new baby and puppy!!

soyeah

hi all,

i am currently 34 weeks pregnant and considering getting a puppy. am i mad to even consider it? my reasoning for getting a puppy is that we already have a 16month old dog and think a pup would be good company for him, also it would get him used to not being the center of our attention anymore.

also i think if we get another pup now, toilet training and vaccinations would be sorted by the time baby comes.

let me know what you all think, i would love some advise or stories/experiences from people who did something similar.

Glowing

Yes, you are mad. You'll just have 2 young dogs vying for your attention then ...and a newborn to boot! Your dog will adapt to the new baby in time, getting another dog at this point in time is asking for trouble, and your time for training and socialising the pup will be extremely limited once babs arrives.

Wait until you have your baby, then when things have settled into a routine, revisit the idea then. You don't know what's around the corner atm so just bide your time for the moment! A pup doesn't stop demanding attention after its been toilet trained and vaccinated! And I presume you will be off on maternity so will be around for your older dog anyway.

meoklmrk91

Hey just coming out this from the dog point of view as I am not a parent just yet. I think it is so easy to forget how difficult it is to raise a puppy, they are seriously hardwork. So while you may have the puppy toilet trained etc. by the time baby comes, you still have quite a long time before puppy hood is over. Like I said I am not a parent but from what I do know it is incredibly hard and overwhelming, are you really going to have the time, patience etc that goes along with raising a pup while you are focused on baby, these could lead to the pup picking up bad habits, being naughty and testing you during it's teenage stage.

Personally I think you would be better off to wait until your little one is a bit older, I personally would envy nobody with a puppy and a baby at the same time. If you are worried about your own fella needing company or beng bored when you are occupied with the baby, which you will be most of the time. Then why not see if there is any doggy daycare or dog walkers in your area and send him off once or twice a week, prices are very reasonable in my opinion particularly for doggy daycare, plus he would get loads interaction with other dogs. Even if neither of those are available, ask a friend to meet up with you and take the dogs for a walk together or even bring them to the house for a run around in the garden, that way you have the best of both worlds, fido is happy to have a friend to play with and you won't be taking on a puppy at what will probably be one of the busiest times of your life.

Best of luck with everything, and congratulations on the impending arrival

TwoMums2Be

Personally, I wouldn't! You are 34 weeks pregnant which realistically means you could have your baby from 2 weeks time onwards (& if you look at the July thread us first time mums have bucked that you will go over rule) plus even if you go to 42 weeks trying to look after a puppy will be very hard work...getting off the sofa can be pretty hard sometimes

From your dogs point of view, they are still pretty young themselves & adding a pup is one upheaval followed by another upheaval in a few weeks time We have an 18 month goldie & I would love to get her a buddy as she is a very social dog but we will wait until life has settled down before considering it. We have done lots of prep work with our dog for the impending arrival next week & I would think you doing similar would be more useful to your dog than a puppy. I'm not sure if your intention is that the new pup would be a means of ignoring your first dog when the baby comes but if it then you will just be ignoring two dogs (if this is not your intention ignore the comment, I have just known too many people do something similar).

If you do intend to change how your dog lives then start this process now so your dog doesnt associate the changes with the baby. We don't as such so for us it's more about her boundaries which she is already very good at & has been trained since being a pup with a baby in the house in mind as we hoped to get to this point when we got her our dog has been allowed smell everything baby related as its arrived (cot, buggy, car seat etc) & after checking it out she gives it a gentle little lick of approval! She is now also used to the word baby and rests her head gently on my belly from time to time.

Anyway I've waffled away long enough - I would put your limited time & energy into working with your current dog to prepare them for the new arrival rather than bringing an extra bundle of fun (but hard work) into your home


PS Couldn't agree more with a daycare if you have one locally (that will depend on where you live), we use our local one a couple of times a week & it's super!

Mink

I'd suggest getting an older dog, at least 1 yr old. Either get them now so they can adapt & socialise with your existing dog or else leave it several months til after baby comes.

If you go up to the DSCPA (or what ever pound/shelter is near you) there are usually adoption specialists who can advise you and the volunteers working there will have a really good idea of which dogs are good with kids/other dogs and which aren't.

I was in the DSPCA recently and there's loads of older gorgeous dogs just waiting for a good home (I'm very biased on adopting over buying pets )

JDxtra

Sheer madness. Your life will be turned upside down by the baby, more so if it's your first or more of a challenging baby. Forget about adding a new dog into the mix and concentrate on your baby and yourself.

Fri.Day

I`ll go against the grain here
I got an 8 weeks old puppy 10weeks ago and i`m due in about 2 weeks!!
In that time Ive brought him to puppy training classes to put some manners on him, to socialise him with other dogs.
Also my 2 cats are getting used to him.
I have him almost housetrained (99%).
Bought a cage for bringing him into the house, calm him down for 5 mins and then he can roam free to sniff while I`m ironing/washing dishes etc.
When feeding him I tug his ears a little, take his food off him and generally mess with him like a toddler would for down the road...
Ive trained him to "fetch" so he gets some excercise/fun in the garden without wearing myself out...
I take him for a short walk everyday and hubby takes him longer about 3/4 times so he`s getting out a lot.
At 34 weeks you might be late to get set up right or you could get a 16/20 week pup that would have been halftrained!
Your existing puppy will be ok if he gets some excercise, dunno about sleep deprivation yet myself but 5 walks in 7 days would be ok in the first few weeks til you get your own routine sorted.

TwoMums2Be

Fri.Day timing makes all the difference If the original poster was earlier in her pregnancy my advice would be altered to the situation. Sounds like you have done some great ground work with your puppy...a great word to teach is gentle (taking treats as a starting point) but our dog now knows gentle means to gently with anything (little people, food, calms her down if excited).

I would be cautious of getting an older puppy unless I knew what had been done in those weeks! You would have missed a massive socialisation/training phase & you will find older puppies often have got little to no input sadly. If looking at anything older than a puppy (& a puppy) to look at rescue as like Mink said they would know the right dog to suit your family set up

Kash

I think you are too close to D-Day to consider getting a pup right now - they are an awful lot of work!

A pup will require a lot of attention if you want it to be well adjusted and sociable, and in a few weeks you'll need to be giving that attention to a newborn.

I would just be worried that you would be making your life difficult, and your existing family and dog through extra stress!

eviltwin

Don't do it. I have two dogs, like you I got the second because I thought the first one needed company. Two dogs is double the work. I wish I hadn't bothered and I didn't have a new baby to deal with.

Its hard enough looking after a new pet without anything to distract you. A new baby will take up all your time and you will not be able to give the dog the attention it deserves. Its unfair to all of you not to mention the dog. Give yourself time and let the dust settle and then see how you feel.

irishbarb

No way, you are way too close to your due date, and you don't have enough time to properly put manners and house training into a new puppy. Some puppies catch onto things really fast, and others take a lot longer. Imagine having just had your baby and having to mop up pee, bringing it out in the middle of the night to pee/poop (the puppy I mean ), having a yappy puppy and it barking all night long. I think you'd just be biting off more then you can chew if you did get a new puppy. Plus there is NO GUARANTEE that your older dog and the puppy will get along. Your older dog could end up being extremely jealous and take up bad habits such excessive barking, peeing in the house, getting extra clingy or getting aggressive with the new pup. You've no way of knowing how it will react.

I know a lot of people don't even have time for one dog when they have a new baby. What I would recommend is waiting until the baby is a few months old at least and you are in a routine, then adopt an OLDER dog (4 years or more), that is already house trained and calmer. You could arrange a meeting for both the dogs to meet and see how they get on before you take it home. I honestly think if you go out and get a new dog now it will be a disaster.

Good luck!

dublinlady

I have a 4 yr old dog and a 5 month old baby and id say wait!!
The baby is all consuming for the first 3 months and really quite hard work still after that!!! My dog is lazy and great and was ideal for bringing a baby back to - but even he got fed up and wanted walks etc which i literally just couldnt manage until my hubbie came home. Also a puppy is excitable and unpredictable - u have no idea that u can trust it with ur baby - not that id trust any dog with my baby ever - i just mean that it really mite not like the baby.... i just think you have enough change at the moment....buy a goldfish??!! hehe!:D

Vel

Like others have said, I think you are too close to your due date to get a pup. I am very involved in rehoming rescue dogs and due our 3rd baby at the end of September and there are a couple of dogs that are calling to me but I have to be sensible!!!

We currently have four dogs and two kids, and we adopted the third when our 2nd child had just turned 3 months which was the right time for us. So, realistically if things go well with the birth and you get yourself into a routine that you are happy with, you don't have to put off getting a new dog for too long. That said, the dog we adopted was 9 years old at the time, used to living in a house, toilet trained, lead trained etc. I don't think I'd have been able for a puppy!!

We've never had a puppy mainly because the timing has never been right for us. I think it is only fair to take one on when I have the time and energy to devote to them to give them the best possible start and ensure I bring up a well rounded dog. I see so many young dogs being dumped into rescues/pounds because the owners didn't put in the time needed to ensure the dog is well trained/socialised etc. and they decide they are too much work.