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Original poster

How wise would it be to get a new puppy......

31 replies

iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 10:59

Ok - this is the info.

I have a 3 yr old black lab (male). Last year we decided to get a second and wanted it to be from same breeder as the current dog. Got put on waiting list - puppies now born yesterday - have been emailed a pic - they are sooooo cute and there is one for us (black lab - bitch) if we still want it.

Here is the problem tho... the puppies will be ready in 8 weeks time - at which point I will be 20 weeks pregnant...

Now that is only 4 months with the puppy before my life gets changed dramatically... (even more dramatically than the addition of the extra dog i mean!)

I can't get it can I, really? Puppies take so much time... and training...

Help me with this - although i think I already know the answer

OP posts:
CurlyCasper · 05/01/2010 11:12

bump

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 11:14

cassie can you just post - yes it will be fine - just get the puppy - please

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HuwEdwards · 05/01/2010 11:18

did you see the other thread about the destructive puppy?

I had a puupy when my 1st dd was 9 months old. Poor little bugger got completely side-lined.

You will most probably just not have time. My advice? You're used to dogs obv, but take time to get used to your baby first.

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 11:21

huw I know all puppies are different - but my lab never chewed anything other than his own toys... was kind of hoping that a relative of his may have a similar temprament. There is no guarantee tho...

Think you prob have sensible advice - such a shame we had to wait so long for the puppies really

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CurlyCasper · 05/01/2010 11:23

For the sake of this thread i'm going to repeat what I said elsewhere (am biased as a fan of both Labradors and iggy )

you'll have a few months while still at work to settle pup into a good "independent" routine and can then have her for company when on maternity leave. Yes, it's a lab and will chew all the baby's toys etc, but it will also adore you and bubs, and will have your older dog for both amusement and guidance while you are busy being a mum.

You already know what you are in for with a Lab pup, so it's not like you'd be going into it with your eyes shut. And when it comes to walks etc, you've got to do that anyway with big dog, so as long as you and your OH think you can manage, just go for it! I'm a bit jealous in a way...

wildfig · 05/01/2010 11:29

I'd wait, to be honest (sorry). You don't want to tackle puppy adolescence while trying to work out where someone put the manual for the baby.

And that's assuming that the older dog and the puppy fall in love. You know the reason I basically had to abandon the BESH palace, give up on TTC and do my job in ten minutes three times a day? I was TRYING TO TRAIN MY PUPPY. Admittedly your puppy will be ten times smarter than mine, but even so... [be warned emoticon]

A nice breeder will put you at the top of the next list.

Bella32 · 05/01/2010 11:30

If you think you can cope with a 6 month old lab and a newborn, and an 18 month old lab with a toddler. As others have said, you do know what you are letting yourself in for and only you can judge whether you can juggle that many balls, tbh

My lab has never chewed either!!!

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 11:40

figgy I remember how hard the puppy time was before... part of me likes to fantasize that my older lab with help 'train' the young one as it will copy him... but then again - no guarantees!

Current dog has gundog training classes - so would not be any bother taking a second dog to classes, just would mean I do two classes in one day rather than one... but it's the time they take up isn't it?

She is a lovely breeder - just doesn't actually breed massively often - each of her bitches usually only has two litters in it's life, she is fab... if only they had been born last year!

OP posts:
Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 11:41

bella I have no idea what coping with a baby will be like! I only know dogs!

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Bella32 · 05/01/2010 11:48

Iggy - new pups very much like new babies, except pups sleep through the night much quicker than babies, and babies can't be left unsupervised, even briefly, for - gosh - say 2 or 3 years?

Think of the first week or two with a new pup - realistically your sleep will be broken as much by the baby but for months. Then they start to crawl....then toddle (precariously). Of course your lab will be up and running by then! The sleepless nights kick back in when bay is teething/ill/has a cold/for no apparent reason.

Agree, a good breeder will put you on next list.

If you have any doubts then of course don't do it. Your hormones may be making the decision harder than it would otherwise be!

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 11:51

bella hormones and the fact she sent me a pic!!!! Is too cruel... had kind of made the decision to say no to the puppy - but seeing the pic totally threw me...

I know this is silly but part of me thinks if I don't get the puppy now, I'll never get a second as it will never be a good time

OP posts:
Bella32 · 05/01/2010 11:54

Of course you will, you silly, hormonal woman!

If it was a Slovakian Wire Haired Pointer or a GSMD you might have a point, but labs are common as muck. Good labs take a bit of finding, I agree, but they are out there.

I know what you mean - I am not even pg but my boy had a half sister up for grabs recently and let's just say I didn't dismiss it out of hand as fast as I ought to have done!

wildfig · 05/01/2010 11:58

iggy I didn't mean to sound so deranged! I had to break off mid-post to extract a tea towel from the jaws of doom, and didn't quite get the tone right...

If you've trained one puppy, you know exactly how much time it takes up - dual worrying about the puppy might stop you pfbing about the baby? I can't talk when it comes to timing - our little monster arrived the week after we moved house, and like you, there was a bit of a 'this one or nothing' factor. He's just about house trained now, at 7 months, but is getting bigger by the day, and will end up massive, so am having to be doubly vigilant about jumping up/pulling, and so on, and his chewing has ramped up a bit. Not sure I'd fancy tackling that with a newborn around, but if you get some serious training in early, and he's a sweet biddable pup?

Our older dog keeps him in line, but then she's become about 20% more needy, on account of the attention he gets. (A bit like a toddler?) Know what you mean about the breeder, though. When you find a good one, you don't want to go anywhere else!

Suspect part of our failure so far to produce a human baby is that DH would be quite happy to have a third dog instead...

DUSTIN · 05/01/2010 12:03

I had to have my old dog put to sleep when she was 14 years old. I have never not had a dog in my life but as I have a baby I know that it wouldn't be fair to have another one at the moment. I just would not be able to invest the time that a dog deserves. I am a veterinary nurse and work for an animal charity so very used to animals but know that I wouldn't have the time for both the baby and a new dog.

daisydotandgertie · 05/01/2010 14:02

Go on, do it - if you're doing gundog classes with your existing lab, you already (in theory ) have a very well trained, steady dog who is used to taking a lead from you.

The new pup will take a lot of it's cues from your existing dog and will have had a four months to learn what behaviour you expect. I have black labs and work them, and have always found that adding a new pup is much easier when there's a steady existing dog for it to learn from.

Far rather do it your way round, than getting a new pup once the baby arrives (or for the next few years tbh).

However, of course, if you don't go ahead ... where's the breeder; we'd love another puppy .....

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 14:17

daisy The breeder is in the midlands

Actually my lab is pretty well trained - but we don't work him - he isn't yet as steady as he needs to be for that but he is pretty good - I just wish I'd started off with the gundog stuff rather than do puppy classes and come to gundog stuff when he was 2...

You see a tiny part of me thinks - well at least it will have 4 months of the two of us focussing on it - whereas anytime after we won't... but a more sensible part says don't make your life too hard

figgy I wasn't nescessarily expecting to manage to actually get pregnant and keep it (so far!) after previous fails etc... so was all ready for my second doggie What breed is yours? he sounds a bit of a handful (in a nice way!)

OP posts:
everlong · 05/01/2010 14:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CurlyCasper · 05/01/2010 14:27

Breeder is in the Midlands? - reckon I can get there first...

daisydotandgertie · 05/01/2010 14:40

I love, love, love the gundog work with my labs. I only started it because the lab known in our house as Mad Maude really needed to use her brain properly. I didn't expect to love it so much.

Mad Maude is now rock steady, has a fabulous nose and the heart of a lion. Her stop isn't so good though . People offer me money to buy her from me; so not going to happen, she's my moon and stars!

And my trainer always says that in the time it takes to train one Flatcoat, you can train 2 Golden Retrievers and 6 Labradors. It'll be easy - hohoho.

I'd get the puppy, and enjoy the 4 months you have to train. I'd concentrate on steadiness with sit and wait, recall, on walking well on the lead and on housetraining.

Say it really fast, and it doesn't seem so bad

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 14:52

daisy since I started my boy had improved his general obedience etc massively - i think all down to having something to focus on - a job... he adores it. Especially when they fire a dummy gun and we send him off into the undergrowth - the gun noise seems to trigger something deep within him!

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minimu · 05/01/2010 15:41

I think you would be mad to consider it. I am going to be really rude and blame it on the hormones!

But before you flame me think about it for a bit. What are the two best things in the world to happen?

having a baby

Getting a puppy (Yep in that order even for me!!!!!

So why have it together and water down the effect.

Have the baby and love enjoy every minute of it. Then when life gets mundane and you need a boost and change Get the puppy!

I love the puupy days and would not want to miss any of it because I am too busy tired stressed. (Same with babies too!)

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 16:15

minimu you are a voice of reason - I know it's mad... I'd pretty much decided to say that we couldn't take the puppy on anymore yesterday after I had my 12 week scan (been so worried about not making it past that scan you see) - so was going to email her, but then there was the email with the pic - and it made me all irrational again

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wildfig · 05/01/2010 16:29

iggy I have two basset hounds - although i have a massive soft spot for black labs too, especially clever working ones! Our older dog was 3 when we rehomed her and had pretty good manners already, but the past few months puppy-training have been a challenge, albeit with a sweetheart of a pup. We took both dogs to stay with friends at New Year, and I imagine it's like taking your kids away for the first time - we arrived laden with blankets, wee spray, toys, etc, and I spent the whole time on edge, hoping they wouldn't show me up. Luckily the only time I got to use the Secret Solution was on someone's red wine stain.

I am in awe of anyone who can manage a baby and a puppy at the same time. Especially since apparently you're not allowed to crate the baby while you take the dogs out, I hear?

wildfig · 05/01/2010 16:31

Have just noticed the bizarre repetition of the word 'time' in my post. Freudian or what? [notes clock. Notes has only managed to wrangle dogs and snow today, and achieved no work by 4.30pm]

Original poster
iggypiggy · 05/01/2010 17:03

Fig basset hounds are cool - but surely not easy

We always pack quite alot of stuff when we take our dog away too...

Is that true about not crating babies?!! am stuffed... what will I do when i go to work?!

I have put a pic of the puppies on my profile for anyone that is interested.... see how cute!!!

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