What would you do?

This is a very hard topic for me to talk about, its been in the back of my mind for a while but something happened recently to make me really worry about it.

I'm 27, Cain is 2 and 1/2 years old. Cain is unpredictable, is big and heavy and has aggression issues. If Cain lives out his natural life span, he could be around for another 7+ years. Within that time frame, I expect to have children. I'll openly admit that I was naive when I got Cain and expected to be able to fully rehabilitate him, now I realise that it's likely I can't.

Much as I love Cain, I honestly hand on heart cannot imagine ever being able to trust him around children. I don't even trust him around dog savvy adult visitors! So I'm left with a situation and I have no idea what to do if it arises.

What would you do?

I would worry about it when the time comes

Without being pregnant, I'd be saying to myself - "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...."

If I suddenly found myself pregnant tommorow, I'd think about my choices -

Keep him, but control the environment so that he can't access/supervised access only to the child

Find someone else who fully understands his issues and give him up.

Put him down.

Ok, let me elaborate why I am worrying about this now.

As for the options - I don't think keeping them separate would work unless it was a temporary measure, the risk is too high of kids opening doors etc and I think Cain would be unbelievably unhappy to be segregated most of the time, he's such a clingy dog. As for put to sleep, can't rule it out but would have to be utter final option and would break my heart

Basically, my trusted dog trainer has just lost his beloved GSD and his remaining other dog is elderly. He has said several times that if he didn't have his other dogs (both had behavioural issues with other dogs), he would have Cain. It would utterly break my heart to rehome Cain, but the only person in the whole world I would want him to go to would be my dog trainer. They adore each other (Cain wouldn't have to build a trust bond with new people), he is experienced with aggressive GSDs and has know Cain since I got him and totally understands him. I couldn't think of a better home for Cain.

I was wondering if I should broach the subject with them now, as a possibility for the future. When I say now, I obviously don't mean immediately as they are grieving, but really it's a conversation to be had before they get another dog (don't know if they will yet). I was thinking that if they agreed to it as a possibility, then if they got a new dog, we could at least make an effort to socialise it with Cain on the potential of them living together one day.

But it makes me feel awful. I swore when I got Cain, I would be his final home and I do NOT want to let him go, I makes me want to cry to even contemplate it. But the realistic part of my head knows I could never trust Cain with kids. And I can't wait until he's gone to have kids or I'll be in my 40s!

It's not a conversation that I want to have, but I feel like if I should have it, then I need to do it sooner rather than later before they decide on getting another dog. That's why I feel the need to possibly confront it now, rather than waiting to cross the bridge when I come to it

Hmm, so what exactly is your plan?

Rehome your dog to your trainer as soon as their elderly dog dies?

OR

Are you going to keep your dog until and unless you can keep it no longer by which time you cannot realistically expect your trainer to have waited around dogless and, it may be that he gets a dog that for whatever reason does not get on with your dog in the future?

I cannot see the latter option being very realistic myself.

So, when the trainers other eldery dog dies, you ask him if he wants Cain and you keep it in your head that it's the best thing for him in the long run

SB - No, I have no intention of rehoming Cain any time soon (or at all of possible), but as I said if they were willing to potentially take him in the future if needs be, then we could at least attempt to socialise their new dog with Cain. I don't expect them to put their life on hold for a "what if", and I know it's far from perfect, but IF they wanted Cain in the future, it might influence their choice of dog now (not that I expect Cain to influence that, they should have whatever dog they want), but if they don't even know it's an option.... I dunno, I just wondered if it might be a good idea to raise it with them

Maybe this would be the way forward (if they didn't get a second dog in the mean time), but I'd feel awful, like I was failing Cain on the grounds of a hypothetical baby who does not exist

However if I ever did have to rehome him, I have no doubt that this would be the home for him

I think you are ovethinking it.

Nobody knows what is round the corner, any of us could drop dead at any time, so could our dogs.

You know what they say.

Life is what happens whilst you making other plans..........

Anyway good luck in whatever you decide, nothing is ever easy but sometimes it helps to make up your mind just airing your views.

Others may have no influence or be of any help, but sometimes just articulating concerns can assist YOU in making decisions.

I probably am overthinking it. I do not want to rehome Cain and would rather cross that bridge when I come to it. Equally, if I ever did have to let him go, this is the only home I'd want him to go to, and I don't want to regret missing the opportunity to get it for him