To get a puppy or not?

[mumboss1984]

We went on holiday recently with resident dogs and it kind of made us wonder if we should consider getting a puppy. I work from home (self employed) and hubby mostly works from home now too. We have a 6 year old and a 3.5 year old. Would we be mad to get a puppy at the moment? I am quite keen as I think it would be good for our mental health and to get us out in the fresh air more.

Thanks all

Madness

You can get fresh air without a puppy in the mix.

Well, there’s no real reason not to get a puppy, but your reasons for getting a puppy seem very flimsy.

I wouldn’t even consider it before your youngest is at school .
What experience do you all have with dogs ?

Have you had a dog before?

How old were the resident dogs? You usually have to put up with a couple of years of VERY hard work before your dog is mature and well behaved

Dogs on holiday are very different to a dog that you have to consider 24 hours a day 7 days a week!

With a toddler and it being your first dog, no. It would indeed be madness.

I am a qualified and experienced dog trainer/behaviourist. I WFH fulltime and my kids are teenagers with plenty of doggy experience.

We've just gotten a puppy and I question my sanity on a daily basis. I've just booked a two week holiday from work to dedicate the entire two weeks to transform the baby velociraptor currently inhabiting my puppy's body back into a puppy.

Toddlers and puppies are a questionable mix at the best of times but as this is your first dog it would be ten times more questionable.

I would always recommend an older, housebroken dog with some basic obedience training as a first dog but especially with a toddler in the mix. If you are dead set on a puppy wait until the toddler is in fulltime school and expect to take leave from work for training.

Check out puppy101 on Reddit for advice and an insight on real life with an untrained puppy.

If you do decide to go down the sensible, older dog route many small rescues consider homes with young children. Greyhounds in particular are great first dogs. Ditto lurchers, whippets, italian greyhounds and staffies. Avoid working breeds and as tempting as it is avoid Rommie rescues. Street dogs are rarely suited to family homes without longterm training and management.

I love my dogs (they are my life) but they are a huge commitment. And burden at times. And very expensive. I wouldn't be without them but you need to treat the decision like deciding to have another child. If the answer is still yes go for it. The first year or two are the hardest so be warned!

I have a 3 month old puppy at the moment. You wouldn't get much fresh air with the puppy for ages, they can only walk 5 mins for each month of age from 4 months, so even at a year old they can only walk an hour! They can't go up or down steps or jump up and down anything until they are over a year old or risk permanent injury to their joints. My puppy pees every 30 mins during the day, every 3 hours overnight. I am constantly with her outside waiting for her to go so she doesn't mess in the house. She loves wires, curtains, and most of all childrens feet so you can't take your eyes off her for a second. Its like having a baby only 100% harder. Really consider it carefully

Would you have been able to take your pup on this holiday with resident dogs? Just pondering.

I personally wouldn't get a pup.
We have a 3yr old and I'm still waiting for the improvement in my mental health that a dog was supposed to bring.

If anything he's pushed me over the edge ..

Oh God, the feet. We've fostered puppies to train before and I always forgot about the feet. This one was no exception. Getting to the kettle on a morning when he is excited is akin to running an obstacle course. Mornings, pre-coffee are when I question my sanity the most.

And forget walking about in bare feet at anytime of the say. He's obsessed with toes. All puppies seem to be obsessed with toes.

I should add that I’m having puppy blues myself at the moment so probably not the best person to comment! I have two school age children and it is HARD way harder than I thought it would be. I was the only one who didn’t really want a dog but they gradually wore me down. It’s very limiting and it takes lots of time and effort in training. If I could go back in time I wouldn’t do it.

@Noshowwithoutpunch I totally get you. I feel like I have post natal depression again sometimes

I consider puppy's to be like toddlers. Naughty toddlers on sugar highs.
If you'd be happy to take that on, knock yourself out.

Id suggest looking for an older dog to rescue rather than a pup. Puppies can be cute but can also be hell on earth. An older dog is more set in its ways so you've got a better chance of ending up with one that fits your family.

Don't do it. Or see if you can look after someone's dog for a while first.

I've told so many people not to do it (bc of my own experience I admit) and they've gone ahead and then really regretted it. People compare having a puppy to having a newborn but it's much worse IMO. A puppy isn't your flesh and blood and you don't have the parental desire to still love it and look after it when it is whining through the night, shitting and pissing all over your house, shaking mud everywhere (remember we live in a very wet country and the dog will need walking daily rain, shine, hail, whatever) and the host of other difficult to handle behaviours that can happen in young or untrained dogs. it is really hard to train dogs and needs very strict patience and consistency which you will doubtful have time for with two young children. Also don't forget how tying it is - are you happy to only visit dog friendly places for the next possibly 20 years or have to find a dog sitter/pay for kennels if you want to go somewhere that doesn't welcome dogs? You can't just leave them alone for long stretches of time.

When my dog died a few years back I was sad but I also breathed a small sigh of relief at the freedom I gained back. Il never get another.

A friend likened having a puppy to having a baby in terms of broken sleep, worse mess and destruction on top of that.
Plus you would have to train it to have good recall and be willing to keep it on a lead around other people, even in rural areas - there are enough boisterous poorly trained dogs with poor recall being walked off lead in rural areas already.

"I am constantly with her outside waiting for her to go so she doesn't mess in the house."

Clicker train her to go on command. It's easier than it sounds.

If you really want a dog look for an old calm rescue dog. Ours is a Rommie rescue which I agree I wouldn't recommend unless they are already over here and you have a clear understanding of their temperament.

There is one exception to the Rommie rescue I would like to add. If you insist on a puppy at least rescue one. UK wise Many Tears Animal Rescue always has pups and most of the foreign ones do. A puppy born in rescue won't have the issues that the older street dogs do. In fact, they often get valuable socialisation in the rescues as they live with dozens of other puppies and dogs and have numerous care takers.

Mine is from All Spain Rescue Dogs. We didn't deliberately choose a foreign rescue but after recently loosing a dog the teens didn't want an older dog as they weren't ready to go through that again and he was the best suited puppy we could find in rescue.

Be very wary of buying a puppy from a "breeder" in the current climate. Puppy farms are on the rise and many people are investing thousands plus their emotional wellbeing in sick puppies who sadly die a few days/weeks after they are brought home. A reputable breeder will have a long long waiting list. Anyone with a puppy ready now or within a few weeks is a back yard breeder at best and unlikely to be selling healthy, well bred puppies.

Don't guarantee it will be great for mental health mine is worse since getting mine 7 years ago.

since getting him 7 years ago

If you are ready for it to completely control your life. We are 6 months in and its exhausting. I certainly couldn't of done it with young children to look after as well.