Should I get a second puppy when pregnant?

[lustforlife]

I am currently 30 weeks pregnant and have a 1 year old large breed dog who my partner and I absolutely adore. The plan was to always get a second dog so he has some company, however, me getting pregnant (unplanned!) and a house move has delayed this plan.

I’m starting to worry about when to get the second dog, part of me wants to get one now so all the toilet training etc is done by the time my baby arrives, but maybe I’m underestimating how tired I’m going to be in the later stages of my third trimester. My dog was an extremely difficult puppy so we aim to go for a more relaxed and lazy breed this time. I just look at my dog and feel guilty that he doesn’t have a play mate, and I feel another dog would be a nice distraction for him when the baby arrives and give him some company when I am out with the baby.

Has anyone been in a similar situation/can offer some advice? Am I crazy for considering another puppy while heavily pregnant?!

[TheoriginalLEM]

Just don't do it. Don't. It will be enough upheaval for your dog with a new baby. A puppy would be too much.

I've got two dogs, they rub along ok together but are not best friend's. Mostly just ignore each other and there's a fair amount of jealousy

[Syrrup]

Don't do it. Your first dog isn't mature yet and you can't rely on a new puppy being easy to train no matter what breed! I know its tempting to think of a second dog as a potential playmate which will take some of the pressure off but it's far more likely they'll be more than double the workload, especially as dog introductions have to be managed really carefully and not all dogs like puppies. It's also a massive upheaval for your current dog at an already difficult time and you might find his behaviour regresses and/or ends up teaching the new puppy bad habits.

[Ughmaybenot]

I wouldn’t tbh. Dogs, as long as they have plenty of human interaction, really don’t need another dog to live with.. and you run the risk of them really not getting on and making Original Dog unhappy anyway.
Plus really it’s a lot to take on with a new baby without adding a puppy into the mix. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be for no good reason.

[ChandlerIsTheBestFriend]

So within 10 weeks your dog will have to adapt to a new puppy (puppies are not pleasant for older dogs!) and a new baby? That’s an awful lot of stress to bring into his life in a short time. With a new baby in the house a stressed dog is the last thing I would want. Stressed dogs can be unpredictable.

[ChandlerIsTheBestFriend]

Let alone the fact the dog will just be plain miserable.

[lustforlife]

Thanks for the responses. You've definitely made me rethink the second dog. I think I'm just worrying too much about my dog being lonely, and I understand it would be lots of big changes for him at once that may be stressful. Our dog gets plenty of attention from us and is walked 2x a day with plenty of mental stimulation so I'm sure he'd be okay as a lone dog for the foreseeable

[Ughmaybenot]

Sensible I think OP. Something to revisit again in the future perhaps. In the meantime, best of luck with the rest of you pregnancy!

[ChandlerIsTheBestFriend]

Single dogs are generally very happy being the only dog in the house. Mine certainly is! he’s spoiled. The DC refer to him as my favourite child.

[lustforlife]

@Ughmaybenot thank you

[lustforlife]

@ChandlerIsTheBestFriend aww! I'm guilty of spoiling mine too. I think it's the hormones but I feel so maternal over him

[ChandlerIsTheBestFriend]

[BettyBooJustDoinTheDoo]

No don’t get a second dog, I’ve read a couple of threads recently where people apparently loved their dog/cat so much and then were utterly repulsed by them when they had a baby, not saying that will happen to you OP and I really hope it doesn’t (I found those threads really upsetting) but to add another dog to the mix in an unpredictable situation would not be wise.

[Mollymalone123]

As others have said already- nope! Getting two dogs is no guarantee they will keep each other company or get on like a house on fire either-We have two now and our first dog is still jealous five years on- they get on great btw but one has to be the centre of attention 😂

[Booboostwo]

Absolutely not.

Instead save some money for a dog walker/daycare to help you out with the dog when the baby arrives.

[vanillandhoney]

No way. Your first dog is still young - he's only one and as a large breed will still need to go through adolescence properly.

A baby plus a new puppy would a) be loads of work for you and b) a huge upheaval for your dog. Just focus on preparing him for the new baby and most of all - enjoy!

[ButDoUAvocado]

Thing is, you already know how much hard work a puppy is as you’ve got a young dog now so not like you’re clueless and the second dog is always easier than the first as they have a playmate.

I rehomed a 6mth old lab when I was pregnant with my first DC, we were his third home and he’d spent a lot of his early life in a crate so had had little socialisation. He had terrible separation anxiety and could be very destructive if left alone but once he got to 1 he calmed down a lot and was a fantastic pet for 9 years and got along fine with my existing dog.

I have 2 dogs now and they play together and are company for each other when we are at work. I would however definitely get a different sex to the dog you have now. Nearly all the people I know with 2 dogs have a boy and a girl and the ones with 2 boys find they fight quite a bit. Don’t really know anyone with 2 bitches.

[Hoppinggreen]

no way, for all the reasons already mentioned
once your human baby arrives you might realise that something (else) noisy, smelly and demanding is that last thing you want