only in our home, but out in the wild as well. My pets have never endangered my children, my children have never hurt my pets. Caring for my pets does not interfere with my being able to care for my children. I find it terribly distressing to see all the ads people have up to rehome their pets, simply because a child is entering the picture. Our pets are part of our family, and don't understand why we throw them away so uneccessarily. It is sad. But those of us who raise our kid with pets, will someday be adults, and will make better decisions with their own pets.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

Boxers, Rottweilers, German Shepards, and pitbulls are notorious for their aggressive behaviors and I have literally seen what they can do to children and it's not pretty. People need to think before they buy their companions.

A lot of those behaviors also have to do with how the animal was reared. Blame the deed, not the breed! Animals are like children, they need to be taught limits. I have owned a few of those breeds and have never had a problem, because I taught the dog when it was okay to do things and when it was not okay to do something. If you let a child hit, slap or bite another human, they will think it is acceptable behavior, if it is not corrected. The same goes for animals. If they are allowed to bite, growl and display other unacceptable behaviors, then they will think it is okay to do them. This is where training and proper handling comes into play.
I currently own a Staffordshire Terrier/American Bull Dog/Boxer mix and she is the sweetest most obedient dog I own. She is 3 breeds that are "all known to be aggressive" but has not shown any aggression because she was worked with from a young age and taught through positive and negative reinforcement training, what was right and what was wrong.

 

[Cuddlebug]

I, too, have owned breeds that are notorious for being viscous. My German shepards, pitbull and rottie/ shepard mix have all been wonderful loving dogs. You stood more of a chance of being loved to death by any of them, than getting bit. That's how we raised them.

 

[danakscully64]

Stereotypes aren't always based on facts. Like for example pit bulls... people think they're the most likely to bite dog, they're not. Doxies are number 1, Chihuahuas are #2. There is also a major problem with the wrong breed being identified by police after an attack (don't you always hear that it's a pit bull or pit mix? If you see the pictures, 9 times out of 10 it's not). I've done tons of research on the pit bull myth and less than .0002% of all pit bulls will ever attack someone. Fear sells papers. It doesn't matter what breed a dog is, it shouldn't be trusted alone with a child, period.

Example: http://catousa.messageforums.net/non-pit-bull-attacks-and-our-media_t432.html


My dog Nikki was a Chow Chow (Mom was Purebred) / German Shepherd Mix. I have never met a sweeter dog, I still have family friends I haven't seen in years tell me how much they loved her. She was a puffy bear. My dog Sweet Pea is a Staffordshire Mix, she's the sweetest. She'll lick you to death. My friend has a purebred blue pit... he's 98 pounds of pure love and lazy. Not even kidding, this dog is one of the most gentle and loving dogs. The only con about him is he takes up space on the couch so you can't sit down :laughitup:

There have been a lot of temperament studies done and pit bulls actually rank on top, I believe #4.

Here's my friends dog, Diego:

 

[grace]

Hello All,
I started this thread quite a while back. I do VERY much stand behind my view that "2 legged Kids" are better brought up with "4 legged kids" , smiles. They (our Children, and GrandChildren), learn life lessons from animals that can not be taught in School, field trips, or any where else. How to care for those that can not care for themselves......
I do have concern as to Pit Bulls - Now.... Before anyone jumps on me, and the "Thinking" it all has to do with how the animal is nurtured. We have had 2 Pits (and 1 1/2 Pit). We raised these "kids" like any other Canine Kids, However, as they got older, their personalities changed. Please keep in mind, these were (are not) "Outside" dogs chained up to a tree or something horrid - I am talking "House dogs" - With also an acre to run on when outside. Inside kids, air-conditioning, best of feed.
We had to place the 2 kids, still have an 8 year old 1/2 pit - We also have a rescue Dobi & another mix rescue (120 lbs No Probs. However, With Pits I am wary, I KNOW how we raised them, Did I trust them with my 4 year old Grandson ? NOT when he was "snaped at" (No Provocation) - Could not take any chances - In the mean time, Our Doberman is his "best buddy" - Apologies to Pit Owners, Been there, done that, no more.

 

[3CsMommy]

I'm sorry you couldn't keep your fur children and still feel your grandkids were safe. I would like to point out, however, that personality changes with age in all dogs. The one I live with now was a terrified, cowering mess when the abusive "rescue" his abusive "breeders" dumped him on enrolled him in a cell dog's program in Ohio. Now, he's still skittish around strangers, and he still hates ball caps, but with well mannered children, women, and men he knows, he's an absolute mush. And yet, he's older. His hips and knees are starting to hurt, and he can't see as well as he did. Consequently, when the 4 year old that lives here got too rough with him, Bobby got cranky and snapped at him. A. should know better, his mother should never have left him alone with any of the animals, and Bobby should be allowed some desire to be left alone: we were all to blame. This also happened with my brother dog, though when we noticed the change I was 12 and had startled him (his hearing was going and he didn't know I was coming). He never drew blood, but he made it clear that I was crossing his boundaries. It also happened with Bud, my godmother's border collie/beagle, and my cousin Jen as well.

I don't see a personality change as strictly a Pit Bull trait, though I'm sure it happens, because I've also seen it in Collies, Labradors, Shi tzu, and mutts of all types.

 

[grace]

I Totally agree with you that attitude changes (all breeds) as a dog ages.(Smiles, as does some people ! ) However, my Grandson did nothing to to upset these kids - I AM NOT against the Pit Bull breed, just did not work for us (Again, were brought up as family members, House "kids" . If it were not for our Grandson, would still have them (No, they were not put down). I just could not take that chance (considering I take care of our Grandson 5 days per week, 8 to 9 hours per day.)

 

[Dolyphinm]

That is why a lot of times they say it is better to get an older pit instead of a puppy or older dog in general as they change as they get older. My cattle dog lab mix hit puberty and now will not tolerate another male larger than him that he doesn't already know. He hit a point where any dog he didn't know he would go after. I luckily have been able to get him to the point he's at now. He used to go nuts trying to play with every single dog.

That and if the dog was really up in years it could have been dementia was kicking in. My child hood mutt of God knows what, would start looking at my mom like who the heck are you and just got grumpier. The dog could have been losing senses and the child not doing anything just being next to the dog could have scared it so it snapped.

I have also seen many more problematic small breeds while volunteering at a shelter than pits. There are also some breeds that do have genetic problems of going crazy literally. Springer Rage is a known condition amongst Springer Spaniels. They can go into a blind fury and not know what is going on. Do I think all Springers a vicious? No. It all goes back to you don't leave a child alone with an animal of any kind unless it's a stuffed animal. When I was 2 or 3 I couldn't even be trusted around fish as I would fish them out and play with them and then put em back. Oops.

Anything with teeth can bite. Whether you have a Yorkie or a Mastiff, a Maltese or a Siamese, or even a chinchilla or hedgehog, they can all bite. Even and iguana can gum you hard enough to make you bleed. When I have little ones I might even put in half doors to make sure the dogs cannot get in. I'll cross that bridge when it happens though.

 

[smhufflepuff]

Agreed. There are definitely better ways of dealing with the situation than out with the old (pets), in with the new (humans).

Much better to draw straws.

Admittedly, it will be hard to look into your 7yo son's sad, sad eyes as he realizes he's holding the short one... But, you know, a house can only hold so many living beings... Fire code and all... And fair is fair... And gotta do whatcha gotta do...

 

[grace]

I am Laughing so hard !!! Smiles and thank you !

 

[mommyslittlechins2010]

He** i do it all the time.. i have my two kids and the cins and the kids are more aof ahelp with paying attention to the chins. so every night before bed we sit up and we take the chins out and play with them. now my kids know not to hanlde them if they don't wanna be touched or know enough not bother them if they don't want to be bothered... but i also have two hamsters and a dog and all 6 of them get our attention ...

 

[kiltbunny]

Oddly enough, I was just having this discussion with the BF last night. We were discussing children and pets and how we despise irresponsible pet ownership. This led into a discussion about raising children around and with pets. Personally, I would NEVER leave a baby or a small child with any animal in an unattended/unguarded situation. I don't believe 99.9% of pets would harm a child out of ill intent. I do think that animals, by nature, have ways of caring for and/or disciplining their young that would do harm to a child. Dogs nip and mouth puppies, cats will mouth and paw kittens. If they tried to do this to a small infant... it could be devastating. I have 3 cats and the chinchilla and when we bring a baby into the family, we have discussed boundaries that will be set for our free-roaming kitties interaction with baby (monitored!). The chin is of little concern until the child was much, much older.

I hate that people who have animals do not think forward enough to the days when they will have a child in the same home as those animals. Your pet is not a momentary decision that you can toss out the door willy-nilly. When you take that pet into your home, you are making a promise to care and love him/her for their life... not just until it becomes a hassle to you and then you dump them.

 

[jrosler04]

Doing animal rescue, and working in a kill shelter, this is one of the most common reasons animals are surrendered! Moving and can't take pet. Child suddenly became allergic, got bigger than we expected, doesn't listen.... yeah, I hear them all!
We actually had a 17 year old bring a 7 year old black lab into the shelter. the guy was CRYING..and I (rather rudely, which I kick myself for now) was asking him WHY he was dumping the dog, old dogs have little chances of making it out of the shelter, especially a black lab..and he just said "a baby is being born, and the dog has to go, but he's great with kids, find him a home"
A week later (when the dog was scheduled for Euth.) I found from a friend of the owner that the kid was forced BY HIS PARENTS to dump the dog as a punishment, because he got his girlfriend pregnant.... teaching him abandonment?! I was furious, and that day, I felt so guilty because I was so mean to this kid that I brought the lab home with me until I found a family for him.... (I got his phone # from his friend & apologized, and let him know the dog was safe)

It drives me crazy!! I plan on having children someday, but my pets will be staying. They are part of the family!

I was raised always having multiple pets, dogs, cats, ferrets, cows, pigs, goats, even a horse, birds...and when I became a teenager, mom & dad let me get my first chinchilla...

I can never imagine myself living without pets, they are a very important part of my life!!