Getting a puppy while pregnant?

[LolaStarr]

Has anyone done this before? Bad idea or not?

[tabulahrasa]

People do it, I wouldn't - puppies are really hard work and while you're pregnant you're potentially not the most energetic you ever are, you've then got to deal with an adolescent only partly trained dog while recovering from birth and then alongside a young baby.

You've also then potentially got a mobile baby with that adolescent partly trained dog.

[Notthecarwashagain]

My puppy is lovely, and not too difficult, but it's still been really hard work, and fairly emotional!

How pregnant are you? I don't think I could have coped with the toilet training (and cat poo eating!) in early pregnancy, and in late pregnancy don't think I'd have wanted to!

A young dog and a new baby will be such a lot of juggling for you.
When your baby is sleeping, I'm guessing you'll want a bit of a breather, not a pup clamouring for attention.

I suppose it depends on breed, and how much support you have, but it's not something I would recommend!

[LolaStarr]

I'm 20 weeks. I've had a dog before so I'm under no illusions about how much work puppies are! I've wanted one for a couple of years now and have just got to a point where I'm in a position to get one but not sure if I should just wait. Just toying with the idea and wondering what other people's experiences were

[Notthecarwashagain]

*The not too difficult bit was rose tinted I think. Just remembered that only the other day he managed to eat a tub of margarine.
I must just block things out ;)

[tabulahrasa]

At 20 weeks you've got a couple of issues...no decent breeder has puppies without a waiting list, if you're added to a waiting list now - how pregnant/how old would a baby be when the puppy arrived?

Even with a bad breeder where you could get a puppy right now, it might still be mouthing when the baby arrives.

I wouldn't have a nippy puppy round a newborn.

[2ManySweets]

Do NOT do this.

Having a new baby turns your brain to mush and you won't need a yapping puppy demanding your attention too.

If you went to Battersea I doubt they'd give you a pup on the basis you're going to have enough to deal with shortly.

Please don't do it.

[LolaStarr]

Yeah that is a good point tabula. The breed I've been looking at are whippets. There's a breeder near me who has some KC reg puppies for sale in a week or so. I think Its probably going to be best if I just hang fire and wait until baby is here and a bit older!

[Heirhelp]

I think you would be mad to have two new babies, a human and a dog baby, at the same time. Dont underestimate the work of a human baby and how much time they take. If you are stuck feeding your human baby for two hours, who is going to deal with the puppy?

[MrsSpecter]

What they^^ said.

Plus, (and i dont meant to scare you, just being practical) you dont know how easy a time you will have when the baby is born. You may need a caesarian and be unable to bend to lift dog poo/baby clothes from dog's mouth, or unable to walk dog for weeks. Baby could have needs you havent anticipated meaning very little time for what is essentially another baby (the pup).

I really wouldnt. Not until your baby is at least a year old and you actually know whether a dog fits in with your new life.

[barleysugar]

I'm going to disagree and say go for it! I think there's a lot to be said for getting the puppy established before the baby arrives. And having a dog to exercise actually forces you to venture outside and get fresh air which does you all good!

[Buggers]

Whippets need a lot of exercise, are you going to want to do walks when your sleep deprived with a newborn?

[2ManySweets]

barleysugar are you speaking from personal experience?

[BertieBotts]

NO NO NO.

Don't. Especially if it's your first baby.

I know people always say you can't prepare but it's really true. You cannot prepare or imagine what it will be like.

Plus babies of 9-24 months are the absolute worst around pets because they don't understand when you tell them to leave them alone so you end up having to separate them all the time.

Wait until your youngest is 2+ if you're experienced with dogs or 4+ if you're not and then you're probably on okay ground.

[YouAreMyRain]

No way. I got a rescue dog just before I discovered I was pregnant. My baby arrived at 30 weeks and was very poorly, in NICU etc for months. I didn't have time for the dog, when baby came home, still very poorly, the dog was toiletting everywhere and I had PND and couldn't cope. I had to rehome the dog. It was awful. A puppy would have been worse.

Knowingly getting a puppy at 20weeks is a very odd suggestion. Babies are hard work, even under normal circumstances

[PeaceNotPieces]

I think it's your Maternal instinct wanting something to love/care for.

Wait 20 weeks for your baby instead of getting a dog.

Pup would only be 7/8 months when your baby arrives and it will start to need lots of exercise and may even get jealous of baby.

If you're near me we can time share our cocker?

Mind you....I also have dc we could time share

[thisw]

Whippets need lots of exercise????

😃😃😃😃😃😃

Laziest creatures ever. But no. I wouldn't have a human baby when mine was a pup. She stayed babyish for ages too. Chewed bloody everything.

[Notthecarwashagain]

Aw Peace, your cocker is beautiful!

I'll time share my greedy boy if anyone wants their floors vacuuming?!
Or needs a new bin?

[Notthecarwashagain]

Oh! I've just thought of another reason to not have a puppy and a baby!
I don't know much about whippets (other than they are gorgeous and pointy) but I've had a basset and a newborn, and the dirty nappies had to be removed from the house instantly, because he was obsessed with them

[dotdotdotmustdash]

If you go ahead with the scenario of a dog now and baby comes along soon, I fear you will live to regret it.

I also believe in this scenario that something has to be compromised. In my experience it's usually the dog that suffers from the compromise rather than the baby. Don't do it.

[pigsDOfly]

No no no no, don't do it for all the reasons mentioned by pps. Makes me feel nervous for you just thinking about it.

Also, on a slightly different note, very unlikely a decent breeder would have puppies going spare in a weeks time - sounds like a puppy mill.

[1frenchfoodie]

I did it - picking up a 8 wk old lab x cocker at 7.5 months pregnant. We knew my maternity leave and then my partner being a SAHD at the end of maternity leave for a couple of years would give us a training window we'd not have pre pregnancy. Any RL discussions and MN threads I saw advised against it and we'd not have got one this exact timing but a litter we liked the look of came up - accidental mating of 2 x working dogs (we are training as gundog) with good hip, eye scores etc. It is hard work and many early mornings nappy changes coincided with puppy weeing, grabbing dirty baby wipe, bring in clumps of grass from the garden etc etc.

My personal struggle was having to to walk puppy and our older dog separately as pup was terrible on the lead and doing that in the rain with a grouchy baby in a sling was no fun. Pups need short walks (5 mins per month of age) but for ours that is non negotiable, he is a high energy mix and a nightmare if not exercused physically and mentally.

You need to train the pup from the start and with absolute consistency - for eg when breastfeeding pup is told to go to bed or he brings us toys, comes to sniff baby feet etc and can cause her to unlatch. We crate trained our older dog and m while not popular with everybody, I find crate training an absolute godsend for when baby has to have my attention.

When making a decision bear in mind that with a pup when baby sleeps you wont be able to nap as other mums of one may be able to - your pup needs affection and training.

I have also been lucky with a smiley baby that naps well and self sooths, friends have wailing babies that often only sleep on them. I could well have been in pieces if my baby was like that. She (baby) is only 3 moths old and I am under no illusion that all will be smooth.

Remember a new pup will tie you to the house (trips out need to be short) or to dog friendly outings.

[mmmuffins]

I did it but I was only 6 weeks gone when pup came home, you are quite a bit further along. I think you would need to consider how much help you will have.

[Bubble2bubble]

We got two pups when I was pregnant and had a non walking 17 month old.
Coming downstairs with morning sickness to a kitchen full of puppy diarrhoea is one really bad memory. Pups escaping the garden into a field of sheep when I was 39 and had to climb a barbed wire Denver to get them is another really bad one.
Nine years have passed, and all is fine, but I really wouldn't do it again.

[Pogmella]

My first baby is 5mo, our pup is 6mo. Its absolutely fine for us and our situation (unexpectedly lost our first dog late in my pregnancy). To the pp who noted that children of 9-24mo are hard with pups, in my experience (sibling and niece) if they grow up together the child is pretty indifferent to the dog, its visiting children who are more interested- so if you want your baby and pup to be best mates you'd be better off getting a pup when your child is 5+.

[Pogmella]

Oh, meant to say- a crate and a pen (pup has the dining room basically) have been essential!