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I'm not a mom yet but have you considered an older dog, one that has less energy (maybe a senior)?
I think we're planning to get back on the TTC train in spring. DH wants a dog, but I just don't want a dog (that would still be kind of a puppy) and a brand new baby at the same time. I just think it would be too difficult to arrange its walks, and getting outside to do its business around the baby's schedule.
But... people do it all the time, so clearly they don't think it's an issue.
It never really was a big worry to me about the dog hurting the baby.
We have two dogs - the young one is 8 1/2 months now and our baby has a little over 6 months before it makes an appearance. We've been really lucky with this pup, she harasses our older dog and so has left our couches and everything in one piece, though she's also less than half the size of our older dog. I guess it might depend on the size of the dog then. Because with our older bigger dog it would have been difficult with him and a baby before he was 2 but maybe we'll have regrets with our pup but she's really well behaved all-ready so I'm not that worried that she'll still have a lot of baby in her herself when our real baby appears.
We were considering getting another dog (we have a 4 year old Newfoundland dog) and were planning on getting a Newfoundland puppy, but we decided to wait and see how we feel about it until after we have a baby (we are TTC now). I still remember the sleepless nights, and all the time and effort into training and re-enforcement and socialization, that a puppy requires, and that wouldn't work well when you are pregnant or have a newborn, in my opinion.
We hope that we can make it work when we have young kids though.
We got a puppy last December thinking that we would have plenty of time to have him trained before we had a baby. Well we had our son in July when the puppy was a year old and he still wasn't trained. We tried everything we could think of but ended up finding another home for him. It was just too much with a new born. I would get up to feed in the middle of the night and he would mess on the floor while I was up so I would have to clean that before I could go back to bed. It was really hard to enjoy having him when he was causing so much stress.
Thanks for the feedback ladies. @Derbybride, that is good to know. I feel like we should maybe have done it this year instead of closer to TTC....but now it's on our brains. I guess we'll see!
I don't know that I would want to take on a puppy, but I think adopting a 4-6 year old dog (with a good "first" life) could work really well. The other nice thing there is that their personality is already developed so you know that you're getting a mellow, calm dog rather than a super energetic one.
Oh, and I think if we were planning on going baby then dog, the dog wouldn't happen for years.
I have two dogs. Our youngest one is 10 months and I feel that at 2yrs they are at a very good age. No more crate training, 100% house broken, and the even start to be under voice command. I know for myself and our dogs I would like my youngest obne to be at least 2 when a baby enters our family.
if you get a dog now you'll have plenty of time to train, especially if the earliest you might start ttc is february. dog training is not that difficult - it just takes time and consistency. make sure you take a class (any petsmart or petco has them - the classes are much more important for you than for your dog).
I think getting a dog to 'train' you for having a baby is only a good idea if you aren't 100% sure if you WANT to have a baby in the first place but definitely want a dog. If you for sure want a baby, you're right about it possibly complicating things having a new dog and a new baby at the same time. But like you said, people do it all the time so as long as you definitely want both the dog and the baby then the extra work will be worth it.
I agree with Roxy and others, 2 years old is a good age for a dog when a baby comes around. They are trained at that point and adjusted to being a good part of the family.
Having a puppy really does help "train" you in what having a baby would be like
We got our puppy last May and she is know a little over 1 and a half years old now. She was a lot of work as a puppy, but in the last few months she has gotten soo much easier. I could not have handled having her and a baby when she was younger, but now at 1 and a half or 2 I think that it would be possible. I think it does depend on what type of dog you have too. Our dog is only 23 lbs and she needs a few walks a week, whereas my friends have a 75 lb dog that needs two or three walks (preferably runs) a day. I think it would be harder to have a baby and a dog if the dog had high exercise requirements since it takes a lot of time to take a dog for all of those runs/walks, and if you don't, they aren't normally as well behaved. Something to consider.
We are planning to get a puppy (Norfolk Terrier!) shortly after the wedding.
We're waiting a few years on kids until we feel we've prepared a good home for them, and prepared ourselves as parents... haha, we are so young (22)!
Sometimes I think we're crazy for considering this, but my husband and I are due in April and looking into getting a second dog now.
We would only consider an older (probably age 6 or above) dog, and baby or no baby, the primary qualification is that we are looking for a very calm, laid-back (even lazy would be good!) dog. Our current dog is pretty high anxiety and has separation issues, but seems to do better when he has a friend around, so that's the biggest impetus for looking for a second dog.
Dogs are definitely a lot of work, but I think that it helps that we'd only consider a calm, older dog to begin with, and that we have a fenced in yard with a dog door. Plus, I expect that for many weeks around when I deliver, my mom will be staying with us, so she can help with both the dog we already have as well as any new one we'd get.
As the mother of a 3 month old, having a dog in no way prepared me for having a baby. You won't be prepared for the sleep deprivation and the amount of time that a baby consumes until it happens. Our son is one of those babies that won't sleep in his car seat, that means that I stay home with him most of the day, every day to ensure that he gets good naps. If you don't let them nap well then they are very cranky and fussy. Dogs don't require that kind of time and attention. Also I have never had to get up every 2-3 hours to let a puppy out.
Yes it is true that some dogs do train quickly but some do not. The dog that we had to re-home was one of the ones that did not train after 8 months of consistent training. We have an electric fence and he went outside at least once an hour. We also went out with him on a regular basis to tell him to potty and reward him and yet he consistently went to the bathroom in his crate and in our house. He just wouldn't do it. Our other dog trained very easily in 2 months. You can not guarantee that you will get one that is easy and once that baby comes all of your energy will be focused on him.
I don't want to dissuade someone from getting a dog that really wants one but I will bet that your desire for a dog will subside when you have your hands full with a new baby. Once you get a good routine and the baby gets a little older then if it comes back I would do it then. I love our other dog but I feel sorry for him that he doesn't get as much attention as he used to and I don't see any way around that for now.
We got our puppy a few months into the relationship, so she will be about four years old by the time my FI and I start having little ones.
I can completely understand the worry about having a new puppy with a newborn. The puppy takes up a lot of time and training the first 6 months - year. Especially if you want them trained well.
As much as I love our dog, I would not suggest getting one right before a baby. You will be pulled in two different directions, and we both know that the baby will win as far as priority. That isn't fair to the dog, baby, or you.
When I was pregnant I had MAJOR puppy fever. I kept looking at shelters for a "buddy" for our dog. At about 8 months pregnant I realized there was NO WAY I could give the required attention to not just one but TWO dogs AND the baby. And since the baby was born I haven't regretted that decision at all. It really is a lot to handle with a baby and pets.
My opinion is to adopt an older dog (3+ years) who is calm and requires less energy and time. I'd also recommend that you research what breed would best suit your life. If you're in a house with a yard, maybe a larger breed. An apartment or townhouse without a yard? Maybe a midsize or small breed. It varies on your personalities and how much time you can dedicate to your pets. Not a lot of time? Pick a breed that doesn't need as much exercise. You won't have ANY time once the baby is born.
Since MB was born we have rarely had time to take the dog for a walk. I had to hire a dog walker. I feel so bad for him! That is an added expense. (You may also consider your finances. Dogs can cost a lot of money!)
my father and my ob/gyn suggested (I have an older dog, he's 6) that my dog wouldnt take to the baby very well because of his age and breed, and that babies and dogs need to be raised together. i wouldnt take on a puppy until my baby was at least a toddler so we as a family can enjoy the experience of raising the dog together.
Thanks for all the feedback, ladies. I am starting to think it might be better as kids are growing, not babies. So we'll see. The hubby has puppy fever really bad right now...I did too for a bit there but now I think I pretty much have a bad case of baby fever, but since we can't start TTC for a little while, his puppy fever rubbed off on me as something else exciting to think about. I think we will wait until February to decide (we'll have a better idea of our TTC timeline at that point). Thanks again everyone!!
I would definitely wait on the dog- not because I worry about it hurting the baby- just because dogs are SO much work. At least my dog is. If we start a family, I will have to have a large fenced yard so I don't have to worry about walking the dog whenever it needs attention or to go out.
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Funny to see the first (I think?) post on here about dogs, since I was planning to write this post today!
The hubs and I are discussing getting a dog. We're not sure when we will start TTC (it depends on if I get an internship next year- I'll know in Feb) but either this spring at the earliest (Feb/March), or next winter (Dec 2011) at the latest.
Did any bees get new dogs that soon before they had a baby? If so, did you regret it? We are hearing two things- that it will prepare us for a baby, so we should do it- or that it will be too much work and we'll regret it. Also, I'm worried about how a young dog would be around a baby. An old, familiar dog is one thing, but dogs are still animals after all, and I get paranoid about it hurting a baby.
What did you do/what would you do? Thanks!