‘Good parenting’ or betrayal? Readers clash over giving up dogs after having a baby – UK Times

The debate over whether it is acceptable to rehome a dog after having a baby has sharply divided Independent readers, following Lydia Spencer-Elliott’s exploration of celebrities who have chosen to do exactly that.

Many commenters were unequivocal that a child’s safety must come first. They argued that once a dog shows aggression towards a baby or child, rehoming is not only justified but responsible, rejecting outrage directed at parents who make that decision.

Several shared personal experiences of dog bites and long-term injuries, and expressed frustration at what they see as an increasingly hostile reaction to parents who prioritise their children over their pets.

Others, however, viewed rehoming as a moral failure. They stressed that pets are a lifelong commitment, not disposable accessories, and criticised what they saw as a culture of convenience in which dogs are discarded when family life becomes harder.

For these readers, planning, training and adjusting household routines should come before any consideration of giving a dog up.

Taken together, the comments reveal a deep division between those prioritising absolute child safety and those framing pet ownership as an unbreakable ethical obligation – with little middle ground between the two.

Here’s what you had to say:

Dogs are pack animals, not small people

Dogs are pack animals and need to be treated accordingly. Too many owners treat them like small people and misinterpret their behaviour. An adult dog will happily give a puppy in the pack a nip, and it will treat a child in the same way if it thinks the child comes after it in the pack hierarchy.

Slamps

A pet is a lifelong commitment

A pet is a lifelong commitment, not something disposable when circumstances change. Bringing a dog, cat, or any animal into your home means accepting responsibility for their wellbeing for their entire life. They form deep bonds, depend on their owners for safety and care, and cannot understand being abandoned because a new baby arrives.

If someone feels that a pet could become inconvenient when life changes, it is better not to get one in the first place. Responsible ownership means planning ahead and finding ways for both child and animal to live safely and happily together, rather than treating the pet as optional. Animals give loyalty and trust without conditions; they deserve the same in return.

Fiore2021

A child comes first

If your dog is going to pose a risk to your baby then 100 per cent get rid of it. Your child comes before anything else. We had a dog for four years when we had our baby son. The dog never showed a single sign of aggression and was always great with kids. But with our baby the dog was aggressive and would go out of its way to try and snap at him.

We got rid of the dog because we are good parents and would never put a dog before the safety of our child. Any parent who keeps a dog around and risks a child’s safety simply should not be allowed to have a child. Unfortunately, our son still suffered a very nasty dog bite on his face when a couple let their dog approach him without consent in a café (a place that should be dog free). Without warning it ran up and bit his face around his eye, and he still has a scar five years later.

Dog culture is way out of hand and it is idiotic to even consider putting a dog’s needs above those of a child. I’ve actually started to despise dogs and their entitled owners in recent years because of the way they think their dogs are more important than humans. It has become a mental issue for so many people. Dog culture needs to be abolished ASAP and people need to understand their dogs are nothing but a nuisance to humans, the environment and other animals.

Lb73

Dogs are not wolves

Some people seem to think that because dogs are descended from wolves they are still wolves. They are a different species. Dogs raised as pets get on well with children. More children are injured, killed and abused by other family members than dogs.

jeffslater

The danger of anthropomorphism

A sensible article at last. Says a lot of truth about the dangerous mawkish anthropomorphism of the childless towards their dogs. Thankfully some are snapping out of it before their children get injured or worse by their inappropriately raised animals.

AndrewNichols

Rehoming after a bite is responsible

Your dog bites your child, you would be grossly irresponsible if you didn’t rehome it. Death threats? There are a lot of mentally disturbed dog owners who think that dogs are equal to humans. What has happened to our society?

floris

A loving home matters

As long as the dogs went to a loving home, which they obviously did not have, not a problem.

Drone1970

Dogs as fashion accessories

Pathetic! To have this attitude in the first place probably means that their dogs were nothing more than fashion accessories.

DHC

Keeping commitments

Ideally you will also be thrown away by your partner when she/he/it decides to make a lifestyle change. You created the conditions that caused the dog stress and threw it away like a dirty nappy.

For the record, I do not like dogs and generally find dog owners reprehensible people, but I also believe in keeping commitments, and you made a commitment to a dog and now spin fictions of being a caring person. Kudos.

Gerhardius

Rehousing protects the child

A dog bit one of the children, and people are questioning the rehousing of it?!! I would not hesitate to do the same if I had a child at risk from an animal. The animal will be perfectly happy if rehoused considerately.

davemanchester

My wife would ditch me before the dog!

The comments seem to follow the line of dog owners and non-dog owners. Never had a dog until six years ago, and couldn’t see the fuss people make.

Now I see him as part of the family. He’s quieter and better house trained too. Unless the dog is aggressive or there are serious issues with finances (not applicable for those above), I can’t quite fathom how you could get rid of the dog. Pretty sure my wife would ditch me before the dog!

Hammerhead72

Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.

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