Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I did not want to hyjack the other thread.....

My Dh & I want to get a puppy because I am home not working until after the baby is born (probably will not return to work until August). We thought now would be an ideal time to train the puppy before the baby arrives and they can grown together.

But do you think it's better to wait and then tackle training a puppy with a toddler?

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I would definately get a puppy now & train it. Not only that, the puppy will sense a baby in your tummy & will already be familiar with him/her when the baby is born. It might be a bit much to trin a puppy & a toddler.

I'm sure it is easier to train a toddler than a puppy. At least I know my dog was very hard to train.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

In my personal experience with puppies... We have raised quite a few....

It takes a good 6 months to get through the baby stage with dogs and to have them trained well....

With regard to having a puppy with a baby... my parents waited til I was a little older (I think I was 3), and I think it was their saving grace....

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

Personally I wouldnt want a PUPPY at either time.

Training a puppy can be difficult. It took Lucy about a year before I would call her a "good dog". And overall she was pretty easy. She was housebroken in about 1 or 2 weeks, slept through the night right away, but she had her moments, she ate through power cords, ate the corners of our coffee table, chewed up a few shoes, etc. I think its a lot to take on when you are nearing your final trimester. Plus a young dog will demand a lot of attention, between playing with them, following them to make sure they dont get into trouble, walking them/ letting them out. I tell everyone having a dog is like having a 2 year old who is hyper active.

If you really want one, I would suggest maybe looking into a dog that is a year or so old. As they will generally be a little calmer. And make sure you research the type of breed you decide on to make sure its compatible with your life.

Message edited 12/10/2007 1:16:35 PM.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

they are a lot of work...do it beofre or wait untill the baby is a few years...its really hard

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

we are thinking the good old american dog....Golden Retriever. I love them and DH is happy that it's not a small dog, so we are in agreence.

We are dog people and really want one and can't imagine waiting 3 or 4 more years. But since neither of us have actually trained a dog that is why we are not sure if now is a good time.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I was just talking to about this the other day with someone...I am glad we did NOT have kids when we first got our dog...she will be 3 in Jan and I dont think I could have handled her and a baby at the same time...took 2.5 yrs to get her calmed down! shes choc lab/doberman mix and is just a hyper dog...shes sooooo much better now but still has her moments lab in her i guess makes her goofy lol
not to say someone else couldnt have a young dog and a new baby and be perfectly ok though it was just my experience with my dog.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

OK I am due Jan 15 and my puppy was born the beginning of September. She is doing well with the training but is still not fully trained. It is a PITA to be this pregnant and scrubbing poop out of the kennel in the morning. SHe doesn't make nose when she has to go. She just goes and pushes it out of the cage onto the floor/walls whatever is in its way.
BUT I don't think I could have handled this with a toddler. If I had to choose between toddler and right before baby is born I would do before baby. this way hopefully the puppy will be out of the teething stage before the baby is accessible. Our puppy has been trying to use my 2 year old neice as a teether and it is not going over well. Good luck!! Oh and our puppy is a golden retriever.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I would do it now. We had our dog before and it was so much easier that way.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I was just talking to a friend, she got her dog in February and her son was born in June. She said if she had to do it all over again she wouldnt. She loves her dog and is very lucky that she is friendly and good with the baby but it was REALLY trying. And I remember when she came back to work she was talking about finding hte dog a new home. She has a bull mastif.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I think its too much with an infant. Sicne the puppy probably wont be fully trained by March and will probably need a lot of attention. What if you are feeding the baby and the dog needs to go out? Or is chewing something he shouldnt be chewing and you are trying to put the baby to sleep.

I think it will be very tough. Unless you got the dog professionally trained. I know there are places that take the dog from you for a couple of weeks and bring it back completly trained. you just need to do a little refresher course with the dog

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I wanted to get the dog before the baby....WHEW!!!!!!!!! It is so much work, we took her to a trainer, taking her out, and putting in the effort for a new dog is similar to a baby so it would be like having twins in my opinon.
I wish I would have know and waiting until the baby was older, now we will have two babies..at least the cat is easy and self sufficient.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

ok....looks like the puppy is going to be put off yet again!

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I would DEFINITELY wait. Puppies are puppies with puppy behavior for the first 3-5 years of their life. They need tons of attention and exercise during that time. Having a young dog and a baby can be overwhelming.

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

Just wanted to chime in and say there are several shelters on LI that have grown dogs looking for homes. Many of these dogs are already housebroken and trained.

We adopted our lab from a town shelter when she was 2 (3 years ago) and she has always been perfectly well behaved, housebroken etc. Our Vet always comments on how well behaved she is. She is also great with kids - we've had toddlers play with her and she lets them do anything.

That being said - If I were you I wouldn't go to a public shelter, but a private one like Bide-a-wee in Wantagh or Little Shelter in Huntington. They know the dogs that are up for adoption and would be able to match one to your needs - good with kids, housebroken etc.

We watch other people go through the puppy stage and shake our heads. There are sooo many good adult dogs out there that deserve loving homes that wouldn't cause all this stress.

I hope that you will consider visiting a shelter. Good Luck!

Re: Spinoff to those who have a Dog

I highly recommend a rescue dog!!!

I have one lab from a breeder and another that is a rescue. The rescue was the best $40 we ever spent!!!! He was fully trained and ready for some lovin'! (In fact he was already trained as a hunting dog as we later found out through trial runs.)

We went through the Long Island Labrador Retriever Rescue Group. They told us about a huge black male lab that had been at the Wantagh animal shelter for months and he would eventually be euthanized because nobody seemed interested in him. There was an instant connection between my DH and the dog. I was initially hesitant because the dog is on the large side (he's often referred to as a horse), which is what I think kept others from adopting him. Turns out he's a field lab, not a bench lab, so he has a different look & size and I guess that spooked most people. He's the dog is the biggest moosh and great with DD, but he's also intimidating enough that nobody comes through our door or into our yard without inquiring about whether he's "nice or not". Sorry, I'm rambling and could go on and on about rescues.

If you're interested in Goldens, check out Long Island Golden Retriever Rescue Group.