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A husband is being accused of prioritising the family dog over his wife’s pregnancy, after she demanded he re-home their large pooch.

The man says he got the dog six years ago for his son, who is now 14. “He’s half Great Dane and half some dog my friend’s dog met during an unauthorised absence,” the dad explained on reddit.

“My son loves this dog and does all the care for him (except vet stuff) and is a very responsible dog owner. This dog is pretty much his best friend …  he got this dog right after he lost his mum and imprinted on him hard.”

The dad and his new wife are now expecting their first baby together, and the dog is causing issues.

“My wife is 12 weeks pregnant, and ever since we confirmed the pregnancy she has been acting weird around the dog. She avoids him, puts her hands over her stomach when he is around and jolts whenever he makes noise. Today she told me she wants to re-home the dog. I asked her what she was talking about.

“She said she has been having anxiety that he will jump on her. This is completely unreasonable. He doesn’t jump on people. We trained him not to jump on people or run into people very young because he is half Great Dane and I felt this was important for all dogs, but especially one who could possibly grow to such a large size (which he did). There is no reason for her to think the dog will jump on her.

“She said that there is no way to know for sure that the dog won’t jump on her, and if he does our baby could be hurt. This dog has never so much as growled at her. She said even if the dog doesn’t jump on her, her anxiety about it is bad for her health. She said she needs the dog elsewhere for her safety and the baby’s.”

He says he doesn’t believe the dog should be removed from their home, as it’s done nothing wrong and it would break his son’s heart.

“I told her that there was no way. Sometimes I think he loves the dog more than me! I’m not taking his dog. The dog didn’t do anything!”

“My wife said I am prioritising the dog over her pregnancy. The dog isn’t a threat to her pregnancy. If this were any other unreasonable request, I would just do it because she is pregnant. I just can’t break my son’s heart over a fear she has that makes no sense. Am I being an a**hole?”

What do you think this dad should do? Let us know in the comments below.

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  • Im stunned and feel that this is something that she should have discussed with you before you even tried for a baby.
    Im sorry but you do not just shove an animal out of the home. Its part of the family and this is not acceptable. Perhaps she needs to see a mental health practitioner

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  • Wow that is a big decision. I can understand her worries but to get rid of a dog that is part of the family is hard.

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  • I think a calm, rational conversation needs to be had but that can be difficult with pregnancy hormones.

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  • Aww, I can see this will be trouble ahead. They need to sit down calmly and rationally. I don’t think rehoming the dog is the answer. It requires communication and perhaps a compromise or some professional intervention.

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  • I feel like it might be worth a sit down with a pet mediator (if there is such a thing), because you wouldnt ask to rehome another child, which basically sounds like this dog is very much a part of the family. I totally understand concerns from the mum to be and her anxiety wouldnt be helping her general health. A big open discussion is required including all parties.

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  • I can see the concerns on both sides, you need to sit down and talk it out what’s best for the family

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  • Even though we trust our dog, remember to NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY AND DOG TOGETHER UNSUPERVISED, even if you trust your dog and it has been living in your family for a long time. As your child grows up you will have to continue to supervise interactions with your dog since many attacks occur against children that do not realise that they are irritating or threatening animals.

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  • I can understand both sides

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  • Seems like counselling would be best because it involves your son and his connection to the dog

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  • I can see both sides and would struggle to know what to do.

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  • Could the dog live outside, eg in the backyard or a shed, at least for the duration of her pregnancy? I agree she’s being a bit unreasonable, but at the same time I understand her protective impulse.

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  • It’s a tricky situation but the dog sounds like his well trained and very well behaved. So no I wouldn’t take the dog away his been there for too long. Also the wife knew the dog was coming when they got married.

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  • No way would I rehome my dog

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  • You are doing the right thing by refusing to re-home your son’s dog. If your new wife has been in the house the whole time with the dog, why now all of a sudden is she having panic attacks.

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  • Don’t get rid of the dog. It’s not the dog’s fault that the wife has anxiety. She obviously didn’t have anxiety when she was not pregnant. If you give in to your wife’s request on this matter what else will she want you to get rid of? When you go to the doctors, mention her anxiety and see if she can get some help. It’s better to address the issue now and not wait until it gets out of hand. Good luck

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  • Poor Mum, over my long life I have seen this problem so many times, dogs become the centre of attention, their needs ALWAYS come first, they’re all over the beds and furniture and they become territorial and possibly dangerous. The dog MUST be rehoused and quickly because the mother’s anxiety will affect her baby. A new baby in the home should and will give the family a new focus.
    Sorry dad but I’m on mum’s side. I have witnessed territorial dogs with babies and it’s scary.

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  • I don’t think getting rid of the dog is an option. Its part of the family and the son is obviously very attached to it. Having a new baby may already be difficult for him and if he lost his best friend because of it he may become understandably resentful. Maybe they could just try and keep the dog away from the mother as much as possible… until she can find a healthy way to deal with her anxiety.

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  • Poor dog! The mum’s anxiety is ill-founded and should be discussed so she can be supported and hopefully enjoy her pregnancy rather than be so anxious and paranoid. So much damage will be done if you re-home the dog, who has done nothing wrong. It would be hard not to feel resentment at her if the dog was given away…. honestly.

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  • I think he should go with her to talk to someone about this. I understand the anxiety but perhaps she has anxiety issues that needs to be addressed due to the extra hormones from the pregnancy

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  • He has to keep the dog and she needs to learn to relax around him. Great Danes are beautiful friendly dogs and will protect the family.

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