Getting a dog while pregnant am I crazy to be considering this?

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Me and the OH have always wanted a puppy and said that a good time to get one would be when we were having our first child. I'm 30 wks preg and the conversations come up again in some ways it does make sense BUT I've never had a dog before so I think I will be shocked by how much hard work they are, we were planning on being in a bigger house at this point but thanks to the recession we are still in our little starter home so am worried about space and even with all the training could I ever be sure the baby would be safe around the dog once little one arrives?
If we were getting a dog it would be a lab
Thanks for any help/advice

Yes you are.

I used to work in an Animal rescue centre and we had a rather crazy boss who would often insist we rehomed to people we had refused a puppy to on this basis.

I can honestly say the majority of puppies we rehomed to people who were starting a family came back to us at 9 months to a year completely untrained as the family didn't have the time fto train it / walk it and then couldn't cope when it went crazy with boredom.

thankfully the rescue now has a much better boss policy

Please don't
Wait till your baby is older
but thats just my opinion

yes, puppys are really hard work, you need alot of time for them for house training, behavior training walking playing. also puppys are soo playfull and chew and bite and it can hurt. i wouldnt advise this round a newborn as youvecattobekittenme said i would wait till your baby is older mayber around 2 years old.

You won't have time for it and it will trash your house. Wait until kids are at school. Dogs need as much attention as kids, puppies need more.

Hi
We got a Black Lab when DS was 8 weeks old. Poppy (the Lab) was 20 weeks when we got her (last of a large litter and DH wanted to rescue her from the mucky barn she had been living in)
The first week was incredibly hard as she had to be house trained and trained not to eat her own poo (nice). But as she was older, she did learne very quickly.

However, I did find myself really really resenting her over the next few months. All I wanted to do was sit and gaze at PFB, but when DH was out, I had to keep getting all dressed up in warm clothes to take her and DS out for walks in the cold and wet (we got her in Jan and I went back to work in August). She was the source of a few a lot of arguments with DH!

She has always been good with DS though - even from the start. He is now 2 and she does push past him quite a bit. But they do get on really well.

But if I could go back again I wouldn't have got her so early. You will be shattered with new baby and you don't need something else to tie you to the house (or require looking after) I'd wait until child is 18mo to 2 at least.

Puppies are hard work and need lots of attention probably not a good idea to get one now when in 10weeks ur going to have a baby and a lot less attention for the puppy who will probably be very jealous of ur new baby. Don't forget the walks a puppy needs and with a new baby at home u may not always feel like taking the dog and baby out when it's cold and wet! We got our puppy 1 year ago and he still need lots of attention and walking everyday sometimes twice if we are out of the house for long periods during the day I am due msy 2013 and have already organised my mum and sister and bro in law to help with walking the dog for the 1st 3 months so he doesn't feel left out hope this helps and gives you an idea of what having a puppy involves.

Labs chew when they're left without stimulation.

Now I'm not a parent yet, but I imagine that 90% of my time when I have a newborn will be taken up either caring for it or sleeping. I can't imagine that leaves any time for training an animal (particularly a Lab which needs a lot of exercise and training...). Personally I don't think it's fair to anyone to get a new animal at this stage. The bottom line is that you're not going to put your child down for half an hour while it needs attention to focus on the dog, and if that's the case then it's not fair to have one IMO.

I agree with the general consensus above - puppies are incredibly demanding and it takes time to house train them, to teach them not to chew your furniture or your hand/leg, and to give them general obedience training especially if it is your first dog. A well trained dog is far happier than an untrained dog because it knows its place in the pack - dogs like order and for someone to be boss! I would think very carefully about how much time you will have to give to you new puppy - puppies grow up far quicker than humans but at the end of the day a puppy is still a baby and it needs lots of love and attention, including daily training, otherwise it will find destructive or annoying ways to get your attention! Labs are generally easier to train, but so much depends on the personality of the dog. Our first dog, a Bernese, regularly had me in tears because she was so out of control - now 3 dogs down the line I am sure a lot of this was because we were inexperienced and didn't recognise that she had a strong personality and needed a lot more training than we were giving her to get her under control. Correctional training needs even more time than standard training! Personally I would do one at a time, so baby first and then when you have the hang of that, get your lab.

We really wanted a dog when we got married but were both working.

When I was 5 months, we got a puppy and my parents had her during the day until I gave up work.

She was 6.5 months old when the baby arrived and for us, it worked so well. She was well trained and well behaved by then and was never anything but perfect with the baby (and subsequent ones).

I loved walking with the baby in a sling, so exercising the dog was not a problem.

It's not always a bad idea, it can work really well.

I did when I was 7 months pregnant but it was dog %232 and I had the time and experience to get her house trained, recalling to a whistle and walking to heel before DD was born.

I would not have got my first dog whilst pregnant.

That'll be dog number 2 not dog number 232!

We got a dog (not a puppy!) when I was 6 months pregnant. She is 3 years old and a lovely calm rescue dog. She came from a family so we knew she was ok with kids and babies.

I am so glad we got her as it meant that I went out for a walk EVERY DAY when I was pregnant, even did a 2-hour walk up a hill the week before I popped! Having a dog has also meant that I have to go out everyday now the baby is here, so I can't just sit around on my arse feeling mopey.

dont do it! Puppies are very hard work, harder than ababy i would say.
We got our lab puppy when ds was 3, and itw as really hard. He destroyed the house-ripped up lino in the kitchen, chewed doorframes, ran upstairs and pee'd on beds, pee'd on carpets nearly every day (and poo'd)

Now the dog is 5,and we have a newborn baby,and the dog def gets neglected! Its hard to find time to fit inwalking the dog, dh or I take him out in the morning or at night- also its really hard pushing a pram while walking a dog- especially a puppy that pulls.

What you are suggesting is madness. I love dogs and have always had several on the go at a time. Sadly my little furry princess died unexpectedly just before I fell pregnant. We still have one little monster but there is no way I would consider bringing in a new dog at the same time as a new baby. Never in a million years. It's going to be hard enough managing an already house trained and relatively well behaved one.

It's not a very good idea at all especially as this is your first dog. You say you are already short of space. So I would forget about it for the time being. You will have enough to do coping with a new baby never mind a puppy. Insanity!!

Yes you are crazy to think about it.
Wait wait wait!!

Just want to add a big NO! Madness! We don't have a dog but have 3 cats and a 10 month old. I have come to resent the cats soooo much. They're dirty, wreck the house, bother me and baby and they're really good cats! It's so hard having a newborn and then think about another living thing. My parents have very boisterous dogs and its very difficult with our ds as they just want jump on him but he's too little so it's a constant battle . I'd wait a few years, there's no rush...

No, no, no, I've had a newborn and a Lab and it was damn hardwork and our boy was 5 years old and very well trained.Lab puppies are giddy,boisterous,and notorious chewers also they don't mature until approx age 2.Enjoy your newborn without the hassle,it will be stressfull enough.Perhaps re consider your decision when baby starts school and you have a bit more time.

Yes, please wait.

I did this and am ashamed to admit there were times when I just wished the damn dog would disappear.

Especially in the winter, with the cold and the mud and the rain.

DD is now 5 and best friends with Dog, but it would have been so much less stress if we had waited.

Don't do it. It would be really unfair to any puppy, and would make life 1000 times more difficult for yourself.

If you weren't so far on (as in still in first trimester) I'd say that possibly not too bonkers. However, if you got the puppy tomorrow you'd just about be getting to a point where there was a vague degree of confidence in his/ her new life and the housetraining getting on for more reliable when the pup's whole life would be majorly disrupted which wouldn't be fair and would quite probably unless handled in an expert manner lead to behaviour problems just when you don't need them. Dogs challenge at different times in their development and this potentially could be a horrible clash with pup pushing boundaries and you not unreasonably being absorbed with baby, trouble, trouble, trouble.

Also, pup would start needing longer walks and training just as you are trying to juggle late pregnancy then baby. Just imagine you, the buggy, a small fractious old baby, and an 9 month old bouncy labrador wanting to go say hello/ explore on the end of the lead....... Labs can weigh a tonne and unless you have money to burn on dog walkers and trainers to do the job of establishing a brillant recall at a very early age and perfect non pulling heel lead work at the same, plus the time to put effort into taking over that training..... it requires little imagination to see how bad a combo that could be.....

All of this is just if everything is normal, going averagely and no major issues!
I'm 35 weeks and adore my little dog but am struggling as he's really been traumatised by fireworks this year and won't go out after dark. It has also made him funny about when he "goes" and to avoid accidents in the house I've spent the last few days having to go for much longer walks than I'm comfortable walking for (about 4-5 miles in total yesterday...) as bangs in the distance etc, etc, etc have stopped him in his tracks at inconvenient times and it has taken him ages to calm down enough to get on with it. Poor little guy, although I have help from relatives who walk him as well I feel he's my responsibility so it is up to me to make sure that he is in a position to make it through the night comfortably as he won't go out after dark. Sorry for slightly grizzly example but it does rather illustrate that stuff doesn't always go to plan thing!!

Sorry for ramble but think it might be a real toughie for all of you and maybe waiting until baby is out and a bit older and more robust would be better for you!

Please please please wait! Concentrate on your new baby, he/ she is going to be the most important thing and you do not need any more stress. Yes dogs are fantastic but babies especially your baby will be even better.
Get your family sorted, feel settled and happy and after a few years do some research and get the right dog for your family. Bear in mind that toddlers too are really hard work, so personally I'd wait til any children you have/ thinking about having are at school.

If you pop over to the doghouse and ask the same question you will get chapter and verse on why you'd be crazy to even consider it. Puppies are more work than tiny babies, because they are mobile, don't wear nappies, and have teeth. Think incontinent toddlers on speed. Whereas you can put a baby down for a nap, a puppy will run around, wee and poo as he goes and chew electrical wires. They really cannot be left for even 10 minutes, unless you have a small secure area where they cannot harm themselves or anything else, and accidents are easy to clean up. That's why many people crate train, but others frown on using crates. My dogs all nearly drove me insane as puppies, and I've kept dogs all my life so it's not like I didn't know what I was letting myself in for.

Thank you all for the advice- I'm going to take it and delay any dog ideas for a couple of years now, think it a lovely idea in theory but you've helped me see what hard work it would be
Thanks

Thank goodness for that!

I've had a dog then a child, and my friends had a child then a dog.

Child first, everytime.

Dogs are harder work than babies... It's be like having triplets.