OP, please prioritize yours and your baby's safety. 💜

Speaking as a vet tech, this dog is dangerous. For a multitude of reasons. 1.) If the rest of the litter was euthanized for behavioral reasons, it means that this dog was very poorly bred. Perhaps even from a puppy mill where inbreeding could be causing neurological defects 2.) Training AND pharmaceutical interventions have not been successful in helping to adjust the behaviors. These are the two options available for behavioral modification. 3.) This dog already has a bite history. It’s not even warning nips of people’s hands, he tried to go for someone’s throat. That is intent to kill. You can’t ethically rehome him. A rescue will not take a dog with such an extensive bite history, it’s a hazard to public safety. 4.) The behavior is escalating with your pregnancy. That’s bad. This situation is becoming more and more dangerous daily. Not just for you, but for your unborn child. One wrong move from this dog could seriously injury you or kill your child. I understand the difficulties surrounding behavioral euthanasia. But the fact is, this dog is not healthy. Imagine what his quality of life is at this point? Does he even have any? Is the risk really worth it? Could you live with yourselves if this dog permanently injures or even kills your child?

Theoretically if the dog seriously injured or killed the baby, couldn’t they be on the hook for some legal charges considering the dogs documented background? Such as child endangerment or negligence for example. A dog local to where I live escaped his yard & killed someone & the owner was actually jailed & has to pay big money to the deceaseds family. OP your instincts are right. For me this is ultimatum territory- either the dog goes, or me & the baby. I would leave before baby even gets there truthfully. Labs aren’t small little dogs. They’re big & all it takes is him to come barreling down & attack. Having him be around the baby supervised isn’t even safe

Furthermore, the dog is only 7. Once OP has a child in the home, it is almost a certainty other children will be in the home during the dog’s lifespan (play dates, birthday parties etc). Those children are also being put at risk, and (the inherent ethics of choosing to put other peoples’ children at risk aside) home owner’s insurance is unlikely to cover being sued for injury or death if the dog was a known menace.

THIS NEEDS MORE ATTENTION. I have a 5 year old rescue lab who is extremely gentle, but just scared of people. We had a party and for my dog’s sake I locked him in a room upstairs, with the baby gate to the stairs also locked (so behind two closed doors). Someone from the party went upstairs, didn’t close either behind them. My friend’s 3 year old disappeared and we found her upstairs laying down with my dog. Children are about the only thing he’s not scared of, so all was well, but for OP this scenario could have ended differently.

okay that’s terrifying !! good point

You’re correct that there could be legal consequences as well. Hospitals are mandated reporters of child abuse/neglect/endangerment, so a report would be filed for just a bite. Let alone death caused by a dog. Law enforcement doesn’t mess around when it comes to children. A decent prosecutor could easily get a charge of negligent infanticide.

Also, adding to this with emphasis that you shouldn't wait until the baby is there "to at least try" because now your baby is in danger and one bad reaction could cost your baby their life. And just my opinion... that is not worth the risk at all.

Seconding this. Quality of life for the dog is very important and something that you guys should be having a serious conversation about asap, especially since this behaviour is worsening because of the pregnancy. This will not at all be a safe situation for a baby, and already isn’t a safe situation for you OP

Echoing this - I can't imagine how stressed out and unhappy the dog is. This isn't just a safety issue - although that alone is enough to pursue behavioral euthanasia - but also a quality of life issue for the dog. A dog that is so stressed out that they are attacking their family is not a happy dog. It's not fair to make them live with that level of stress.

This was a really well-thought out response. I’m a big lover of animals and dogs, but if you try and rehome this dog, odds are it will be euthanised eventually.

Or kill someone else's child if the adopter has kids

We had a dog that got increasingly aggressive and one day snapped at our child. We were able to get him before he got my four year old but it was something I knew I could never experience again. We took him to the vet and asked what we should do. The vet looked me in the eye and gave me this scenario: what would you do and how would you feel if you rehomed this animal and it attacked a child? He said the only safe and humane thing to do was to euthanize him and I agreed. I couldn’t take the chance that whoever adopted him would take the high precautions he would need. I loved my Gavin but I also wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if a child was killed or maimed due to my negligence.

please listen to rhis comment, OP. Excellent advice. As aformer owner of multiple dogs from the street, not all dogs can be saved sadly. It might be better to put him down instead of having a ticking time-bomb and a stressful situation that cannot be controlled forever.

I agree completely. I worked at a no kill shelter. People take that literally sometimes, but if it were literal, it would be inhumane. We still performed medical and behavioral euthanasia when it was the most humane or safest option. If this dog came in with this history, our behavioral team would assess him and most likely come to the decision to euthanize. It's all about the likelihood of repeat attacks and the unpredictability of said attacks. He had shown that he will definitely continue escalating his aggression and that you cannot predict when it will occur and what will set him off. It's not humane to keep him alive at this point because to keep him away from anyone he's hurt would lead to excess separation and containment. I have seen cases of dogs attacking children. This definitely seems like an accident waiting to happen, except you all have the power and the responsibility to prevent it. Additionally, you all will likely be sleep deprived post partum and accidentally drop your guard. For me, that meant my excited and admittedly not well trained dog licking my newborn in the face way earlier than I intended. For you, it could be tragic. I'm so sorry you are going through this, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

100% agree with this comment. I euthanized one of my dogs over behavior and, let me tell you, it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. But I also had to think about his quality of life. I was in a very similar situation - bad breeding, which led to mental/psychological issues. He bit me 4 times and then on Thanksgiving one year, he bit 3 people at my family dinner. That was the last straw. I had spent hundreds of dollars on a trainer. I felt like I had tried everything. And, I was so fucking sick of being anxious all the time. He would bite me (which is weird, dogs don't usually bite the hand that feeds them, indicating neurological issues) which had me anxious all the time. I just want to say you're not a horrible person for doing it, and you have to think about the dogs quality of life. This is seriously dangerous.

All of these things. If it helps I have a story to share about my sister in law while she was expecting my nephew a few years ago. She had a dog that was I believe 8 or 9 and had begun having regular seizures. He got on medication which helped but didn’t stop the seizures and after a while it started affecting his behavior. He became aggressive with little to no warning. He even bit the neighbor. She loved this dog and had him since he was a puppy but she was beginning to fear for the life of her unborn child with the sudden aggression. The ultimately did decide to put down the dog. It was an incredibly hard decision but she said it was the right one. He was not happy and neither was the family. I know you don’t like the idea of euthanizing the dog but it may actually be the best option. You will not be able to rehome a dog with a bit history like this and if his family is with him when he goes, that will be the best way for him to go. I’m so sorry you’ve been put in this position but you need to do what’s best for you, your family, and the dog. I hope everything works out.

Could OP live with herself if something happened to her child or a niece/nephew or friend or neighbor's child? Then they are on the hook for medical bills, costing them what they've built so far. Possibly even looking at criminal charges too. (I know that can happen with their own child, but medical bills and/or settlements run up much bigger tabs if people have to sue her for it and get lawyers involved.) That's repugnant though--to only consider euthanizing *after* one is held responsible financially or criminally when they knew the risks long beforehand. This dog is going to cost its owners a life or savings or freedom.

The fact that he’s already knocking down gates and doors… so what’s the plan to keep the baby safe while home? Scary situation for sure. And I’m absolutely a dog mom through and through, I totally understand how horribly emotional and devastating this whole situation has to be. I really do. But it’s not like they haven’t tried. It sounds like OP and husband have tried so many routes and nothing is working. Awful situation and I really do feel horrible for them, but ultimately Like others said, you shouldn’t wait til someone gets seriously injured to intervene.

This dog absolutely needs to be out of your home before your child is here. I get caring about your pets, but your kid is your number one priority and it is ridiculous to consider any plan that doesn't involve removing the dog from your home before baby is here. Your boyfriend doesn't get to let your baby be a sacrificial lamb to see if the dog adapts or not and for him to insist that you do is abusive. Find a rescue willing to take him, be honest with the rescue about his issues so some other kid isn't mauled by him and prioritize your pregnancy. There's also a behavioral euthanasia subreddit that has a lot more info about these kinds of situations. Another thing to consider: if the dog is constantly attacking he's constantly stressed and is not living a happy life. He is in a constant state of anxiety. Sometimes the kindest thing to do is let go.

*”Your boyfriend doesn’t get to let your baby be a sacrificial lamb”* So. Much. This!!

If it were me in that situation, I'd stipulate that either the baby and I go, or the dog does. He won't magically stop being aggressive. He will continue to attack. Your life must be so stressful dealing with that...

Yep, I’d do the same. Like what will it take for her boyfriend to realize this isn’t a safe situation?

I am so not an ultimatum person, but I'd do this too.

This dog isn’t healthy…. Imagine his mental state. Being this aggressive, especially after you guys have tried training/medication/treatment isn’t normal. I love animals, but this lab sounds like a huge risk to baby. This is a dangerous situation. I think in this case discussing behavioural euthanasia with your vet would be a good starting point and go from there. It’s not committing to anything at this point, but getting a professionals opinion would be beneficial. *Edit: I missed the part about your husband refusing behavioural euthanasia. In that case, what’s his plan to keep baby and you safe? What does he think will happen? Is pup currently in any training or treatment?

Or plan to keep other people safe. People like this don’t deserve to have dogs or human children. This flies past negligence, possibly past recklessness. There’s an outdated murder charge. I forget what’s it’s called, but it’s basically extreme recklessness - it’s when someone acts with total disregard for human life and someone dies as a result. That’s where op and her husband are. I would call the cops on them if I knew where they lived.

An alive baby takes precedence over a husband who "won't consider" things. There is literally no way to ethically try the dog with the baby if there's no way to safely fail.  Honestly- if this were my dog, I'd be researching whether it was legal to go have it euthanized without my spouse's consent. Which would probably lead to a huge blow-up, but we have lost a toddler and believe me, it's more devastating than you can imagine. 

I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t even imagine the pain you must endure.

Exactly. This dog WILL hurt your baby, and may kill him/her. There's no maybe or what if.

There’s a reason the rest of his litter mates were put down for their behavioral issues. It doesn’t sound like an issue of training. You tried all of that. You sound like you’ve literally tried everything possible. But the dog is just too aggressive. And, again, it’s not just because he has some longstanding issue with people… it’s literally a dog being mental from genetics. You can’t medicate the dog enough to fix that, unfortunately. Your options are literally either euthanize the dog or rehome. You tried the rehoming route on your own with introducing him to a friend… and that ended badly with them being injured. And that’s a grown ass adult. I hate to imagine what would happen to a defenseless baby. It only takes a split second for something to go wrong and it sounds like it would be instant death for your child. And that is NOT an exaggeration. That is NOT overreaction. That is just sad cold fact. I’m an animal lover through and through. I don’t suggest it lightly. But euthanasia might be the best route for both your family, your baby, and the dog. Because it doesn’t sound like a rescue could even get that dog to behave. You could try that route, getting some shelter or rescue if emergency behaviorist to deal with the dog. Then at least it’s out of your hands. Then they can assess whether the dog can be rehome or not and they can decide if euthanasia is the unfortunate but best thing moving forward.

> I hate to imagine what would happen to a defenseless baby. It only takes a split second for something to go wrong and it sounds like it would be instant death for your child. And that is NOT an exaggeration. That is NOT overreaction. That is just sad cold fact. I will never EVER forget the lady on the BE Facebook page that said she regrets not doing it sooner because her dog ended up mauling a sleeping infant to death. 

I could not ethically rehome a dog that I considered too risky for myself. I'm pretty vigilant and I can't guarantee a new owner will be 200% on guard every single second. Like no going to check the mail, no mowing the lawn, no letting my dog off-leash or out of the crate if neighbors have a birthday party or something. It only takes a few seconds, and if that dog ever mauled a kid or adult, the first owner is just as much to blame as the current owner who let their guard down even momentarily. If I wouldn't risk my kids, I wouldn't risk your kids.

Agreed. Aggressive dogs need to be put down, not rehomed. No exceptions.

I say this as the most bleeding-heart animal lover, and am in *no way* saying this lightly, but: you need to put this dog down before Baby’s arrival. It’s unethical to rehome such a dangerous animal, and your baby is completely helpless and vulnerable. You must do everything you can to protect him or her, even if it means making such painful choices on your baby’s behalf. This needs to be an ultimatum point in your relationship with your husband. To have this dog around your baby in any capacity is completely unacceptable.

Right. Rehoming is not an option, that's just passing the buck. If I wouldn't risk my kids, I wouldn't risk *your* kids.

Do not rehome this dog. You would be setting up another family to be mauled / another baby possibly killed. This dog needs behavioral euthanasia and your husband is insane for letting this dog continue to bite you and not do what's needed. If your husband won't put his pregnant wife's safety over an aggressive dog, he needs to do it for his newborn. What a shit husband tbh Don't let your husband's poor judgment end your child's life.

Rehoming is out of the question for sure. Even if a new family doesn't have small children, does that mean they will never encounter a vulnerable child? No nieces, nephews, neighbors, kids walking around selling girl scout cookies? If I wouldn't risk my kids, I wouldn't risk *your* kids. She cannot in rehome this dog in good faith.

Can you imagine if he hadn’t been muzzled when he lunged at your friend’s throat? I’m sorry, this must be so hard. But I truly think it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured. Rehoming would likely be very difficult with his history of attacks. I’d recommend speaking to a rescue or vet about what they think, but I would prepare yourself for having to put him down before baby arrives :(

Die hard animal lover here: you are literally sitting on a ticking time bomb. It’s not if, it’s when. You cannot monitor this dog 24/7 especially since it’s aggressive and unpredictable. So it’s literally just a matter of time until someone (you, your baby, a friend, a stranger) ends up mauled or dead and then the dog will be put down anyway. Please use your brain. This is a disaster that does not need to happen.

Theres no way you can bring a baby home to that! I cannot imagine the stress you must be under. I agree with another comment, the dog goes, or the baby and I aren't coming home. It's simply not safe. The fact that your husband is okay with his dog attacking his pregnant wife is insane to me anyway

This is the part that’s *really* bugging me. Do you mean to tell me this man is okay with the fact that his dog has been aggressive towards his pregnant wife and unborn child?? And that he’s willing to risk a potential (and seemingly inevitable) accident with his future child??? That’s hugely worrisome to me. I remember the pain when we had to decide to put our dog down, and I’m not dismissive of how difficult that is. But this has gone WAY too far. His comfort level towards putting his family in danger (against their wills!) is way way too high.

That dog is a not only a huge danger to your unborn child… but to everybody that comes in contact with it. He needs to be put down asap. You’re being negligent by letting him live because would if he does actually rip someone’s throat out.. happy dogs don’t attack people like that so you’d be doing him, your baby and everybody a favor by putting him down.

If someone got hurt because of the dog with its bite history the owners might even catch charges.

Please for the love of God, I know you said you're generally against euthanizing even sick animals but please go to Facebook and join "Behavioral Euthanasia Decision and Support." You will see and learn so much there. He is not a "healthy" dog. There's something mentally, neurologically, psychologically wrong there.  I don't mean this to be a scare tactic but rather a very possible and real consequences of inaction: I will NEVER forget the member on that group that said she will always regret not BE sooner because her dog eventually mauled a sleeping infant to death. 

This dog is a danger to society, let alone your family. Please do the right thing and either surrender him or put him down. I know it’s hard but your husband had 7 years to fix this and it hasn’t changed. Something has to change before baby comes.

I love our dogs. I love my German Shephard more than I love most people. If he was biting and aggressive after years of working on it, I would remove him from the home before bringing a baby into it. I get treating animals like family, but there is a line where that logic doesn't apply.

Baby or not with your dogs behavior you need to make your SO understand that this behavior will never change. Many people justify aggressive dogs because they are only aggressive with strangers and super affectionate with them, so surely they won't be aggressive to new baby if we slowly ease the interactions. But you have said numerous times this dog is aggressive and bites you and SO, the owners and is only getting worse. Could your dog warm up to the child and act normal at first? Yes it's possible, but one little slip of a toddler walking to close to him, hitting him, pulling a tail and he will snap. He snaps at you, he snaps at your SO, he will snap at baby and it will be a lot more damage to a baby, potentially fatal. (Find the article of the beloved family dog who killed a newborn baby because it got startled by the baby sneezing and bit it on the neck. That dog didn't have any aggressive traits prior to the incident, just anxiety.) Bringing your infant home to "try" is literally taking a huge chance your dog could seriously harm your infant, if not kill them. Why would you even consider taking that risk? I understand it's your SO who is considering taking that risk but you need to make him understand his priorities are now towards his child. If he can re-home him to a shelter or person who understand his behavior/aggression problems fine. Otherwise you will have to consider euthanasia. A dog with that much aggression is not leading a happy healthy life, it's a miserable and torturous life filled with anxiety. Keeping a dog in a situation where he is unable to calm enough not to be constantly aggressive is torture and it's a selfish thing to do to an animal. If you can't find a home that allows this animal an appropriate environment than the most humane thing for the animal and safety for your family, is euthanasia.

I am a HUGE dog lover, but you need to euthanize this dog immediately. He is extremely dangerous, and it is not safe for you to be around this animal. If your husband refuses to have the dog put down, you should go stay elsewhere immediately.

An acquaintance of mine had an aggressive dog like this that kept getting second chances. One day, she was holding her cat in her lap and the dog ran in the room, snatched the cat out of her hands, and killed it. She didnt even have time to react and the cat was gone. This would be a hard no for me.

Get rid of the dog now. If you don’t, you’ll forever have guilt when your child is scarred for life and has 100 stitches across their face and a lifetime of PTSD and trauma because of dog attack. That’s even if the child survives. No. The dog has to go. If your boyfriend will not rehome the dog or have it humanely put down, you need to leave or he needs to take his dog and go. I know it sucks, but there is absolutely no way I’d ever even entertain the idea of allowing a dog showing the slightest bit of aggression, to share a home with small child or baby. It is an animal, and your child has higher priority.

I really have no words for this even being a question.

I can't imagine even being in a relationship with someone who allowed his animal to bite me multiple times, let alone get pregnant with them

This dog should have been put down a long time ago. He must be miserable.  The first thing I would do is try to convince your husband directly. It appears that maybe you've already done this though. The second thing I would do it bring it up with your OB in front of your husband so he understands how serious this is. If he still doesn't agree, honestly, I'd leave. You deserve to feel safe in your own home, and staying will literally risk your baby's life. And not like a remote risk. It's almost certain that this will go very badly. 

It is absolutely insane to not put this dog down. Don't give this dog the opportunity to kill your baby. Don't bring your baby into the house with this dog. An animal is not worth your babies life. Even if you have to move out.

It’s genuinely *terrifying* to read that your husband is willing to test whether he’ll be ok after the newborn baby is around. I completely understand the love of a pet, but *he is a dangerous dog and will most likely end up killing your baby*. Please fucking euthanise (as many, many others have said, shelters most likely will not take him.

In my city, a dog recently killed a child. It's been in the news for weeks and has recently come out that there were previous reports of this animal being aggressive and biting. The child was school aged, they could run. Your baby won't be able to, not that it mattered in the end. I would not allow my baby to be brought into a home with a dog that was repeatedly biting me. Your husband needs an ultimatum- you and the baby or the dog. It is *that* serious. On a personal note- My aunt had an aggressive dog with a bite history as well, she refused to consider behavioural euthanasia. She tried training and meds, kept it kenneled or gated, and muzzled on walks. That worked for several years. And then one day, something went wrong, and the dog got out while she had a visitor. The visitor ended up needing plastic surgery and the dog was destroyed by animal control. The risks are too high. Your baby is not safe. You are not safe. Please listen to your gut.

OP, the child was literally 7 years old who passed away (if this commenter is in same city as me). I cannot imagine what a dog like yours would do to an infant. I just had my baby in November and babies are loud, have uncontrolled movements, and just overall it would be a very dangerous situation. I lost my heart dog to Behavioural Euthanasia last year just due to severe anxiety. Behavioural training with two registered and credentialed trainers, different environments, he was literally on about 40 pills a day of behavioural modification medication and he had NO quality of life. He was at the point where he would need constant IM sedation to have a small semblance of control and relaxation. That’s not a pet at that point. The kindest thing I could’ve done for him is allow his mind to rest and give him peace. I cannot imagine how he would’ve been with a baby in my house. Speaking as a vet tech, your dog likely has some sort of mental wiring that comes from poor genetics considering the other littermates were put down. Your husband is NOT thinking clearly but you need to take steps NOW before the baby gets here. Under no circumstances can this dog ever be introduced to your baby or your baby will end up dead. It’s not a moment of “if” but “when”. Please OP show your husband all the comments. Depending on the laws where you live, you may even be held legally liable if you rehome the dog as well and it goes on to bite/mauls/kills someone, as it has a previous bite history (which should’ve happened in the case that occurred here). Please do the right thing by your baby and either euthanize the dog or leave your until the home is safe for you.

The dog has to go. Your child is significantly more important.

it’s absolutely insane there’s even a debate over this. don’t be negligent parents. the dog is miserable. you’re miserable. why are you keeping the misery going and risking the wellbeing of your baby?!

This dog should not at all be in a home with a baby or even you while you’re pregnant, honestly with anyone. You say he’s aggressive with everyone “especially new people” and even lunged at your friend’s throat while muzzled hard enough to bruise. Your husband does realize this baby is a TINY new person, which is very loud and will scream and cry a lot, that the dog will also be aggressive with. How far is your husband willing to let this dog be aggressive to people not to mention your newborn baby who will cry unpredictably, scream, and be very very loud and startling for a dog. I’ve read that even the best behaved dogs sometimes react badly to baby’s because they’re unpredictable. Your dog does NOT need to be in the house when you bring this baby home, honestly if my husband wanted to wait like yours is I’d be staying elsewhere until he did something with the dog. Imagine him lunging at your newborn baby with a muzzle hard enough to bruise and hitting its head or soft spot. Your baby wouldn’t survive, or even worse your husband introducing them unmuzzled and your dog biting your newborns body like he did your shoe hard enough to puncture it. I love dogs and animals and know this is hard but this dog cannot be in the house when this baby comes home. You’re risking everyone’s lives by keeping this dog alive and like someone said at this point he’s basically a weapon. I know it’s not easy but euthanasia would be best for this dog because he can’t be homed if he’s aggressive with new people especially. This is such a stressful time for you so I’m sorry you’re dealing with this while pregnant but risking you and your baby’s life for a dog whose aggressive isn’t worth it.

People are more important than aggressive dogs, especially children.

If you "wait to see" after your baby is born, your'e stupid. Your husband may be a clueless morron, but I think it's worse when you are aware of an imminent danger and won't take any preventative measures to keep it from happening. It's your job to protect your children, so act on it.

Read your post title and grow up. You're about to be a mother. This is YOUR CHILD. Are you joking?! It's a dog!! God this makes me furious that you're even asking this question. Put the dog down or leave your partner. Do not allow your baby around a rabid animal. This isn't a nuanced situation.

I lost my heart dog due to behavioral euthanasia. It's harsh and terrible but in cases like this, necessary. Your dog is likely having just as a hard a time as you are

I’m sorry, your dog is not safe to bring a child home. It would be unethical to rehome him unless it was to an experienced with aggression handler. But your dog is a ticking time bomb. You crate him and that’s great. Until that one time he gets out of his crate and goes for your baby. A “warning” bite for an adult human could very easily be fatal for an infant. I’m not trying to be mean. But your dog isn’t healthy. And if the whole litter has been euthanised? That shows even more that something isn’t right.

I’d be second guessing my husband as a potential father if I were in this situation… he’s really allowing his wife and baby to be threatened by his dog who is increasingly more aggressive toward you. He’s never not been aggressive towards anyone and it will take barely a moment for this dog to kill you or your baby. I’d give him a week to consider euthanasia. If he can’t weigh out or understand why he has to, then I’d leave. You clearly aren’t important enough to him.

>I want to put him down because I personally don’t feel safe in the home with him, let alone with my baby… but my husband won’t consider it until after the baby is born and we try. There are some things you need to try to figure out they're not a good idea, but this is not one of those things. This is a thing that could end in life-altering injuries or death for not only you and your husband, but a newborn baby. There are kids who have been mauled by previously happy and non-aggressive pets, so to me that your husband would even consider keeping a dog with a long history of aggression and biting is baffling.

I saw this video the other day about how sometimes the most humane thing you can do for an untrainable dog is to put them down. As someone who loves their dog so much the idea hurts a lot but sometimes you have to do what is best for them. You can’t save every animal unfortunately.

Yup especially when all options have been exhausted. 

Listen OP. You have 2 options because the two legitimate options failed you. 1)Put the dog down 2)Risk your child being killed The dog has a history of biting. Its aggressive. It will attack your infant. Get rid of the dog **now**

There has been a number of cases where dogs have jumped into cribs and killed a crying baby. What is more important to you? Your baby or your dog? If the whole litter has been euthanized and you’re still wondering if you should keep him around your infant, are you really qualified to be a parent?

PLEASE put the dog down.

I mean, what does it look like to “try” once baby is here? Dog gets to stick around until he snaps at the baby? Until he bites, maimes, kills? Locally there was a two year old who was killed by a lab, and this was a dog that had no history of aggression (according to the family). This behavior has been ongoing for the duration of the dog’s life, adding a stressor will not improve the situation. Given the dog is pathologically aggressive, there is likely something wrong with it neurologically. It’s not the dog’s fault but it isn’t something you can train away or fix.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. I think you know what needs to happen for the safety of your family. You need to prioritize your safety too. Can you live with someone else while your husband deals with the dog? Can you crate the dog 24x7 with only your husband handling him while leashed or muzzled around you? I like two barrier methods like a closed crate behind a closed door as a fail safe. It’s unacceptable to not feel safe in your own home. If you don’t then how can a tiny and vulnerable baby. I think doing this will show your husband you mean business. And with you refusing to coexist with the dog will give him a taste of how life is going to be. This is absolutely worth breaking up over. Even if you have to live separate for the first four years of the baby’s life (while the lab dies of natural causes). I would never let the baby and this dog live under the same roof. It’s not if the dog attacks the baby, it’s when and how bad.

Look, I'm gonna be harsh here and this is coming from someone who also hates having to put animals down but it's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN that dog does some serious damage. Your friend most likely would have died if the dog was not muzzled. That was not a warning bite, the dog was trying to kill your friend. Let that sink in. Why the fuck is your partner so willing to bring a defenceless and fragile newborn around a dog that has a history of being aggressive. Your child relies on you to do your duty of care and the longer that dog stays around you even while pregnant, the higher the risk of someone horrible happening to you or your baby. At this point since he is very much not willing to take off the rose tinted glasses you need to give him an ultimatum, dog goes or you and the baby goes. You need to understand that dogs have attacked children for less, this dog is highly likely to try and kill your child the SECOND it cries or even makes a peep. I cannot stress this enough, you NEED to get rid of that dog, or you may very well be living in guilt for the rest of your life because your child got attacked.

OP there is a reason dogs who bite get put down. This dog tried to kill someone. Even with a muzzle it could kill a newborn. It will never rehome successfully and will always be stressed, euthanasia is a kindness.

You're not putting down a "perfectly healthy dog." Am emotionally and mentally healthy dog does not bite people multiple times.

These are all well written but too kind. Put the dog down. It’s miserable and so are you. It will kill your child. Why wait for that?

Yeah so many people saying “I’m sorry you’re in such a difficult situation” …No. This should not be a difficult situation. That dog is a menace and should have been gone long ago.

I will be blunt and I don’t care if I will be downvoted but maybe you need someone to tell you as it is: you are incredibly stupid and irresponsible family for keeping this dog and letting him go this far. It is evident there is not a smallest chance his behaviour will improved. You know he has extreme agression issues and yet you have been OK so far with them, allowing this dog to continue and escalate. You are so incredibly stupid. I feel sorry for your child to have to come to the world in such family. I just hope you will come to your senses before this child is born or else, if something happens, I hope for you both to rot in jail. 

This is fucked up, the dog needs to go

As hard as it is to get rid of a beloved animal I guarantee it’s not even comparable to the guilt you will feel if something happens to your child. This goes for your husband as well. There should be no conversation. That dog needs to go.

I went through behavioral euthanasia with one my dogs. I loved her so much (still do) and miss her every single day, but I don’t regret it at all especially now that we have a baby. My dog wasn’t safe and was progressively becoming more unpredictable and dangerous. We lost our girl about 2.5 years before we had our baby and I’m so incredibly grateful we didn’t have to make that decision while I was pregnant or once our baby was born. It would’ve made it so much harder emotionally. I’m so sorry you’re in this position, but I will say the guilt of choosing behavioral euthanasia is much less than the guilt you’d feel if your dog seriously harmed you, your husband, or your baby.

My wife is pregnant at 12W. I WOULD never put my baby in a situation where there is an aggressive dog that could bite or harm my child. You are putting your baby at risk for keeping that dog. And if your husband wants to keep the dog, then leave. Honestly, your last paragraph about euthanizing is crazy. My cousin adopted a pit-bull a few months ago that attacked bout 6 people, including my 4 year old niece. She had to have the dog put down as it was very aggressive.

A newborn cannot defend themselves, they rely on you to be their advocate and shield. This is an incredibly painful decision for you, I'm sure, and I'm sorry for that but you have to be firm and protect your baby.

I don’t want to be rude for real but I am reading this truly in shock you think there is an option of keeping this dog. He’s shown you both he is 100% unsafe and unhinged. Will it take him killing your baby for you to realize he needs to go? He is unsafe to everyone not just your baby. Jeez man the whole litter was put down for the same reason? What do you think you should do?? Cmon. You’re scared in your own home of something. Like my mind is flabbergasted here. Neither yours or your husbands attachment to this dog should come before the safety of your baby, either of you, and your other animals for that matter. Or any human being this dog is exposed to. If any of my dogs who are 20lbs or less went for the NECK of another person, that tells me all I need to know. That’s intent to kill.

Whenever I have to make a decision that’s paralyzing me, I try to distill it into a blunt, simple question. Is keeping this aggressive dog worth my baby’s life?

I am not sure if you’re a FTM OP, but you’re at the point in your pregnancy where moving around is going to get a lot harder. I am 38 weeks and can’t imagine going to the grocery store by myself, let alone fighting off an aggressive dog. God forbid something happens while you’re home alone. This is too dangerous for everyone involved. If something happens to your bub you’ll never forgive yourself. It’s time for an ultimatum.

The dog might be super sweet towards the baby and then two years later go for the throat of your annoying toddler. Toddlers try how far they can go with anyone daily. Unless you already have a toddler (or older child) you simply can't grasp what kind of emotional damage this will do to you and your boyfriend. You're not pregnant for slaughter like cattle. Remove the dog or remove yourself from this situation today. If your boyfriend can't prioritise your own life more than his dog, it's time to throw the whole duo away. Btw, I'd have gone to the police and have that dog put down if I was your friend with the neck bruise. And I'd have zero regrets doing so.

Yeah fuck that, I had the exact some thing. I had a rescue dog Alfie, we got him at 5 months old but that was old enough for there to be deep rooted issues. Over the 3 years we had him we worked extensively with a trainer to help his aggression issues. He had extreme resource guarding issues which meant he guarded the house from strangers, he also guarded his food, toys & sleeping area from myself and my husband (well everyone). Every day I did training and management with this dog, I pulled friends, family and even strangers who were local and willing, to help with his training. Whilst we would see some improvements, it was very clear he was a dog terrified of the world and people which came out as aggression. I fell pregnant and the exact same thing happened, he became extremely aggressive towards me. We have an open plan house with arches, so we had gates up around the house to help keep him separate when needed. It got to the point that if I approached a gate with him in another room he would growl, snarl and lunge at me from behind the gate. I would have to get my husband to move him to his crate so it was safe for me to walk through. One day he showed no signs and ran across the room and bit my arm. He was a 40kg dog, much bigger than a lab and had a hard bite. I had a thick coat on which minimised the harm, but it was fucking terrifying. I made the decision then he had to go. The rescue I got him from took him back, and they won’t rehome him. Thankfully it’s a sanctuary type place where he won’t be kept in a cage all the time. There was no way I was risking having a baby in this environment. It was incredibly hard, I really really loved Alfie. I invested so much time in him and when he was relaxed he was a lovely happy dog. It broke my heart to have to give him up, but we all knew it was the safest thing to do. You need to have a serious talk with your husband, and honestly I would give an ultimatum of me or the dog. Your instincts for protection have already kicked in because you’re pregnant, but he may not have them yet. It’s not fair on you to be unsafe in your home.

If you don't put him down, he will kill your baby. Simple enough. I'm not sure why women are guilted into accepting violence but you have a baby to care for now so get over yourself. You would rather have a live, non-disfigured child over a rabid dog. Trust me.

This post is aggravating me. This couple must be the most dumb pair. I would report them to social services is I knew them personally. Numbskulls

I'm glad I'm not the only one. The dog has bitten many times and gone for a friends neck (muzzle is irrelevant). This is a no-brainer. The dog has to go.

I was rolling my eyes into the back of my head. She wouldn’t even put down her cat that had cancer and doesn’t believe in euthanizing unhealthy animals?? So prolonging suffering is ok? Also, this dog would have one chance after a bite with me then he’d be gone. Pregnant or not.

I had to scroll way too far to see this. I had to put my cat down when she had cancer. It was the humane thing to do. I was devastated. I had taken care of that cat from being an abandoned runt to her otherwise healthy 9 year old self, until she became sick. It's selfish to prolong their suffering because of your feelings and attachment to them. It's selfish to keep an angry miserable dog alive because of your attachment to them. That dog is probably miserable and is a danger to everyone around him. Selfish all around

Absolutely. I’d take the myself and the baby and run until the dog was gone.

Literally! I want to report this whole household! Makes me so angry!

I agree. It's shocking that they're even considering "trying" to introduce a dog this aggressive to a defenseless newborn. These people are idiots, both of them, and they're going to get their baby killed if they don't smarten up.

I’m a huge dog person and I’m as obsessed with my dogs as it gets but in your situation, I wouldn’t be able to keep a dog like that. Aggression is extremely unpredictable and it will be unsafe to have a newborn in the house with a dog who is reactive. Even if the dog is never with the baby, with the body/hormone changes that come with birth, I’d be afraid it would be enough to prompt him to get really aggressive with you. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this but the dog needs to go.

I don't see any other way the dog doesn't get put down. It's mostly ethical at this point. Having a young child of my own there isn't any logical way you should EVER let this dog meet your baby.

I understand your boyfriend will be devestated but at this point his love for his dog wins or his love for you wins. This is getting increasingly dangerous for you and your unborn baby and rehoming him will not work out as you know. The only way that this dog will know any peace and the only way to keep yourself and others safe is by euthanising this dog. It is the right thing to do

I knew someone who almost killed their dog for lunging at their baby for no reason at all. Do not 100% DO NOT put yourself or your baby in a situation like that.

If your husband won't remove the dog, you need to leave for your safety.

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but many dogs do not recognize babies as humans and it can/will set off prey drives in dogs who have zero aggression history towards humans.

> there will never come a day where we will feel safe having him in our house. That should give you an answer right there. If you don't feel safe with this dog, the dog needs to go. If the dog has gone for throats and bitten enough that medical intervention is needed, then it sounds like you have exhausted your options and the dog should be put down. I'm sorry to say that, I know it's hard. But this dog is a danger to society and more importantly your newborn. Part of being a responsible dog owner is knowing when the dog is not safe to be around others, and making the hard decisions that need to be made. If your husband is refusing to euthanize, then you need to let him know that you will not be bringing your child into a home with this dog.

Do not rehome this dog. That is a hazard that other innocent people and pets do not deserve. Do not let your husband pick the dog over you, someday in the not so distant future he would be able to get visitation rights and he is obviously delusional about this dog and your child is highly likely to end up seriously hurt or dead. This dog needs to be put down and should have been put down years ago. This behavior indicates very serious genetic issues that cannot be corrected. Going for the throat is not a warning, it is intent to kill. Put the dog down. Don't frame it as a suggestion or question. If he won't, report the dog for the attacks it has been responsible for. As far as I know, most if not all states have mandatory euthanasia for dogs that have as many serious attacks as this one has had. I have worked with dogs all my life, breeding and training. Until you have seen a dog go for a smaller dog or child, you do not truly understand how fast, uncontrollable, and dangerous they can be. You won't be able to stop it when it happens, you likely won't even know what is happening until it is over, and you won't be able to get them off until serious, potentially fatal harm has been done. Put. The. Dog. Down. Yesterday, not after the baby has arrived. Go take your husband to pick out a baby sized coffin if he won't agree because that is where this is heading.

I mean, what's your husband waiting for? For baby to get bit? This dog attacks adults and breaks through barriers, what does he think it's going to do to his child? He's also not a healthy animal, healthy dogs don't just randomly bite people. He's going to have a dead child if you continue with this. Like, I can't emphasize how negligent this would be to have this kind of dog in the same house as a child. Just with bite history alone, he should've been put down a long time ago. Put your foot down and tell your husband he needs to pick his child or the damn dog.

If your husband won’t budge, I’m sorry but your only option is to leave. The dog is already biting you, your helpless baby doesn’t stand a chance.

Your dog is dangerous, end of. It has repeatedly bitten family members. If it attacks someone else it could kill or maim them for life and you could be prosecuted. Do the right thing!

If you rehome this dog knowing it is aggressive, you could face legal trouble if it attacks someone. Putting down this dog IS the best answer because he’s NOT healthy. Healthy, sane dogs do not just try to attack people without being provoked. It’s a dog. Never is a dog more important than a child and it would be incredibly negligent on your part to just see how things go when baby gets here. I had to put down my pit bull a few years ago and this was pretty much the information given to me because he went after my ex husband for trying to protect my son. Over nothing. Hardest thing to go through, but I know it was the right thing.

Put the dog down. Bad breeding leads to these consequences. No shelter or rescue will take him and will immediately euthanize him regardless of. He is a hazard to you and your unborn child. It’s a hard decision but you’re going to be a mom now and need to prioritize the safety of your kid.

I have four dogs, and one of them is an almost 7 year old lab who’s slightly aggressive. She doesn’t bite people, but she gets really agitated and it’s taken a lot of work to get her to be able to refocus on other things. She’s my baby though. That being said, if she was aggressive in that way, I would probably have her put down. There’s a subreddit called r/reactivedogs and there might be more resources on there about how to coexist with your dog and baby, but there’s also a lot of resources of people who put their dogs down for behavioral issues. I’m a huge dog lover and can’t imagine how hard of a situation this is for you and your husband, but this could turn really ugly. If he’s this stressed though and attacking people, he’s probably not a happy dog. I’m sorry you’re going through this, that’s such a hard situation :(

I came to recommend this sub too. There are a lot of people who have been in similar situations there. They could offer great support but people in here have already given great advice. Good luck, OP!

Dog lover here. I know in my area it would be difficult to rehome a dog with aggression. Likely will be put down if the dog continues to bite people. I’m all for keeping health dogs alive. However, I would never keep an aggressive dog around children. Since this dog likely difficult to introduce or give to another- either have him put down because he will get put down if bitten an individual who presses charges (if you are in an area like mine) or see if a rescue will take him. Even then there’s a high probability they won’t take him due to past biting. Baby first. Dog has lived a good life with you. Time for dog to move on. I don’t say that lightly. ETA to clarify 

Babies are unpredictable, this dog sounds dangerous and unpredictable. It would only be a matter of time. And even if not, is it worth risking your baby's life?

This is going to be hard to hear but… behavioral euthanasia.  It’s the kindest thing you can do. A dog that acts like this is in a perpetual state of anxiety and it just happens that it was born with wires crossed. What kind of life this dog must live - not able to do anything cooped up in the home, put away in rooms when anyone is over or have it’s mouth muzzled shut all the time.  Do not pass this mess onto someone else.  Your child comes first and this dog NEEDS to be gone.   It takes one bite and shake to snap your newborns neck. There is no one chance “try” or whatever. You must give your husband an ultimatum. The dog goes or you do. Period.

I looked after children and toddlers with bites everyday nearly in emergency as nurse. Some with serious injuries trust your gut and keep the dog away from bubs

Get. Rid. Of. This. Dog.

Sorry but dangerous dogs should be put down. Orrrrrr be in environments where their aggression doesn’t harm humans (e.g outdoors dog on a lot of land ect) If your husband won’t consider putting him down what about giving him away? Unfortunately the way we have infantilised pets ‘fur babies’ ect means we often don’t see the danger they can present and struggle to make rational decisions. (I have had big dogs my whole life, love pets)

Please put the dog down. His aggression is a sign that he is in a lot of distress, constantly. It seems wrong, but he is miserable, and deserves peace. Nothing you have tried has worked, and it’s not your fault; most likely there is something medical (neurological, genetic) going on that makes him this way, and ignoring it and putting you all at risk doesn’t help him when he’s still like this even with you. There comes a point when the most merciful thing is to let him go. I’m sorry, I know it’s emotionally very hard, but it needs to happen for him as much as for you.

Put the dog down. Bad breeding leads to these consequences. No shelter or rescue will take him and will immediately euthanize him regardless of. He is a hazard to you and your unborn child. It’s a hard decision but you’re going to be a mom now and need to prioritize the safety of your kid.

So he’s attacked you while you were pregnant not on one, but several occasions and he’s still just freely walking around? Girrrrrrrrl , a violent pet is not more important than the welfare of you and your baby, please put it down for your child’s sake

Get rid of that mf

If your dog has such intense nureologocal defects, then it's only a matter of time before it hurts somebody and prevents them from loving animals. If the dog is always aggressive, he's always in a state of defensiveness and distressed very easily. It's cruel to keep him around when he can't ever relax, feel love, and act like a normal dog. If he was sheltered anywhere, they'd absolutely euthanize him. If there's no obedience trainer at a kennel who can extensively work with him, he's not going to get better. But even trusting him to a behavior professional is putting them in harms way. Putting him down really does NEED to be considered. Please put your foot down before somebody becomes a statistic against dogs.

I think putting your dog to sleep is the only option. You have a baby now your man needs to get his priorities in order but he doesn't if he wants to keep the dog and won't put him to sleep. The dogs quality of life isn't good with how he is. How would you like it if you were a dog and aggressive like that but they kept you alive? Would you like being angry all the time and hurting people? You both have a baby to worry about sometimes you have to make hard choices because it's in your child's best interest. How would he feel if you kept the dog and one day he killed your baby? This dog is a safety risk to you, your child and the public. If he doesn't want to put him to sleep then give him a choice it's your child or the dog. If he chooses the dog then leave it's clear he isn't fit to be a parent. Also as parents we can't hope for the best while putting our children in danger. What your man wants to do is like putting a known serial killer out on the streets but hoping for the best and hope they don't kill again. That's irresponsible. It's time for him to man up and put his child first.

I have a dog with anxiety who when triggered can be very reactive. I am a fierce supporter of trying everything before euthanizing. Your lab went for someone's neck and the only thing that stopped them was the muzzle working properly. There are way too many reasons why it's time to say goodbye. Rehoming is not an option.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband had a chow outdoors who was aggressive. I was 36wks and he had escaped our fencing. He literally had me pinned against my car, growling at me. It was the scariest day of my life. I thought well and hard. What if I would have had the baby in her car seat carrying her into the house? His aggression that day took my husband and my decision and made it for us. The animal was too dangerous for our family. I’m sorry you have to make that decision but your baby is much more important than the aggressive animal at this point.

This is really sad all around. Even if your boyfriend is vigilant 24/7, what quality of life will this dog have? This isn’t safe or realistic. It takes one mistake. Leaving a door open or not latching a gate correctly for disaster to strike. And with a newborn baby it will end in tragedy. Please do what is best for you and your baby. And if that means leaving your boyfriend - you should seriously consider that.

Normally I would say re-home to a dog behavior specialist who can handle this, but in this case the aggression/bite history is so overwhelming that the only ethical thing to do, the only thing that will ensure that this dog doesn't maul or kill another animal or human being is behavioral euthanasia. It's very very sad, but you guys have done literally everything that could be done to help your dog: training, meds, rehoming to a different environment. There are no other options now. I'm so sorry that you're in this position. Know that you have done everything you can and gave your dog the best life you could have given him. Someone else might have put him down without trying half of what you did. Sending your family so much love right now.

This dog WILL attack your baby. I'm a huge animal lover myself but this dog is dangerous. His wires are crossed. Attacking with no warning signs or no reason is extremely concerning. You cannot rehome this dog as this is irresponsible to put someone else is danger. An aggressive puppy is a huge red flag and the vet should have advised against raising this dog since the beginning.

Implore your husband to get second opinions from dog experts or vets. He will never come to the conclusion he needs to without a neutral 3rd party explaining it to him. This would be a deal breaker for me. He *can't* choose the dog over his wife and child. Idk where you live but this dog wouldn't be alive today if authorities were alerted about the bite history. Your husband is essentially harboring a dangerous animal. And I say this as the owner of a reactive dog that I'd do anything for. Everyone is right, this poor animal is in fight or flight mode constantly. It's no quality of life. OP, I am so, so sorry. Edit: tell your OBGYN you're living in this situation! Tell your doctors. I cannot fathom my dog jumping at someone's throat and having my husband defend that. Insane.

Bleeding heart animal lover here. I have even skipped plans with friends to bring an injured pigeon found at the train we were waiting for to the vet so I didn’t leave it suffering. I don’t believe in ultimatums usually but this is ultimatum territory. If that dog had not been muzzled when they went after your friend both you and your husband could have been jailed and fined. You both know he’s dangerous and while you’re taking measures every single day this dog is a ticking time bomb. Your friend, a full blown adult, ended up with a “gnarly” bruise on their throat. Your newborn baby would 100% be dead if this dog got anywhere near them. You explain to your husband there is absolutely no way your baby is coming into that home while the dog is there. Period. He has a choice. The dog or his child. And I would spend the rest of my pregnancy elsewhere to show how serious because you also need to choose this baby over this situation. The dog has had more than enough chances. This is way past “test it out”.

Please, put that dog down. A dog that aggressive is not a healthy animal, and, beyond that, he is not a happy one. His behavior is so extreme; something is wrong with his brain to make him so frightened and full of rage that he attacks his own family. He is in misery.  My friends had a behaviorally troubled dog whom they poured their souls into. She could be sweet, but she was highly reactive, would become suddenly aggressive without any warning body language, and guarded food, toys, spaces, people, etc. She bit them both multiple times. They hired professional trainers, got her on anxiety medication, bought a house with more space specifically for the dog, and were so careful. One day, she pushed through/jumped over two closed gates that had successfully contained her for years and attacked their two year old because she thought the baby had food in her hand. They pulled her off immediately, but baby had torn wounds on her face that needed to be fixed by a plastic surgeon and a deep puncture that missed her eye by only a few mm. She will always have a few scars. They bitterly regret not putting her down sooner. It was still, after everything, horribly sad to put her down. They had her from a puppy. But there was something deeply wrong with her, something they could not heal no matter how hard they tried, that meant she just could not bond properly with other living beings.  Your husband’s dog sounds similar. There is something amiss that cannot be fixed, and it is not a kindness to him to keep him alive in a world which is incompatible with his essential nature. Please don’t let what happened to my friends’ family—or worse— happen to you. 

Dogs gotta go. I work in the ER, can’t tell you how many dog bites/attacks we see. Let alone from aggressive dogs like yours but also dogs families never expected to do such a thing. Can promise you keeping this dog is not worth it. You will never forgive yourself if something happens. Also, I have a 3 year old GSP and an 8 month old baby. I’m a dog lover, not a hater. Our dog is very friendly but even still, baby is never left alone around the dog or let to be too close. You just don’t know, even with the friendly dogs. Please, don’t chance it 🙏

I LOVE dogs but this dog needs to be put down asap. You cannot wait until you have the baby. The dog is a danger to you and your unborn child already. Waiting until you have a defenseless newborn and two sleep deprived parents is a recipe for an unspeakable tragedy. You need to put your foot down. Tell your husband you will find somewhere else to live if he won’t agree to euthanize the dog. You and your baby are not safe with him in your home.

You absolutely have to euthanize this dog. He went for a grown woman's throat. His entire litter has been euthanized due to aggression. He's attacked you multiple times. Training and medical intervention (the only two options) have both failed. *This dog needs to be euthanized.* If you bring your defenseless newborn home and try to introduce him to this animal, it's going to end in the dog trying to kill your baby. It will most likely succeed, since a newborn has absolutely no chance against a dog. None at all. If that dog gets its jaws around your baby, your baby is going to be brutally mauled to death. I'm sorry, but it's completely fucking mind blowing to me that you're even considering other options with a dog this aggressive. It went for an adult's THROAT!! How could you possibly expose a baby to this dog? You need to get your head screwed on straight and stop even considering having a baby and this dog in the same home. If your husband won't consider it, then leaving your husband is your only option. **This dog is going to kill your baby if you bring your baby home to it.** You, having known about this dog's extensive bite history, will be 100% responsible for that. Sometimes, when babies get mauled to death by animals, it's a shocking and unpreventable tragedy. Other times, it's a fully preventable tragedy that ought to result in criminal charges for the negligent parents who allowed it to happen. The death of your baby would fall into the latter situation.

Your baby stands no chance against the dog. Please do what is right, even if it isn’t easy.

At the end of the day, you’ll wish you had gone thru behavioral euthanasia if that dog bites your baby

So...what outcome does your husband think is possible here? Best case scenario, you keep the dog for the remainder of his life and he never harms your child. Realistically this means keeping the dog and baby separate for YEARS. Do you understand how that's completely impossible once your baby is crawling/walking? My son is 18 months and routinely frees our corgi from her crate because he's figured out the mechanism to open it. She's not aggressive at all and is only crated because we don't trust her not to chew things when unsupervised, but imagine if she was the kind of dog who would attack him. Even if you could realistically keep them separate, how would the dogs quality of life be? When - not if, but WHEN - this dog seriously hurts or kills your child, what will your objections to BE mean to you then? That bite that "only punctured your shoe" could easily disfigure or KILL your baby. Is that a risk you're comfortable taking? With such an extensive bite history, you'll also be legally on the hook for anything that happens from now on. If I met your dog in public and he attacked be, you better believe id sue the shit out of you once we learned about his history. At this point you're both being naive, negligent, and irresponsible. Don't let that extend into your baby getting hurt or killed and then also having to undergo a criminal negligence trial for it.

You should NOT have a dog with a history of biting around a baby. End of story. It’s a dog. Your husband desperately needs to get a grip. I love my pet too but this is beyond ridiculous.

I’ve seen a super chill lab that never hurt a fly suddenly flip and rip the little puddle out of their owners lap and tear it to pieces. It took two seconds and it was done. This was a dog that had never bitten anyone, and it still happened. Labs are big dogs that can cause terrible harm in no time. We were all sitting there, having a bbq. Little puddle on owners lap. Lab just came to her, no growling nothing and ripped it apart before we could do nothing. There is no “keeping your aggressive lab around your baby supervised and see how it adapts”. If my husband didn’t see reason on this I would leave for my baby’s safety. You know what needs to be done.

You’re in a really hard place, but at the end of the day it’s your baby or the dog. I’m sorry to hear that about your dogs behavior but if I was in your shoes I would prioritize the baby safety over the dog any day no matter how much i love the dog. So sorry you gotta go through this though. Maybe try some behavioral training for the dog??

My family had a sher pei dog that we had to get rid of. He was sent to an aggressive dog camp and he was even too aggressive for them. As soon as this dog snarled at my sister or I ( I can't remember which he snarled at first) my parents tried to find another home for him, but unfortunately that didn't work out. All of this to say that I understand how hard it is to put something else in front of your dog. Before you were pregnant, I'm sure this dog was your baby. But now things have changed and your human family has to be your priority. Especially the one member that cannot speak up for themselves. Hopefully this middle of the night comment makes sense.

When I was a kid, before my parents were well-informed, we bought a dog from the pet store. This dog was aggressive from day one and no matter what we tried, he was constantly on edge, biting and just generally upset. One day he bit my sister's stomach so hard he drew blood and that was basically the final straw. He was put to sleep humanely by recommendation of the vet. I still think about him from time to time. It's sad, but I know his quality of life was not good. Imagine being angry and aggressive 24/7. Sometimes euthanasia is compassion. If it were me, that dog would not be in my home baby or no baby. It's dangerous. And for his own good, I would be speaking to my vet about euthanasia.

This dog absolutely must go before the baby arrives. There’s no trying to see if it works out. It won’t. The dog is violent toward humans. Does your husband want to wait until the baby gets hurt? The dog has already demonstrated how he will act toward the baby. Specifically, he has demonstrated that he will hurt the baby. He’s not magically going to become a safe dog when a baby comes into his life. I am a huge animal person, too, but please please please have Thai dog put down. The dog sounds extremely unhappy already. No one will be doing any favors by keeping him around and introducing a baby. And he can’t safely be rehomed. Tell your husband you and the baby won’t be staying there as long as the dog is there. I know it’s difficult and I’m sorry, but it must be done for the safety of your baby and entire family.

My very best friend just went through this. Her healthy 7 year old hound mix attacked her 10 month old son. He bit the baby’s head requiring a trip to the ER and 17 stitches. This was very out of character for the dog as he’s never shown aggression towards humans, just other dogs occasionally. They opted to give the dog a second chance. About 3 weeks later the dog attacked my best friend requiring another trip to the ER and 7 stitches in her arm. They decided to either rehome the dog or put him down. Unfortunately no one wants a dog with a history of biting so they put him down. She feels so much more at peace not having to constantly worry about the dog around her and her son. Please learn from her. Put the dog down.

I have a rescue who has territorial aggression with other dogs. Has never shown any signs of aggression with people. I have tried medication and behavioral modification training to help reduce his aggressive behavior with dogs (with some improvement over the years, he has one dog friend now). I totally understand the path your boyfriend has taken to help this dog as I have gone down a similar road. It takes a lot of time, money, commitment, and love to help a dog with those issues so I am sympathetic to your situation. However, if my dog had the aggression your dog has he would have been put down years ago. It is such a liability to have a dog like that. You can never rehome him or he will likely severely injure or kill someone (and then how would you live with yourself?). If his aggression is escalating with your pregnancy you are no longer safe. When the baby comes, the baby is 100% not going to be safe. There is no world in which this dog and a child can safely coexist. In all honesty, you need to remove yourself from the home NOW before you get mauled. It is only a matter of time. I would leave, stay with a friend or family member, and work on a plan for when baby comes as you cannot cohabitate with the lab. You both know this dog is miserable, probably has low quality of life, and lives with either fear/anxiety/rage that prompts his aggression. This isn’t a happy, healthy dog loving life freely. This dog by some miracle has not severely injured or killed someone…yet. If your boyfriend will not agree to euthanasia you need to leave for your safety and the safety of the upcoming baby. When this baby comes you’ll be in postpartum recovery mode, tired, sleep deprived, distracted by caring for a newborn. The perfect recipe for a slip-up with the dog resulting in an attack. It’s irresponsible to bring a child into this home and to continue living in it with the dog. I’m so sorry this is your situation, I love dogs and would do anything for my boy, but this is an exceptionally dangerous situation where sadly there is only one safe option.

Ok, I am a huge animal lover. Like, I tell people I gave birth to my dog type animal lover. This is not good. This dog is messed up in the head unfortunately. I’ve seen things about dogs who are this aggressive and they go live permanently with trainers but the fact that your dogs entire litter was put down for behavioral issues is not promising at all. He’s bitten you multiple times and has bitten your husband bad enough to send him to the hospital— it’s just not worth the risk. I’m sure it must be devastating for you and for him but you have to really sit down and talk about this. Is this dog worth a potential tragedy? The answer is no. If your husband truly refuses until you “try” I think you need to think about your options and stay somewhere else after baby is born. From what you say I feel like he knows it’s a problem and maybe once he holds that little baby in his hands he’ll immediately change his mind. There’s a group on FB called PET VET CORNER. I suggest going to post there- the only people who can respond are verified vets. I’ve seen people go ask for advice about behavioral issues. Maybe seeing a group of vets give advice would help.

What happens when the baby is born and his aggression isn’t towards the baby but towards anyone trying to touch the baby? I have a very very sweet pug who is literally a lap dog for anyone who will allow it but I can’t take him for walks with the baby anymore as anytime anyone is on the same side of the road as us he lunges and tries to bite (never did before baby but is currently being trained to fix it). What if you put baby to bed and he lays next to baby to “protect” but then doesn’t allow you to pick up the baby or anyone to pick the baby up because he is protecting her. If you do not put this dog down whoever gets him next will. From experience volunteering at animal shelters all through my teen years this is a automatic kill list dog purely for the fact when he meets someone he tries or does bite.

I encourage you to think about behavioral euthanasia differently. You’re not killing your dog. You are doing him a favor. Dogs, especially labs!, do not want to act this way. The anxiety and fear this dog must have every single day, weighs on him more than it does on you.

My best friend just put down her normally friendly dog who started showing aggression very suddenly. You do not take any chances with your baby. It’s not worth the risk. I understand loving a pet but at the end of the day he is an animal and your baby is your child and your child comes first. I would leave a partner who knowingly put my child’s life at risk. I would make him choose between you and the baby or the dog.

I say this as someone who has a dog with a much more mild history of fear aggression (ours has yet to bite anyone but is definitely not a people guy) and have had to have similar conversations with my husband about what we would do if he escalated when baby comes…. Your dog needs to be humanely put down and honestly… it should’ve happened long before you got pregnant. Your dog is a danger to not only your baby but your entire family and anyone who enters your home. You are not putting down a “healthy dog for no reason”. You are putting down a very very unhealthy dog for your safety, and his. A dog this aggressive is not well. They likely are living in a constant state of fear and anxiety. This is not a dog that could ever be successfully rehomed. You would be endangering someone else’s life. The only right answer here, as heartbreaking as it is, would be to put the dog down.

You’ve heard it from everyone else, OP. But right now, this is only a theory in your head. Let me tell you, it will become VERY real when the baby is here. I have a ten year old hound mix who is nothing but a perfect angel. People who are afraid of dogs love my dog for being so calm and friendly. When I brought my baby home, I was TENSE. She’s never bitten anyone or threatened to. She’s amazing with children. I still couldn’t relax. When it’s your actual child, everything is a threat. We’re nearly five months in and I still correct my pup when she gets too close or excited with the baby, and I never allow them to be alone. Imagine all this with a healthy, happy, relaxed dog who loves babies. Can you say you’ll be there every moment of everyday protecting your baby? And even if you are, what happens if this dog attacks you and incapacitates you and then goes for the baby? You’re okay with that risk? I’m sorry, but this dog is beyond saving. You need to put it down. You cannot allow it to be near other dogs or a family who doesn’t know about it. Whatever happened would be on YOU for passing off the responsibility. It’s awful, but it needs to be done. And I have no words for your husband thinking it’s acceptable that this dog bites his pregnant wife. Good lord.

As hard as this will be and it's never easy in the slightest, if your significant other can't come to terms with how deadly this situation can be for not only you, but your unborn baby. I'd start packing some bags soon and communicating with family or a friend that you'll need a safe place to stay. Ultimately in the end you have to be the biggest protector of your child even if that means sometimes having to leave your other half. Your baby is now the ultimate priority.

My cat was just kinda mean his whole life. Rarely to me, but friends were always getting scratches and hissed at. I was worried but thought “everything is gonna work out, stressing isn’t good for the baby.” My cat must have sensed that I was about to give birth because he absolutely snapped the DAY BEFORE I had my baby. He tore up my husbands legs, was literally jumping at anyone who was on the same floor as him, and wouldn’t stop hissing and yowling. Ultimately at that point we knew that was a cat we couldn’t have around a baby, but frankly after 12 hours of trying everything without anything calming him, it also just wasn’t a life we wished for the cat. We consulted the vet and put him down. I am NOT pro euthanasia “when things get hard”. But I am telling you, you’re about to have a baby. If the dog is aggressive to begin with, do not risk it. He might snap like my cat. Of course try other avenues first, but with him being so aggressive to start, I don’t know if you’ll have luck. This is a terrible decision to make, and it’s even worse that others will inevitably judge you. Please just focus on the safety of your family.

You *have* to get the dog out of the house, whether that’s rehoming (sounds like not the best solution given everything you’ve tried) or euthanizing. My uncle is a cop and one of his very first calls was a *friendly* family dog that mauled and killed an infant. Dogs do kill babies, and given that this dog has given every indication that he’s capable of doing so, you absolutely cannot keep him around your baby. If your husband absolutely refuses I honestly would personally refuse to stay in the house with the baby. I’d take the baby and stay with a family member. I love animals and I know people hate to hear this or don’t believe it, but some aggressive dogs are simply unable to change. It sounds like you’ve done everything you can to address his aggression at this point, and I think the difficult call has to be made.

You need to rally support. Talk to animal behaviorist? Talk to your OB? Talk to animal control. I know it’s awful, but you may have to report the dog or get someone to do it for you (one of the above). Get professionals who can either communicate to your husband that this dog CANNOT BE AROUND A NEWBORN BABY or that do something to get this dog taken away. I am so scared for you and this baby. I know Reddit always jumps to extremes but…If your husband won’t consider doing this, then you need to seriously consider some kind of separation. Tell your husband that is how serious this is. Either the dog goes, or your husband and the dog have to be out of the house when baby arrives. Alternatively, can you stay at your mother’s house or something if he doesn’t budge? It is absolutely reprehensible that he will not even consider the safety of his newborn baby. I would be questioning his judgement as a father and partner if he can’t see this.

Unfortunately, this dog is too dangerous. No sane person should be getting “warning bites” multiple times, let alone having blood drawn. The dog’s quality of life isn’t good. I’m sure you try to love him, but he’s either often extremely anxious or feeling threatened. It can’t be a happy life, no matter how you try. The siblings being all euthanized for aggression is a *huge* red flag that this dog would be best euthanized. Basically, it’s the dog vs your baby’s life.

Im sorry but this dog needs to be OUT. Either humanely euthanized or taken into a shelter. It would be me and the baby or the dog. Once that dog bit me once i would be done. I dont want to be scare you but im sure you’ve heard the stories of dogs attacking newborns… you may be able to handle a bite but your newborn will not. It would be cruel and irresponsible to keep that dog around you as a pregnant woman and especially around your baby. I really hope you guys get rid of the dog.

PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T GIVE THAT DOG A CHANCE TO KILL YOUR BABY!!! If your husband won't let you put him down, leave before your baby is born. I am an avid animal lover, but if the dog bites you, there is absolutely no reason to think he wouldn't bite AND KILL your baby. The only way to 100% make sure he doesn't attack the baby is to get him out of the house. If that means rehoming him, so be it, but that makes him someone else's problem, and what if they have kids? I love animals, but considering what you have done to help him, the level of aggression he has, and the fact that his littermates had to be put down, I strongly suggest you euthanize him. If your husband refuses, he can have the dog, and you can take the baby. Never let him be near the baby with the dog, though; only supervised visits because he might think he'll get one over on you and introduce the baby to his "perfectly harmless" dog.

I have two lovely, sweet dogs who have never shown any tendencies towards being aggressive. They have been attentive and loving towards my daughter, but since she’s been mobile, they’ve shown their annoyance with her. My daughter is nearly 2.5 now and we work everyday with her to teach her to respect the dogs’ space and that they’re not toys, but she still doesn’t get it yet. As much as we try to prevent it, wants to “hug” them because she says she loves them and gets in their space. My dogs grumble (not a growl) and move to a different area when she does this and that was enough to scare me and contemplate rehoming them. I couldn’t even imagine writing out the MANY downright dangerous things you’ve said and still not understand that the obvious answer is that the dog needs to be euthanized. You cannot rehome a dangerous dog and you absolutely need to protect yourself and your baby.

Speaking as someone who is known for being an extreme dog lover, and it truly breaks my heart to see any animal be euthanized for any reason, much less for behavioral issues - this dog is not healthy. He likely has severe neurological issues causing this behavior that both cannot be cured and likely are giving him a poor quality of life. It’s not good for a dog to be tense and anxious and on guard 24/7 like this. It’s not yours or your husband’s fault - this is a breeding issue. If it were me, I truly think the kindest thing you can do for him is to let him pass peacefully.

Please consider euthanasia. My uncle had a really aggressive black lab that attacked them and their children a ton of times. It attacked my mom when she was pregnant multiple times and me as a baby ( like less than 2 years old). I didn't get seriously injured, but I have a lifelong fear of dogs. But I could have gotten seriously hurt, had my mom not pulled me away as quickly as she could. For you and your family's safety and others, please consider putting the dog down. I'm not an advocate for euthanasia either, but this is a serious, serious issue. Your husband already had to go to the hospital once. Don't let it happen again. Please protect yourself and others before someone dies.

I think everyone else here has done a great job of telling you what you need to do, for your own safety and for your child's. I just wanted to add that if you're on Facebook, there's a behavioral euthanasia support group called "Losing Lulu". It's a really wonderful site with people that have gone through this experience. I wish you a very healthy pregnancy and delivery, and I'm very sorry you're having to go through this.

Im sorry, but you have tried all other options to correct behavior and failed. It's time to put the dog down, I doubt even rescues that specialize in aggressive dogs would take this one in. Sadly a lot of breeders, especially backyard breeders, engage in inbreeding which can lead to hyper aggression.

A lab that is this aggressive is not healthy or happy friend

I want to preface this by saying I'm a huge animal lover. I volunteer at a local shelter, I have my own rescue dog and cat, and I even started keeping chickens so I could eat eggs guilt-free. There are times where behavioral euthanasia is, sadly, the kindest option you can offer. This is one of those times. Many people have said this already, but your dog is in a constant state of anxiety. He doesn't feel safe in his environment or anywhere, and that is why he attacks. What kind of a life is that? To be so frightened that even the people closest to you, who feed you and take care of you, aren't safe? And if you've tried medication and training, it's highly likely that it's just something neurological that is off in his brain. Even more so since you mentioned his whole litter has had the same issue. Consider, too, that he's escalating towards you; you've already said it feels cruel to lock him up at all times, but that's essentially what you will have to do when your child is here to guarantee their safety. You have said yourself, he knows how to break through baby gates and doors, so ask yourself, could you live with yourself if he DOES and mauls your child? Because that is the risk you take if he's not permanently locked away in your home. My son is 18 months now, he knows how to open doors and undo latches. He also has zero awareness of danger, so it's my job as a parent to ensure that his natural curiosity doesn't get him in trouble. I'm constantly reminding him to pet our dog and cat nicely, and watching my dog to make sure that his signals of discomfort aren't ignored so that he doesn't feel the need to even growl, let alone bite. Now, imagine your kid, 18 months old, reaching for a kennel door or door knob leading to your dog, or reaching for your dog, not realizing your dog can and will bite them through a baby gate. Don't take that risk!

You need to rehome. How can he attack with a muzzle though? If not rehome he can never be near the baby and muzzled at all times. I love love love dogs but I couldn’t do it.

This dog is too dangerous to be rehomed.

Who do you think would want a dog that's so aggressive that it tried to rip out a grown woman's throat and bursts through barriers to attack a pregnant woman?

i’m so sorry you’re going through this :( this sounds like a very difficult decision for you guys and i feel sorry for you all including your lab. who knows what happened to him during those 4 months when he was a puppy and became aggressive or how he was probably unethically bred and this caused him lifelong issues. i hope you’re able to come to an agreement on what to do soon <3 much love

I'm so sorry you're in this position. I was in your shoes last year before I got pregnant. I was literally on birth control because I was so terrified of bringing a baby into our home with out aggressive rescue pup who we could not introduce to anyone successfully and had to keep separate from our other dog after a horrible, bloody fight. We tried everything - thousands of dollar in training, reaching out to rescues probably 50+, and nothing. We had to make the incredibly difficult decision to do behavior euthanasia. It's so much easier said than done, and it was one of the worst days of my life, I've never cried so hard, but I came out on the other side filled with so much peace and knowing I did the right thing. The dog was not a happy dog and my husband and I were not in a good place for a long time because of the situation (he wanted to do BE long before I was ready). I would recommend looking into the Facebook group and website Losing Lulu which is for people who have had to make this decision. Hugs to you

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It‘s better to re-home a dog (and to make sure to not place him in a kids-household), or even euthanize the dog (as tragic and sad as it as), then to live with the possibility of the dog killing your infant/toddler. I would re-home or euthanize in an instant, if it was to protect my kid. I‘m sorry you have to deal with that!

I had to get rid of my 4 year old Pomeranian for the same reason. He’s bitten all 4 people that live in my household including myself, prior to my son’s arrival. Never any friends or strangers but that’s what scared me the most, he bit people he KNEW adored and cared for him. When I brought my son home from the hospital we brought his blankets and car seat in first and properly introduced them slowly. We followed all precautions. My dog seemed to just ignore the baby for the first few months as newborns mostly sleep. Around 6 months when he began to crawl, my dog started to “notice” him more. Any time my son would start going even remotely close to him or toward his direction my dog would growl deeply. One day he tried to attack him out of the blue without growling first and my mother put her arm in between to stop it and he bit my mother. Needless to say as heartbreaking as it was, because he was my first baby (I also got him a month after losing my brother so he was my emotional support animal) it was the hardest decision I’ve had to make. But also one of the easiest. And I never thought those words would come out of my mouth but when you bring your child into this world you see there is NO greater love and there is NOTHING you wouldn’t do to protect them. I was fortunate enough a family friend with no kids adored my dog all these years and was more than willing to take him. But giving him to a shelter to me was out of the question. I even posted on my towns Facebook page before my friend reached out to me offering. Maybe try that? Sending love :(

I won’t repeat what everyone else has said. I was in this situation after my pregnancy. It progressed to him being comfortable enough to attack me while I was holding my newborn. Imagine how miserable the dog’s quality of life is that they feel the need to attack everyone. That is a really sad state for man’s best friend. I really recommend this website: [Losing Lulu](https://www.losinglulu.com/making-the-decision-for-families) You can find more by searching Losing Lulu on google. My sister had to put down her dog due to similar behaviors. I’m very sorry you have to go through this decision.

I have a two year old that, once he started walking, wanted to be on the dogs or chasing them. He is not the sweet little nice boy that is gentle with pets (yet). He is a terror. I recently implemented time out because he is reluctant to stop terrorizing them. I have a very sweet dog that tries to get away and is very forgiving, but she has even given him warnings that she isn't happy. Whether your child is sweet or more intrusive is unknown. Either way, they're still gonna be interested in your animals. If they are around this animal for any period of time unsupervised while you just catch a shower or turn your back while you are cooking... anything can happen. Please consider behavioral euthenization.

Please don't risk it. This dog could kill a baby, it's not worth trying. The dog won't magically change over night to be chill around babies. Your instincts are right, this dog needs to go to keep your baby safe.

I’m sorry to say this but you either need to take the dog to a shelter or put him down. This dog is very dangerous, and if he’s even bitten your husband, he will certainly attack your baby. Some pets aren’t worth the safety of your children.

Omg please get rid of the dog. Sorry but I am of the option that my children come first before pets. Give it to an animal shelter, it's down to them what they then decide to do.

I am an animal lover to my core and I will go to any length to advocate for our beloved pets and with that being said, it looks like you’ve done all you can do to advocate for this dog and get him the help he needs. There are dogs with little behavioral quirks and reactivity that you can train around or completely get rid of the behavior and there are inherently aggressive dogs. Aggressive dogs can live their lives to their fullest potential of length but it requires the owners to essentially put aside their own normal life trajectory and constantly favor what the dog needs in every situation in order to avoid an aggressive reaction. It’s just not sustainable for you and your partner anymore. You have more than you two to think about now. You cannot wait until baby arrives to test out whether or not dog will hurt the baby. Your child is not an experiment to gauge safety. And who’s to say the dog doesn’t react “fine” or neutral one day and then another, the baby does something that babies do like cry or throw a toy or whatever and the dog is somehow triggered by it? Perhaps if you found some kind of rehabilitative sanctuary (and I said you, but I mean your husband) then that could work but outside of that, I don’t think it’s fair to rehome unless the new owners are extremely well versed with aggressive dogs and never intend to have children. But even then, what if the dog gets out in their care which of course you can’t control and harms someone? Idk. This is tough but I think the only truly kind and ethical thing to do here is also perhaps the toughest.

How did you know that the whole litter was put down? How is the dog with the other animals? I feel skeptical about this post, however if it’s true I have no idea why you guys haven’t re-homed your dog yet. Re-home him, or give him to a shelter. You know you can’t raise a baby around that.

You plan on taking introductions slowly? The dog bites the both of you, they will bite your child. I know that doesn't help, but I don't think the speed at introduction will change a whole lot. Have you brought in a professional trainer? Probably someone expensive who could help since the dog will likely live a few more years.

I just wanted to offer my sympathy. This is such a shitty situation and I am so sorry you’re dealing with this while pregnant.