This is one of the extreme cases. Usually married couples get rid of their dog when the baby arrives, sad but true. Reasons cited are for health and safety issue such as worries about allergy or asthma reaction or fear of the dog hurting the child.

In addition to health and safety reasons, lack of time is also cited as one of the reasons why couples gave up their dog for their newborn.

It is understandable that sacrifices have to be made when a child arrives. Such as timetables have to be rescheduled, furniture has to be changed or at least child-proofed those deemed “dangerous.”

But are these reasons valid? Is giving up your dog the best or only way to make room/time for your newborn?

Why Dog Should Stay When Baby Arrives?

Having a child is a superficial reason for giving up a dog, in my honest opinion. Furthermore, many experts (vets, animal behaviorists and trainers) feel that most of the problems given as reasons for giving up the dog can be solved.

Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment if you haven’t realized it when you were shopping for the pup. There’s no reason why your four-legged friend cannot grow up with your child. So many pet owners have done it; all you need is to educate yourself with some knowledge on dog and children relationship.

There are many benefits of having a dog and child growing up together, for a start I will list two:

1. It can reduce stress and teach a child responsibility and compassion towards animals.
2. Some studies have even shown that children who own dogs or pets have stronger immune systems and take fewer sick days in school.

While it is may be possible that there are genuine reasons for giving up the dog such as chronic allergies; at the very least you should consult a vet before making the decision. If your family doctor advises you to give up your dog, speak to your vet too, so you can get another perspective and a more balanced view.

But is it true that dogs never discriminate against different kinds of people? Like humans, it depends on each dog’s upbringing combined with its natural temperament.

Sex, Racial, And Social Class Discrimination

Dogs in agricultural societies who live on remote farms worked by men have been known to be suspicious of women, simply because they hardly ever meet any.

Although it is rarely the case in this era, still there are some countries where neighborhoods are divided by social class and ethnic group. Dogs belonging to families of one race or social class sometimes act aggressively towards people of other races or social class, either due to lack of exposure or their human families’ own hostility towards other social class or ethnic group.

These problems are unlikely to arise in multiracial, multicultural, and densely populated cities, but they do show the importance of giving your dog positive experiences with people of various ethnic groups and both sexes.

What About Age Discrimination?

Regarding age, some dogs are protective of children while others dislike them. Infants, especially, may be perceived as non-human because they behave like prey—helpless, squealing, with different physical proportions from adult humans, and smelling of stale milk, baby powder, soiled diapers, and thrown-up food!

The solution is simple. Try to expose your dog to positive experiences with children—it should become more accepting of them with careful supervision.

With that said, it’s not one-size-fits-all solution. Dogs are individuals. It is not uncommon to find dogs have different temperaments within the same breed. Careful study and observation of their behavior before putting them (children and dogs) in close proximity. If required seek professional help for “problematic” dogs.