[BrutusDC]

My wife and I have a American rednose Pittbull, along with a "not so sure" cocker and mutt. :) We are planning, actually already in the works, having a baby. But there hasnot been one comment from friends and family about our one dog, Brutus. Hes a pittbull and always excited to see new people and also he is just very protective of his territory, almost 2 years of age. We love him very much and I am worried about having to give him away to a friend or the humane society. How will he re-act while she is pregnant? How will he re-act with children? Most of all, can I raise children with him around and not have to worry so much?

[labman]

If he was properly bred and socialized, and you give him the leadership he needs, there won't be any problems. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete For more on being top dog, see Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss Be sure and follow their link to their page on dogs and children.

He will know she is pregnant, or at least something is different. How he reacts to it and the baby will depend on your pack structure.

RubyPitbull will have some great advice too.

[RubyPitbull]

Please follow labman's advice. If your dog has not been socialized properly around small children, your concern is valid simply because Brutus is so strong and is physically capable of doing excessive damage and/or killing a child. But, that pretty much goes for any dog, especially large breeds, around very young children. I cannot tell you how your dog will react to your wife being pregnant, or to having a baby around. I don't know him or your training skills. If he is very protective of his territory and is not used to being around children, if you love him and don't want to give him up, you need to put in the time to train him correctly. If he gets excited and jumps on everyone around him, you need to get that under control NOW. No large dog should be allowed to jump up on anyone, much less a pregnant woman. If you are unsure how to do that, then I would suggest finding a good trainer in your area to help you work with him to extinguish this bad habit. Always remember, NEVER leave any baby or child unattended around ANY dog. Period. If you haven't already done so, start crate training your dogs so that when the time comes, they will have adjusted to being crated when you need to do so. If you put in the time and effort, and you and your wife both are not easily distracted and always watchful, you can live with a houseful full of dogs & children. If you feel you cannot handle three dogs and a baby, then it is time to consider your options. If you surrender your dog to a shelter or rescue, depending on where you live, in a likelihood, Brutus will be euthanized. So, if he is otherwise a very good dog, when/if your wife becomes pregnant, you will have ample time to start working on finding him, or any of your other dogs, a good home. Create flyers & post them in all the vets offices in your area, along with any place that will allow you to post them in which you will be guaranteed a lot of people will see them. Most rescues & shelters, will allow you to advertise in their place of business also. Run ads in your local paper. Do home checks on the people who show interest in adopting.
You owe it to this dog to find him a good & responsible home. As with any dog that is rehoused, he will be confused, but he will eventually adjust and be happy with his new owners if they are truly responsible people.