Evan wrote:

Sacha wrote:
A lot of dog behaviourists advise
getting dogs *after* the baby is born because then the dog learns its place
in the pecking order naturally. I would suggest re-homing the dog might be
a better solution for all of you. To go from a house dog always living
inside to an unwanted source of hair and faeces can't be a happy experience
for the dog or for you.


Rehoming the dog is an ungoing consideration.

The dog loves the kids. She pooed on my one boy while he slept in bed
because she wasn't well and it's the only part of the bedroom she
wasn't allowed to be. Thus it saved her soiling her own doggy bed and
surrounding area. It was perfectly reasonable behaviour considering she
had to "go" really bad. I don't believe she did it out of malice.

Surely if dog shit is a problem in the house, your kids will come
across it in the garden too?
I honestly don't feel that you need this dog in your lives since she
is simply shut outside and ignored most of the time in case your
precious kids get dog hairs on them.