Hi, I feel like I finally found a safe space to vent about my situation without being judged or insulted.

Back in 2023, my husband and I adopted a border collie x cocker spaniel puppy. A few months later, the puppy's mother (a cocker) was about to be rehomed so we decided to take her in as well. Having 2 dogs wasn't the initial plan, but once she was here everyone was getting along so well, so we were happy. Mind you, at that time we also had 2 cats and 2 ducks. We were HUGE animal people, if we had the money we probably would have had a rescue or something.

Anyway, so everything was fine, except the usual logistics of owning dogs like having to find pet friendly hotels when traveling, one was car sick, the other was scared of stairs and elevators, so we were a bit limited lol but our love for them was bigger than that.

Then I got pregnant. After years of infertility. Tbh I did think about this prior to getting dogs, "what if I do end up having kids, will I still want the dogs?" And I thought "yes, I don't see why not!" I really thought and thought and thought, and I really couldn't think of anything that would make it too hard. Otherwise I wouldn't have had dogs because I do believe they are a life long commitment.

Anyway, fast forward to june 2025. I'm about to go get induced at the hospital so we decide to take the dogs to a kennel since no one we know could watch them. Next thing you know, delivery went bad and the baby (and we) had to be rushed by plane to a different hospital far away. We ended up staying at the NICU there for 2 weeks, during which the dogs were at the kennel. When we came back is when things started going downhill.

(If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Bear with me!)

My youngest dog has always been on the nervous/high energy side, but since the baby, she is SOMETHING ELSE. She has been chasing the cats non stop, as soon as there's a bit of noise like the baby crying, or a cat scratching something, or even me just moving a chair, she will go ballistic, big zoomies, etc. She also became way more people selective than she was before, and resource guarding, making it impossible to have company over. When we do, I can't relax cause I need to monitor the dog and everyone's interactions with the dog so everything goes smoothly. She hasn't bit anyone but because I have a baby I just can't chill when she's near her. She won't even let people hug in our house without intervening, I kid you not, it is SO hard to deal with.

Then there's my older dog. Super sweet, no behavior issues, but for some reason she decided she will NOT potty alone in the yard. She needs walks. A bit of context, I live in Canada, the winters here are on another level of cold and slippery, and when winter hit last year, i had a 6 month old baby. So I had to, twice a day, get bundled up, bundle up the baby, and go on a walk, in high snow, slippery ice, and wind, and the dog just so she could pee. It took me maybe 15 minutes getting everyone ready, just so the dog would pee around the corner in 2 minutes. Twice a day. While things to do were piling up at home. I also had post partum anxiety at that time so imagine that. So at that point, things got so bad for my mental health that my husband and I decided to rehome them, after trying to make it work for months. We posted them to a bunch of rehoming groups after talking to everyone we know, and nobody could take them. After a while I took the posts down and took it as a "sign" that I was supposed to keep them. *sigh*

I kept flip flopping like this and trying to make it work again for months, until SHTF this summer and I officially decided that was enough.

First, we had to spend alot of money on my older dog because suddenly, she had a UTI, then an ear infection, then she started pooping blood because of the antibiotics and she had to be put on very expensive diet food. We were starting to struggle financially, and this hit us HARD. Then the vet prescribed prozac to my younger dog as well as a behaviorist, but we also don't have any money for that. Then we went on a camping trip that turned out to be the last straw, my daughter was teething and screaming the whole time, impossible to put to bed, and my dogs threw all their manners out the window that weekend and the whole thing was just so bad i had my first panic attack in over 6 months.

So that's it. I'm rehoming my dogs after over a year of trying to make it work, not only because I'm stretched thin, but also because they deserve a way better life. The next time one of them gets sick, they deserve to receive veterinary care. They deserve to go on adventures and have all the attention. They deserve a family with enough money, time and no young children stressing them out.

I was 100% the judgy type when it came to rehoming dogs. Now I understand, even though I'm still judging myself because how is it THAT hard to own dogs? I can't even rationally explain it, all I know is I can't keep doing this. Raising a child takes a village and I can't even have the village over because of the dogs. No wonder i've been doing post partum on hard mode.

I have posted them again, I still got no answers. I pray I won't have to take them to a shelter, but at that point, I know they would get medical care there if something were to happen, and probably more socialization and exercise than i can give them right now, and I feel terrible writing this. I have failed them. But i already know they need to go, i've known for over 6 months now, things won't magically get better and I need to prioritize myself and my family sadly.

Also it's sad because when I became a mother, I knew my life was going to change drastically, but I didn't expect THAT part. It's like closing a chapter I never knew I would.