Puppies and Babies!

[lilwelshyrs]

Hi all,

DH and I have our first DC due in November. We recently said a very very sad goodbye to our beautiful big dog and now have one very simple dog to look after. He would definitely benefit with some company but I feel that a new dog before baby arrives would be too much.
We have found a lovely local breeder of golden retrievers (DH has always wanted one and it only seems fair that he finally gets one after putting up with our gorgeous silly mutts I lumped on him lol) and so we would like to meet and chat with the breeders and get to know their dogs over the next year.

So my main question is - when should we get a puppy? It would have to be next year, wouldn't it?
there's a litter due on August 1st Or is that still too early? I'd want DH to have some time off work to help out with puppy training, obviously!

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Xx

Ddog is 4 now and still thinks he's a pup- ds1 is 18 weeks and ddog is much harder work! Definitely not to a puppy and a new born, unless you are a glutton for punishment!
Also, I'd be wary of a golden retriever- they aren't the brilliant family dogs they're often thought to be- professionally I have found they're one of the breeds most likely to try to bite with little to no warning:(

Oh i'd not heard that... DH grew up with retrievers as did his nieces... Will keep in mind!

So with the benefit of hindsight, would you have waited a year or two instead?

I would just do it, ( did do it) but I appreciate not everyone would do the same. Some find puppies easier than others, some puppies are easier than others!

Puppy will be well settled in before baby comes.
If Dh can do the puppy classes and walking in the early baby days I think you'd be ok.

Wait. A puppy and a newborn can be really hard work. Sleep deprivation will really affect your energy levels and your patience. A puppy and a toddler are also hard work as neither will listen to you and they will need a lot of supervision in their interactions. I am in the same position as you and I am waiting till DS is 3yo.

Hadnt thought of puppy and toddler and naughtiness... Of course OUR DC will be amazingly quiet and listen to our every word
I cant imagine waking up to discover dog shit in the carpet after a night of breastfeeding and nappy changing...

Ddog was here well before ds, and I wouldn't be without him, but he's a jrt and willful to say the least. I thought I had him quite well trained and socialised for ds arrival but he still found it all quite stressfull, and as he's being walked less due to being busy with baby, is more hyper around the house- it's the equivalent of having a naughty barking four legged toddler around, as well as being a first time mum. Maybe it's easier to have a naughty toddler and a new puppy?

Our current DDog would then at least have a buddy... He's a quiet, sometimes nervous, little sicilian hound. He's been with us for 3 years and is 4 years old. He was a rescue but has been brilliant to train. He's quite nervous of kids - wants to like them, but likes to hide behind me until he's sussed them out a bit lol. He used to follow the lead of my big dog who adored children, so hoping that's rubbed off a bit on him! I dont think he'll have a problem with our DC but i think getting out of his routine will throw him - he really needs his big long morning walk to get rid of his energy! He currently has 3 walks a day (an hour, 20 mins and 45 mins!).
Maybe if we got a puppy sooner rather than later we would be able to train puppy easier and get puppy used to our house and us before baby arrives...
Even if we waited til DC was 3, we'd still have a cheeky tear-away to wrangle and make sure he/she isnt tormenting new puppy! :-/

The practicalities of a baby, a dog and a puppy sound very tricky. The puppy would need to be 6 months old before it could join your dog on the half hour walk.

Ah yes, hadnt thought of length of walk and puppy growing legs...

What about the impact of a puppy on your dog? Swiftly followed by arrival of DC could seriously stress him out!

He prefers company tbh, so i'm not worried about the impact of another dog in his life.

I think we would maybe wait til either early next year or next summer to get a puppy. The litter we like isnt due til august 1st and then they're not available to take home til they're 8 weeks so really it's a bit late in the game to be considering puppy before baby.

The puppy will need a lot of one to one time. You'll need to take the puppy to training classes and spend a lot of time socialising it and teaching it to be confident out alone (without either your older dog or the baby, I have seen nervous pups develop separation anxiety when taken away from the family's baby!). Will you be able to do all this with a young baby and an older dog?

If I were you I would focus on getting the existing dog to settle with the baby/toddler which will be a major upheaval in the dog's life. If the dog is nervous try Adaptil and Zylkene for a while.

The one to one time doesnt worry me so much.

Definitely waiting til after baby (as have said previously) as the litter we like wont be available until October which is way too late.

Yup, all clued up on adaptil :) using it currently as dog is missing big dog company.
DH works every other day and every other weekend so has plenty of time to chill with me, bubba and dog(s).

I think next year will be a better time for new pooch :) I think i'll be a SAHM and look after our dogs and horses!