No idea about dogs - but going to look at a puppy today - HELP!

[CantThinkofFunnyName]

I had a dog when I was a teenager. Can't say that I remember ANYTHING about training it, looking after it etc. But my 11yr old son is animal mad and a few years ago, after a few too many glasses of vino, we promised him he could get a dog. Time is now up and we can't evade anymore! I'm allergic to dogs however (lumps/bumps, itchy eyes - hayfever like). So we're going to look at a labradoodle puppy - the wool/fleece coat variety for minimal shedding - I do realise there are no guarantees so I have my piriton at the ready. Oh, I also have a new 12 week old baby!

We are preparing the house to be puppy proof, getting wooden flooring put in too downstairs to minimise allergy.

My questions to all you lovely people is, what are the first things we need to do when we get the puppy home? Injections, pet insurance, puppy pads, crates for journeys in car? Aarrgh - so many things to think of and I really don't know what's essential and what isn't. I also don't know what injections are for, when they need to have them etc.

Any fonts of knowledge are v v v v welcome . Am a tad excited though

We have a doodle because we like labs but DP sneezes around them. DP hasn't had a problem around her at all. She sheds a little bit but nothing compared to a lab.

They are pretty bouncy. Ours is 14 months and whilst she's never jumped up at the kids she will do sometimes at adults.Having said that she's very calm around the house. There are lots of opportunistic breeders out there (all breed types) so I echo what others have said.

Why not consider another breed? I believe that Bischon Frise are reputedly hypoallergenic and whilst I am not a little dog person I haven't met one I haven't really liked. They are lovely sweet little things

Don't do it - puppy + baby = too much hard work. Dog WILL get neglected, not intentionally though.

Sorry here too! (But your post was worrying to say the least!).

I'm still a little concerned, not now in quite the same way, but insofar as how any mum of a new baby would cope if the pup presents problems.

But, that aside, please do consider a crate, it will be well worth the investment (but never use it as a punishment or he'll see it as a place to dislike and not a place of security), and do get a good insurance policy.

Another 'sorry' here. I thought you sounded a bit clueless and naive in the OP, it sounds like you've really thought it through.

Good luck!

We have a cockapoo which I chose because dh has a known cat allergy. He had no known allergy to dogs, but I wanted to err on the side of safety. As it happened, about one month after collecting Patch, dh developed a persistent cough, and the when he got scratched his skin flared up.

Patch is not a typical cockapoo, and has fur far more like a cocker spaniel, which is supposed to be very bad for allergy sufferers. However, dh seems to have become acclimatised to his dander. We do apply Petal Cleanse to Patch whenever we remember, and this helped when dh first became allergic. However, now we rarely bother because dh's cough has gone. This is probably because it is not so cold any more and it is easier to ventilate the house.

(Still would not get a puppy with a tiny baby, I think you are barmy, but best of luck to you).

I'd been planning my puppy purchase for around 6 years - just waiting for dcs to grow up a bit. I had thought it through soooo much, and it's still so much more work than I'd thought. He's now 6 months, and has gone back to biting (which I had trained him out of) with his new massive teeth. I sometimes wonder what I've inflicted on myself.