When to buy a dog?

[Crazymummyto3]

We have been considering buying a second dog for a while and been doing lots of research into the breed that will suit our family best, and I think we have settled on a Labrador. We have a small dog currently who we bought when our daughter was a few months old and it worked well with them growing up together, although I'm aware it might be different with a bigger dog. I'm due a baby any day now so obviously we won't be getting a dog in the near future, but planning ahead those of you who have Labrador or medium sized dogs, when would you recommend would be a good time to get one - when the baby is young again so they can grow up together or wait until the baby is 2/3 years old?

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

If you already have a toddler, I'd leave it until the baby is bigger. Speaking from experience, it is very hard to find the time, energy and will-power to go out on a blustery winter afternoon (or even a sunny summer evening) to train a rambunctious puppy or young dog after a day of breastfeeding and toddler wrangling.

And you need to have child-free time to focus on the dog: trying to train a 6-month-old dog to heel when you have a wailing toddler demanding that you hurry up, mummy is nothing but stressful.

[vanillandhoney]

I would wait until your youngest is school age, to be honest.

Young labradors are very energetic, can be mouthy and are incredibly strong. I was out today and saw a well-built man struggling to hold his male Labrador back when it lunged forward! He was very apologetic but if he hadn't been on his guard, the dog would easily have had him face-planting in the mud

[Medievalist]

A Labrador puppy and a baby?! Or a toddler?!!!!! Are you mad?! Wait until your youngest is at school! Provided of course you're not planning on going back to work.

[Girlintheframe]

Our youngest was 4 when we got our lab.
Labs are fantastic family dogs. All the children adored him and him them.
As a pp has said though labs are very bouncy! Ours needed a fair bit of exercise and training.
Personally I would wait until your youngest is at least 4/5.

[cheeseislife8]

I'd wait too, they're fantastic dogs and a great choice but take a lot of training and exercise, and as pps have said can be very bouncy when young, not to mention their habit of eating everything when you take an eye off them.
Training a dog properly while taking care of a baby/toddler would be utterly exhausting imo