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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Just found out im pregnant and getting a Puppy

74 replies

roundabout123 · 13/11/2019 09:24

Hi all,

I need some advice please. I have just found out I am 5 weeks pregnant with my second child. I also have a little girl who is 2. I have endometriosis and have been trying to conceive for about a year without much luck but yesterday I took a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant! Woohoo. One thing though, we have placed a deposit on a Golden Retriever Puppy which we are due to pick up at the end of the year, I will be 10 weeks. I would still very much like to go through with it but I don't want to go in to it all with my eyes closed. The baby is due in July, is 7 months a reasonable amount of time to get this Puppy settled before the baby arrives? Fortunately my partner finishes work at 4 so is able to walk the Dog for me during the late stage of my pregnancy and once the baby has arrived but I'm still worried I'm taking too much on my plate? Please can someone advise?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Original poster

roundabout123 · 13/11/2019 09:27

Also just to add, I am a SAHM. :)

OP posts:

fessmess · 13/11/2019 09:30

Congratulations!! I would say, as the owner of a now 3 year old dog, don't get the puppy. I found the puppy stage really hard and she didn't calm down until 2. I often thought how do people do this with babies/toddlers as mine are teens. Honestly puppies are relentless.

MrsFoxPlus4Again · 13/11/2019 09:31

It probably is too much, a lot of people get rid of their dog once a baby comes along especially if it’s young. If you put hard work into training and preparation it’s doable.

MummyBear405 · 13/11/2019 09:35

Hey OP, firstly congrats on baby no2!

I'm currently pregnant with my first and we have a lab retriever who is 2 yrs old so not really the same situation however we were planning our wedding when we got him at 8 weeks old. He was 8 months old when we got married and everyone commented how well behaved and well trained he was on the day so from my experience 7 months is definitely enough time to get them settled (although I wasn't having to cope with being pregnant at the time!).

The key for us was puppy classes locally as it was a great opportunity to social him as well as teaching him (and us) the basics! Also labs and golden retrievers are fab with kids, they have such good temperaments!

You'll also have the advantage that puppy will grow up with your 2 yr old so by the time baby comes along they'll be used to all the noises and things that come with kids!

Personally I loved having a dog around when I was little and I'm so excited to see our baby bond with our furbaby so I'd say go for it but only if you're prepared to put in the time!

Good luck OP xx

PotteringAlong · 13/11/2019 09:37

I’m not sure you can compare planning a wedding to having a child...

SweetAsSpice · 13/11/2019 09:38

It depends. If you’re an experienced dog owner, you could perhaps make it work. If this is your first dog, your first puppy...really think carefully. Some say puppies are like newborn humans. I don’t know if it’s quite comparable, but your daughter will also be getting used to the new baby, so you could experience behavioural changes from her too.

A lot of extra stress tbh!

Maybe in the future.

Congratulations

Original poster

roundabout123 · 13/11/2019 09:43

Hi everyone, thank you for all of your responses so far, good and bad, they're all good to hear and take on board. Personally I think we would manage ok since we are a very active couple but that's not taking away from the fact that I'm sure it will be more of a challenge than under usual circumstances... As silly as it sounds I'm worried what people will think of me if I still take the Puppy on whilst I'm pregnant. It seems so irresponsible on our side but the reason we decided to go ahead with a Puppy is because my fallopian tubes are so badly blocked we were told by the Gyne our chances were extremely slim so just didn't think we would get so lucky... Not sure what to do. We have all been so excited about the Puppy particularly my daughter and bought everything we need as well as deposit and a bigger car!

OP posts:

Original poster

roundabout123 · 13/11/2019 09:45

Just to add, have owned Dogs previously but never a Golden. x

OP posts:

sassenach84 · 13/11/2019 09:48

I think all depends on your individual circumstances so hard to advise... but I'd say that if you're an experienced dog owner, then go for it as you know what you're doing. If you're not, I'd wait a few years. There's a chance the puppy wouldn't even be housetrained by the time baby arrives. Puppies are a lot of work! Good luck either way x

whatcolourthough · 13/11/2019 09:49

I wouldn't. having a puppy took up all my time for at least the first year and even up to about 2 he was really hard work. I wouldn't have had time to spend with my existing child never mind a new baby .

MrsXx4 · 13/11/2019 09:54

Planning a wedding, not even a slightly comparable situation

It would break my heart but I just wouldn’t get the puppy yet. I’d have to go against my heart and reassess the situation in about 2 or 3 years time. I haven’t personally been through it but a good friend has, puppy and baby the same time and she said it was the single worst thing and affected her health and bond with baby because she’d just settle the baby and then the puppy would do something or need something meaning that she couldn’t catch a nap or do anything for herself in those precious moments.

She is still battling on now and it’s been 3 years, she would never give the dog up but I definitely see a change in her.

SayNotoArtificialLipids · 13/11/2019 09:54

I have worked in rescue for over 20 years. I have seen many adolescent dogs brought into the shelter due to the owner being pregnant and not having enough time. I foster dogs and puppies too and some puppies can be hard work. Many people underestimate the work involved.

Raphael34 · 13/11/2019 10:02

Don’t do it op. I practically guarantee you’ll regret getting that dog. It wasn’t really best to be putting deposits down on puppies when you’re trying to conceive. That dogs going to take up all your time and every fit at least the first 2 years before it calms down a bit. And they’re not small dogs either. You’re going to have a hyper pup barking, whining, pooing, peeing, chewing and knocking the baby over every 5 seconds

MummyBear405 · 13/11/2019 10:10

@PotteringAlong @MrsXx4 Okay maybe calm down on the hostility! I am in no way comparing the two and did say that I wasn't having to deal with pregnancy or a child at the time. I was merely pointing out that we did have a lot on our plate and not all the time in the world to dedicate to the puppy but we still made it work.

It's okay for people to have a difference in opinion ... I'm allowed to have mine just as much as you are. Maybe try being supportive rather than seek to tear other people down for no reason?

Kaykay06 · 13/11/2019 10:14

As much as it would be lovely I’d say no. I can’t imagine cleaning up puppy mess etc whilst pregnant and training whilst feeling yuk and having a 2 year old. What you could do is ask them to freeze your deposit for a litter later on when baby is older. I have a golden retriever and he’s a big soft lump but they are big strong dogs and need a good consistent training. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision for your family. Congrats on baby and good luck with your decision

Original poster

roundabout123 · 13/11/2019 10:17

Hi again, thanks for all of the advice from everyone. @Raphael34 I know it may seem like a silly thing to do and under usual circumstances I would totally agree with you but I cannot stress how much we did not think this would happen as the Gyne said our chances were almost impossible so it was such a shock. I think I am going to take some more time to think it over and make a final decision in the next week. I'm fortunate that I will have 7 months to prepare and have classes pre booked plus I will have the help of my husband which will help a lot but even so I know it's a big commitment and it needs to be fair for everyone involved including the Pup. I really appreciate everyone taking the time out of their day to respond and will take everything that has been said on board. x

OP posts:

gingerbreaddragon · 13/11/2019 10:18

I would say don't do it, like really, really don't do it. I have an 8 year old dog and it's been hard. The walks are the easy, pleasant bit...until they roll on something foul, you've no idea what's lurking in that animals poo and you have to wash them down whilst pregnant or with a tiny baby crying. For me it's the barking at people out of the window, at the postman, constantly waking the baby up. For anyone who thinks I should have trained him more, I did for months and months. He is generally well trained but has a few of these habits that I can't break that get on my last nerve. He picks up the baby's toys and dummy's constantly. With a young pup these habits will be worse. At least mine is excellent at his verbal commands. The walks will be easy, it'll be managing a young dog in the house all day that is the challenge.

Sohololopopo · 13/11/2019 10:22

OP golden retrievers are the BEST dogs (personal opinion you may think but no, they seriously just are.) BUT, they are little fuckers when a pup. Mine was relentless, horrible, little bugger. You could manage yes, but you will most likely be biting off more than you can comfortably chew, I would say that to ANYONE! Fantastic news for the baby. And I hope of you do decide to do whatever might be right for you! Heads up there are a lot of puppy farms in Wales, Lincolnshire and Bishop Auckland, so please do be careful!

NarcolepticOuchMouse · 13/11/2019 10:23

I've done the puppy stage twice and 7 months is when they're at their absolute worst! It's the dog equivalent of teenage years. They seem to go backwards with training and become very trying for a few months. Once they get to about 1 years old they're back to being lovely and making training progress again. Unfortunately I would say to let this puppy go and wait until you're able to give it more, a 7 month old puppy really will demand your attention as priority or you'll risk behavioural issues. I know this is not what you wanted to hear but I truly believe that's the best decision for your situation. Congratulations and good luck whatever you decide.

CaptainCautious · 13/11/2019 10:25

I wouldn’t do it. I think it would be way too much to deal with. Of cours you could do it, but it’d be extremely hard and I can imagine might be hard on your eldest DC as she has to adjust to two new things

Stilltrying34 · 13/11/2019 10:25

We had this same situation recently, except we had already collected our (very similar breed) puppy by the time we found out I was pregnant.
At first I had a good panic about puppies and babies and mess and hair and everything else. However our puppy was an angel. Never messed in the house and so willing to learn. He was a total joy to have around and after a while I relaxed and was imagining future lovely walks in the park with a toddler and a well trained dog.

Unfortunately I had a MC and the puppy developed a very rare and incurable genetic condition (was from an excellent breeder who had conducted full testing of all testable issues). Now we have no pregnancy and no puppy and we are still devastated about both.

Anyway, while I obviously can't comment on the baby combined with dog stage the pregnancy and puppy bit was working out wonderfully, and we were so happy with our pup. We did put in hours and hours of training though...

DieCryHate · 13/11/2019 10:27

We picked up our golden retriever pup when I was 7 months pregnant. The first few months were harder than I expected (and I was expecting it to be difficult) but I think I'd have coped better in earlier pregnancy. Looking back, I am glad we did it. We did all the puppy training classes, set alarms in the night to help with the toilet training in the early weeks which massively paid off as he got the hang of going outside really quick, exposed him to new sights and sounds including baby crying, fireworks etc.

Our dog is wonderful, a proper member of the family and he has effectively grown up with our son and eventually the work paid off. It's not for the faint of heart though.

gingerbreaddragon · 13/11/2019 10:28

Also echoing the above poster mine didn't settle down till 2. If your partner is planning on walking him in the evening you could potentially be spending your day with a very hyper dog. I've found mine just physically can't consistently behave until he's unleashed some energy. Friends don't like to visit if they aren't fully comfortable around dogs as he's quite bouncy at first.

Sorry for making it sound rubbish! I love my dog and he's going nowhere. He's my best pal.

Neighneigh · 13/11/2019 10:28

Our terrier only settled down aged 4. Don't forget also that it's fine in summer when you can bundle everyone into a sling/buggy and go walking but it's very hard in winter when it's chucking down with rain. You'll not keep a puppy entertained all day till 4 without a walk, unless you have a big garden. Much as I'm a fan of dogs, puppies and babies are a difficult mix. If I were you I'd try to put it off a little while.

Sammy867 · 13/11/2019 10:28

I personally wouldn’t yet but maybe move your deposit on the pup to another of the breeders litters in 2 years?
We got ours when my girl was 2 and it was brilliant but I wouldn’t have gotten a pup when I was pregnant as she was hard hard work.

I’d be thinking about not being able to go for long walks with the pup (pushing a pram and walking a dog is difficult if they don’t like the sling), being wary of putting the baby on the floor or having to lock the pup out the room when you do (as they are still boisterous then), barking waking up the baby, not being able to attend any classes I wanted as obviously you need to be in for the dog or walk the dog etc etc. We had issues attending dog training with my girl and I got removed a few times as the other pups were attracted to her (children’s voices really excite dogs as most dog love kids) so I had to find childcare to take her to classes.

You just don’t know what personality the puppy will have and if there’s problems it will probably ruin the baby months for you

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