The dogs

I sincerely wonder sometimes if we should just get rid of the dogs... And even though I'm at the end of my rope when they get out and I sort of give up because I can't chase after them or do anything remotely other than wait for their return; I pray so very hard for their safe return. So much so that, lately with these hormones, I start to tear up.
And now my little girl is talking and she just loves call out their names: "pissy" and "ra"". She used to love trying to pet Tira and get in their kennel whenever she let them out of it. She still tries to pet them both but has found it's a lot easier to do after she "sneaks" them a doggie biscuit. Pixi will come into Erin's room while we do our nighttime routine with her, and we have to remind her to follow us out as we leave.
And now with baby boy... Pixi immediately became a protective guard dog; following whoever was holding him, going to his bedside when he cries, even sitting at my feet as I nurse him. Tira has become more receptive to Erin's advances and licks her face or even allowed her to lay down next to her and give her hugs.
Before Paul came, we started letting Pixi sleep out on a dog bed in the living room (which they take their naps during the day) at night so we could slowly transition her into sleeping with Erin in her room. At first it was fine, but she would come in to the bedroom in the middle of the night and want in her kennel with Tira. But now that Paul and I are sleeping in the living room she hasn't made that attempt and has firmly taken to the dog bed with us.
Now I don't know what I or Erin would do if anything were to happen to these four-legged family members, and I fear each time they get out that something might. I so easily forget how much they really are a part of our family, even though I've joked about them being like another set of children for me to be a mother to.
I know Chris and I seriously talked about getting rid of them, even before Paul was on his way, but now I don't see that as a possibility. Not only would we as owners miss them, but Erin would too much. I don't think I could do that to her. So as much as they sometimes (ok, a lot of the time) drive me bananas, I don't think we will be getting rid of them any time soon.
Chris and I have come up with a few ideas on what to do to keep them from getting out, now it's just a matter of getting the supplies (and time) to implement it.