Anyone else pregnant while looking after a Puppy? **Title edited by MNHQ**

[ceebee21]

Just as the title suggests.

20 weeks pregnant with a 21 week old puppy...just wondering everyone elses thoughts, how your pups are getting on etc x

I think you need to rework your title OP, sounds like you’re actually pregnant with a dog.

Actually your OP sounds like it too!

@BoneAppleTeaa

I think you need to rework your title OP, sounds like you’re actually pregnant with a dog.

I had a dream like that when I was pregnant.

@BoneAppleTeaa

I think you need to rework your title OP, sounds like you’re actually pregnant with a dog.

It really does 😆. Sorry op, I have no experience of this. Best of luck!

haha I didnt even read it back tbh.

Cant even edit it, have had to report to MNHQ and hopefully can delete!

X

rather be pg with a baby human, but each to their own

I dreamt I gave birth to a litter of puppies ...

Ah bless you, OP. You may want to ask MN to edit the title/delete this thread and start again. You can start a new thread anyway.

Are you worried about the baby and young dog co-habiting?

@JamieLeeCurtains ha thanks, have reported it so hopefully they can help!!

But yes, he is pretty well behave to be honest (puppy that is) but does get so over excited when we have visitors or he sees other people. I'm just anxious about it all, I guess only time will tell when baby arrives xx

Oh gosh I hope they don't change it...its brilliant! thanks really made me laugh...

[quote ceebee21]@JamieLeeCurtains ha thanks, have reported it so hopefully they can help!!

But yes, he is pretty well behave to be honest (puppy that is) but does get so over excited when we have visitors or he sees other people. I'm just anxious about it all, I guess only time will tell when baby arrives xx[/quote]
In terms of answering your question, please don't take a 'see how it goes' approach. You're asking because you know that even 'lovely' dogs must never be left unsupervised with babies. It simply isn't safe.

The best thing is to start planning now how to keep them apart when you or another responsible adult is not in the room (and the adult needs to be fully awake). People use other rooms, crates, pop the dog outside ...

Sorry if that sounds like a mini lecture.

Take care and good luck.

There's a lot you can do before babypuppy arrives OP - get the nursery set up, separate off parts of the house, get pup used to a crate, play baby sounds, instil rock solid basic training, continue with socialisation, get a good routine in, start recruiting help & support...
What breed is puppy?

I'd say my top three would be

1. pup is used to having quiet time on it's own, in a crate perhaps, or another room
2. lead training & heel walking is good, so you can go out with a buggy or sling without fear you're going to get pulled all over the place
3. pup is socialised with loud noises of crying, seeing babies around, seeing different furniture, prams etc - so try and get pup out and about with other young children

Also try posting this in the Doghouse board - it looks like the priority is training for the puppy at the mo, and you will get great advice there, if you have a thick skin

I’d say that by the time the baby arrives, your dog will be not so much of a puppy anymore. At 9 months-ish, my pup had matured loads. But yes - get the training in now!

What kind of dog do you have?

Good luck, it should be fine! But I do second the advice to move this to “in the doghouse”.

Found out I was pregnant a week after buying a puppy 😅 in fact, I'm pretty sure I implanted on the day we went to pick the puppy up.
No clue what I'm gonna do but will definitely be taking her to puppy training and socialisation.
My friends all have young children who are more than happy to introduce them to the puppy which is reassuring for me.

I hope not 🤣.

@beaniebaby3 similar to me.

I'm just really anxious about it all and have lots of different scenarios playing in my mind about what he will be like, or just what the whole situation will be like.

He is a cockapoo, he has just finished his 6 week training classes and I think we will also be doing 1 2 1 classes before baby arrives.

The dog sleeps downstairs, in the front room which is separate to the open plan kitchen diner other lounge we have, and he stays there from around 10.30 to 8am...we did crate train him and he hated it, would bark, howl and claw at the cage. Perhaps we need to think about him being kept in separate rooms at times of the day - he is not allowed upstairs and we have a gate at the bottom, he will just sit and wait for us if we go upstairs during the day.

He obviously would never be left alone with baby, OH will also be working at home majority of the time so mostly 2 adults here as well.

Thanks for all the comments x

@ceebee21 cockapoos are lovely gentle breeds so I don't think it'll be an issue, just have to make sure he's trained and not left with the baby like you said. Ours is a Labrador so I know she'll be fantastic with the baby but still will never leave her on her own with the baby.
Have you tried a pen rather than a crate? They're much bigger and they're more of an open space so they don't feel like they're locked in. I think that's what we'll be using, makes them feel like they have their own little area.
If it helps, when I was a baby I grew up with a mixed breed dog and he was like my own little guard dog. Wouldn't let the cat anywhere near me, was by my side if I fell or tripped etc and I don't know what I'd have done without him. I'm so so happy my baby will be growing up with a dog as it's best friend!

@beaniebaby3 we tried a pen as well, also hated it and just barked and climbed the sides continuously..he also hated his crate in the car barked the whole journey wherever we went...something about an enclosed space I think...as soon as we got rid of those he settles and can go in the car, be left home alone, sleep through the night etc.

That's good to know, everyone is saying it will be fine and I'm sure it will be, I think irs just the unknown of everything, how the baby will be, how puppy will be, and how we will be!! X

Cockapoos are very high energy, can be nervous and unpredictable at times, the spaniel side of their makeup needs good consistent training.

I'd want to expose the pup to lots of strange noises and definitely continue with 1-2-1 training, so that when baby arrives and you need dog to leave the room, or be left on its own quietly, or walk closely to heel without pulling, and have rock solid recall, you know you can do that. So you're never in a position of having to choose between your baby and your dog, on a walk for example.