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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Should I?

28 replies

shineon · 09/02/2017 10:52

I have been pining after a dog for ages. Since before I had my kids actually. My youngest is 1 & half now and I cant decide if its a good idea. Please give me your opinions. Im home full time. I suppose im most worried about the safety issue & the hard work that goes into a puppy. Am I mad?

OP posts:

CMOTDibbler · 09/02/2017 11:11

Wait until your youngest is a bit older - another year to 18 months will make a big difference in their understanding of how to interact with the dog, and your ability to give the puppy the attention, training and time it needs. I foster puppies, and they are gorgeous but absolutely infuriating at times!

luckylambchop · 09/02/2017 11:19

Does it have to be a puppy?

Wolfiefan · 09/02/2017 11:21

Not a puppy and a toddler. Just no.
Biting pissing creatures.
Pup. Not child!!!
Mine is 20 weeks old. The toilet training, lead training, separation anxiety, chewing etc. Added to the broken sleep. It's hard work.
Wait until DC is nearer school age and knows how to act around dogs.

BiteyShark · 09/02/2017 11:29

I barely had enough mental energy for our puppy so cannot imagine having small DC as well.

The amount of time you have to devote to them let alone the time for training would I think be a challenge for you. Wait until your DC are older or get an older dog that has been trained.

Costacoffeeplease · 09/02/2017 11:35

No no no and no

Go and read a few threads on here about people wanting to rehome young pups

Wait until your youngest child is at school

Original poster

shineon · 09/02/2017 12:49

I just thought a puppy would be a better idea as they hav no hidden history. Older dog might have incidents in past we wouldn't know about, does that make sense?

OP posts:

charliedontsurf · 09/02/2017 12:54

Honestly don't. People told me not to and I didn't listen. I have a 21 month old DD and an 18 month old puppy, I've had him since he was 4 months old. It's been really, really hard work and I do sometimes find myself wishing we'd waited until DD was older. She loves the dog and they are very close BUT he did knock her down the stairs yesterday (thankfully she was fine but it could have been much much worse) and owning him has made parenting a toddler that much more exhausting as I am constantly cleaning up after both of them. Between them they wreck the house and drive me loopy!

GinIsIn · 09/02/2017 12:56

Or you could spend hundreds on a puppy you can't cope with that might also grow up to have issues - dogs are living creatures so there's no guarantees.

You would be much better off with an older dog with such a young child. If you want a puppy you need to wait.

MrsderPunkt · 09/02/2017 13:04

Have you any experience with owning a dog? Can you borrow/dog sit one for a couple of weeks to see how it goes? Our family dog and my first dog were rescue - family dog was dumped on the road and rocked up at the house a few days later and stayed - she was fab, no vices, really lovely dog (someone had seen the car dump her and drive off). My first dog was rescue at a year old as it had grown too big but at least they took him to rspca - again lovely dog with no issues.

Current dog we got at 16 weeks old and to be honest I didn't really like him that much until he was 18 months - puppies are cute and fun, but he was about 18 months until he really had an understanding of life and could learn things easily. Up until then he only did the doggy basic commands. Now he responds to 100+ words & phrases, as well as a bit of sign language.

Will definitely get something older next time.

BiteyShark · 09/02/2017 13:09

Easiest option is to wait until your DC is older. It will still be bloody hard but trust me a toddler and a puppy would be a bad idea.

Imagine two high demanding toddlers competing for your attention 24/7 except one of them has sharp teeth and jumps up at everyone. Yes you can train a dog but it takes time and energy and would you be able to do that when your DC is also demanding different attention.

TrionicLettuce · 09/02/2017 13:57

I agree with other posters that now isn't really the best time and it'd be a good idea to wait a few more years.

Don't write off rescues when you do decide to get a dog though. They're not all complete unknowns coming straight from kennels into your home, a lot of smaller, independent rescues rely entirely on fosterers. An adult, past both puppy and adolescent stages, who has already proven themselves a good family dog by living in a foster home with children is certainly no more risky than getting a puppy.

It's very easy to underestimate how much hard work puppies are, even without young children thrown into the mix. Early toilet training is very full on, at times you could be having to take them outside every five to ten minutes desperately trying to get them to go outside. The biting can be absolutely relentless as well and those little teeth are very sharp indeed.

Yokohamajojo · 10/02/2017 10:36

I wouldn't to be honest, my DCs are now 10 and 8 and we have had our puppy for 4 weeks, he is 12 weeks now and it's hard hard work. I am very glad that the kids can entertain themselves and help out with the dog!

Original poster

shineon · 10/02/2017 11:23

Thanks all I appreciate the honesty

OP posts:

Hoppinggreen · 10/02/2017 15:58

I waited until the dc were 11 and 7 to get our pup.
It nearly killed me anyway, with a small child in the mix I think I would have had some sort of breakdown!!!

LumelaMme · 10/02/2017 20:09

If you want the time to train the dog properly, wait till the youngest child is older.

Inadither · 10/02/2017 22:37

I'm in a similar situation although my youngest is 3 and a half, so more a preschooler than a toddler. I plan on sectioning off parts of the house, so the kids and puppy can escape each other. Have looked in to rehoming but the breed I'm interested in needs socialisation with children from and early age as they are gentle but can be timid if not used to hustle and noise from an early age. I think I may have forgotten what sleep deprivation is like though! I've waited 20 years and now hubby has given the ok, I don't think I can contain myself to wait much longer. Hopefully we'll have something by the summer as Shelties aren't that trendy and all the Heath tested breeders I've spoken to don't seem to have large waiting lists. Mind you, youngest will be nearly age 4 then. It'll be bonkers but no more babies planned and feel ready.

Wolfiefan · 10/02/2017 22:40

The sleepless nights.
The standing over the puppy looking for the signs it needs a wee.
The puddles.
The picking up poo in the middle of the night
The washing of dog bedding.
The crying. Hers and mine!
The chewing.
The mouthing. Sweet holy Jesus those teeth hurt.
Can't leave the puppy. Like at all. Fancy a wee in peace? Sorry.
The constant reinforcement of good behaviour and stopping the wall chewing.
That said she's 20 weeks old now and so much easier. My youngest child is 7. I couldn't have coped with a younger child and a pup. And you can't ever leave pup and child together unsupervised.

Original poster

shineon · 14/02/2017 20:55

Well the answer to my question is no! We took 2 little puppies yesterday from a rescue just to foster for a few weeks. Tiny little things only 6 weeks old. Turns out I needn't have worried about the safety of the dog around the kids but rather the puppies safety around the kids! My toddler took a dislike to them when he saw me holding them & decided there was only room for one baby in the house! I couldnt even keep them apart as they were able to get through the gates of the playpen I bad set up. My nerves were gone worrying the toddler would hurt them if I even turned my back for a second. They were so tiny and fragile. So very sadly I had to bring them back to the rescue this morning. Luckily they were very understanding and had another home lined up for them to go to today. But I feel bloody dreadful for not for seeing this. Eased my concience a little by giving the rescue a very big donation! Even though I only had them for 24 hrs I was heart broken giving them back and have shed a lot of tears today. Anyway just thought Id update the post incase anyone is thinking of getting a dog in similar position. Your baby might not be happy ! Just something to consider that never occured to me

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 14/02/2017 21:23

You couldn't put up two stair gates?
You really didn't think that through.
And you just handed them back. Poor pups.

DementedUnicorn · 14/02/2017 21:33

You should feel bad about it. What a stupidly arrogant decision, especially considering you asked people with experience first and ignored them all. Poor pups

Costacoffeeplease · 14/02/2017 21:57

sigh

Why do you think so many people post on these types of threads to say your child is too young? For shits and giggles? Because we know fuck all?

Original poster

shineon · 14/02/2017 22:04

What a lovely bunch. I put this update up for anyone that might read it considering the same. And as I said in my post we took them to FOSTER not keep. They were always going back. I made the right decision giving them back if I couldnt keep them safe and the rescue agreed. Thanks for kicking me when Im down.Goodnight I wont be reading anymore replies.

OP posts:

TrionicLettuce · 14/02/2017 22:21

It sounds like a terrible decision on the rescue's part to allow two six week old puppies to go to someone clearly not in a position to be able to adequately care for them. Caring for puppies of that age is a huge amount of work anyway and even more so when they've been separated from their mother (and possibly other litter mates) too soon.

It possibly wasn't the greatest idea on the part of the OP to take the pups on but unless she thoroughly deceived the rescue they're just as much to blame for the whole situation, if not more so.

Hoppinggreen · 15/02/2017 07:35

What kind of Rescue would do that?
OP you did mistake that luckily you discovered quickly and tried to fix but I really do wonder what the hell you were all thinking!!
I'm an experienced dog owner with older children and I would think twice about taking on 2 small puppies like that even to foster.
Absolute madness

BiteyShark · 15/02/2017 08:12

OP I understand you probably thought fostering them would be a good test of how thing might go and yes you are right to warn others to think hard about it after your experience. Unfortunately there are a lot of people here that have strong opinions and I do think it puts people off holding their hands up and saying I made a mistake which means either no one hears of the shit times or no one dares ask for help when they are at their wits end.

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