Am I mad to get this puppy with a baby?

[Greyhorses]

DH is no help and tells me to do whatever makes me happy.
I am not an inexperienced dog owner. I work with dogs so am not clueless but I can't decide what to do.

My dog died. He was young and silly and died unexpectadly. I had him from finding out I was pregnant with DS, so coped throughout the newborn baby stage fine.

I am so sad without a dog, although admittedly I have more time and life is simpler. Still, I miss having a friend, I miss the fun and silliness. We have another old dog who is also miserable without a companion, he has never been alone before. I miss walking them together and enjoying lovely days out with my dog and baby.

I really want another dog, a puppy as i don't want a rescue after the heartbreak last time. I want a specific breed from a specific breeder. She has a puppy available now that someone had dropped out of. The waiting list is usually a mile long.

My heart tells me to go now and buy the bloody dog. That it will make me happy and fill the hole left by ddog.

However, my head says I have a 1 year old son. DH works away a lot (part of the reason I got dog in the first place) and I will be alone with dog and baby most of the time. Can I train a dog with a toddler wandering around?

I can crate train and am experienced with dogs so that isn't an issue.
How would I cope with a bitey puppy and a baby- would the dog feel neglected?

On the other hand, babies grow, they go to nursery eventually...puppies also grow don't they?

If I don't get one I'm basically resigning myself to a dog free life for the next 4-5 years which seems so sad

Has anyone done this and it actually worked out.

Please someone give me a shake and help me decide what to do

I have no insight to this but @greyhorses you sound like the most clued up person on the thread so I say just go with it! You might regret it if you do, you sound like you will regret it if you don't and you seem like a vetty, horsey, farmy can do dog person who'll get on with it and make most of it.

Ah tabla are puppies really that bad
The last one we did have from a puppy (GSD) was never ever mouthy! Maybe a tiny bit in play but certainly never hurt anyone. I was sort of hoping this would be along the same lines, she was really quick and picked up no biting within a day!

Thank you This. I am quite knowledgeable but it's a downfall in its own right as I see the aftermath of dogs in rescue and dogs that have bitten children and don't want to be responsible for that!

I also want to bring up a well rounded dog (and child!) so if I need to crate all the time to keep my son safe it's a concern to me.

Saying that surely many people have dogs and babies and survive to tell the tale

The dog I am looking at is show line, so a sort of very watered down pet version of a malinois but nowhere near as driven. The parents are actually really calm sweet dogs bred for the show ring not for work.

We currently own a working line GSD and past dog was an collie.

Sorry. Shove was the wrong word. But still. You can't leave a pup for two hours at a time in a crate.
We found mouthing bloody awful. Even at 10 months I'm sometimes still grabbed when she's over excited. As a young pup I literally couldn't let the kids near her. You would have to keep baby and pup completely separate. Whilst looking after both.

Thankyou for your honesty Wolfie that's what I need- no offence taken at all!

I wonder what people do who have puppies that work, just leave them destroying things? I personally could never do it but it seems people I know who put no effort in get perfect dogs and I don't know how!

I am a first time dog owner and I may have made a lot of mistakes. I have NO idea how people do this and work. Wolfie pup had separation anxiety. I couldn't even leave her for long enough to do the school run (or eat my dinner!) She's a bugger for eating stuff she shouldn't and still needs careful handling round the cats.
Other dogs may be a LOT easier. Wouldn't swap her though and can see why you're pining for a dog. I waited about 15 years for this one! She's worth it.

My current dog is a show bred Rottie (so not the same split as in other dogs, but still not as full on as working bred and less driven than any of the breeds mentioned) and um, yes, he was genuinely that bad...

He drew blood or left scratches on one of us most days for about 3 months and that was with much older children and stashes of distraction toys in several places in each room, lol.

Around about 5-6 months it gradually became an occasional much more gentle thing when he was over excited, but up until then he was over excited most of the day and with his baby teeth it bloody hurt, and I'm an adult.

Genuinely I couldn't have had a toddler round him, he did meet some but it was short on lead interactions with absolutely no free play at all.

I had a puppy and work but the only way I could manage it was by using someone who was happy to provide day care for a puppy. Because of that he hasn't been destructive as he is only left for a couple of hours either side before he gets picked up.

Do you have any means of similarly buying in help if you went ahead and got the puppy? That would mean you get some time to concentrate on your baby and the puppy gets some baby free time as well. Mine is very chilled now but when he was a bitey pup I have to admit having that time when he was being looked after to concentrate on other things (in my case work) was so valuable.

Can you fence off a separate area for the pup in the yard? Puppies are HARD work but so worth the effort if you feel up to doing it and can watch DS around them all the time. Ours is older now but the toilet training (up every hour or so in the night) nearly killed me. If you're up with DS anyway it wouldn't matter so much. Apart from that and the mouthing (which being experienced you could train out of them pretty quickly) I'd do it. My parents got a new pup when I was around 1 and we grew up together as best buddies. Mum said pup was easy, very laid back, gentle and eager to please so I do think it depends a lot on the temperament. It sounds like the pup you have your eye on could be similar?

Thanks to all of you.

If I'm honest toilet training etc does not bother me as typically with all of mine it hasn't lasted long. I do have really intelligent dogs though. I'm also home so don't necessarily mind the playing with it.

The main thing concerning me is the teeth tabla- I would want the puppy integrated with the family from day one if possible and if it's biting obviously it's not going to work. None have mine have ever really been mouthy except for times of excitement so I wouldnt know what to do if I got a land shark!!

We already have a fenced off patio area for the dogs seperate from the lawn which I could turn into a puppy play area if I needed to, so old dog on grass and puppy in pen? I wouldn't leave it in there long though!

Still lots and lots to think about.

No, the TT didn't last long here either, just a few months really but seemed endless at the time.

Mine's been a particularly mouthy dog, even still at 2 years has his moments but my last 3 dogs haven't been at all so it does depend. We had an older dog when I brought pup home too and he hated him at first (had lost his older mate not long before and missed him). I kept pup in a portable playpen inside and we slowly introduced them at old dog's pace. They ended up best mates and older one kept young'un in line! Walks were usually done separately until young 'in was old enough to walk properly. Pups need so much sleep too at regular intervals which gives everyone else a break :) It can be done, just needs lots of planning.

Wait. I am a huge dog-lover but puppies need so much time, training and energy devoted to them and it's difficult to provide them with that when you have a baby IMO. Having a puppy for me was like having another child.

"If I'm honest toilet training etc does not bother me as typically with all of mine it hasn't lasted long."

It's not how long, it's the logistics with a toddler in the mix, how many times a day are you doing something with your LO that you couldn't just up and leave him to his own devices? Because guaranteed that's when the puppy will need out, lol.

What about the times when the puppy starts to go inside and you need to rush it outside? You can't leave a puddle on the floor to clean up afterwards and an unattended toddler...and there isn't time to get both outside.

You've also got those times where you know you've got about 60 seconds to get outside, but turn into hanging about for ten minutes outside, how do you do that with a toddler? And if it's raining? And if the toddler decides now would be a good time to learn no...and start a nice tantrum about it?...

The only issue I can see with it (apart from the extra work of having to clean up after the puppy at first until it's house trained) would be if the current old dog didn't like the puppy for some reason. Then you would be separating two dogs from each other and from the kids and that would take some doing.
Other than that, if you are fairly confident your existing dog is placid and won't go for the new dog (I know you can never been 100% confident but you will have some idea), then I'd say to go for it. You are already in the routine of looking after dog plus kid, you know what you are doing.

Our new puppy has pretty much fit into the routine of our existing dog-when they are awake they play together (and are slightly mad running around all over the place but I don't mind that really-they amuse each other) and I've actually found her easier than the first dog when he was a puppy due to that.

Tabla I can see your point and it's something to really think about. My last dog was incontinant when asleep and that was difficult with baby so I can imagine it's going to be like that but worse!!

Older dog is quite a steady thing and gets on with most dogs. He can be grumpy when pulled about but has never hurt anyone. At first he gave our young dog some warning snaps and a growl or two when he pestered him constantly but was never aggressive.
They would huff at eachother but also played and wrestled GSD style and I do think he misses having a companion. Obviously I am busy with toddler lots of the time and I was happier before knowing both dogs had eachother for company and to play with- now he sits alone looking through the glass doors when I shut him out

Not that they are shut out often mind- most of the day everyone managed to get along happily but I like to let the dogs have peace from baby a few hours a day!

But you can't shut a puppy out for a few hours a day. And you can't leave the two dogs shut in the same space. Older dog needs respite.

I got my lab when my ds had just turned 2, I went to my friends and came home with the last of litter. Very unexpected he was thrust at me as I left We managed fine, no issues with biting or jealousy and like someone else said it's like they are best friends. We had a cage in the kitchen and that was his space if he wanted a timeout and ds was taught that. Training wise ours was super easy, he came home and within a day would sit/wait and within a week was toilet trained. So no large amounts of time spent training the dog and neglecting the baby!

I would absolutely do it again but only a lab from my friend as I know the line and know what I'm getting.

It depends on the dogs I suppose-mine were out yesterday for hours in the garden-of their own volition-the door was open-they just chose to stay outside. Pup is 10 weeks old, big dog is a year old. After two days of older dog ignoring pup they have ever since got on very well, and seem to enjoy wrestling and running around after each other. I am keeping an eye on them whilst they play but to a certain degree if the new dog does someThing the older dog doesn't like he will growl A bit and she will back off-which I guess is how she will learn what she can get away with with him, and I am letting that happen.We have had to tell the big dog off only once for being too rough with the little and separated them for a bit.
With the toilet training again I guess it depends on how relaxed you are about occasional accidents and sometimes having to leave them for a few minutes before cleaning up if necessary whilst you are seeing to the kids... I could do that I think-as long as I had plenty of decent carpet cleaner in stock , but I know some people couldn't.

Ah Wolfie I think I've always trained mine differently to you
Every dog I've had has learned to be alone for a few hours a day as I think it's a really important life skill. We all have had puppies at work who are in kennels for a few hours at a time and every one of them have grown into adults happy and content being left alone.
I obviously wouldn't go out for 4 hours and leave a puppy but I wouldn't hesitate to go leave them in a crate for an hour, especially with another dog nearby. I do think they have to learn to be left from an early age in order to become well adjusted adults.

Emma that sounds like a positive story, although it seems it can go either way!

Still not made any decisions and I'm going to speak to my trainer today to see what she thinks about it

Our other dog is a GSD so we are very dog proof (no carpet!) and have a very good hoover

I'm going up again this weekend and she has another litter, our lab has been lonely since our jack Russell but we are in the middle of the house move so now is definitely not the right time for a puppy as much as i'd like one.

Go for it! People assumed I would get rid of my dog (young jack Russel cross) when baby came along but she's 7 weeks old now and the dog absolutely adores her! I admit she's not a pup she's now 2 and the pup stage was hard work but my it has paid off.
I also have a cat and have always had animals around me, and everyone has always told me that they are my substitute babies and I won't be interested when baby is here - but they are wrong.
I think as long as you are committed and you obviously know what you are doing then go for it.
(Nb I live in a flat with DH, dog, cat and baby and people think I'm mad but I enjoy getting out so dog is fully exercised and happy!)

I'd say go for it. You sound experienced, knowledgable and spend a lot of time outdoors.

Of course it will be very hard work at times but worth it I'm sure. I have 2 young dogs and 3 DCs under 4 but I love the hard work as I'm sure you would.

29 you sound like you love stress as much as me!

I actually enjoy the madness of dogs, horses and a small baby. I hate being bored, hate sitting still and hate being inside! Next year my son starts nursery so things should ease up a little and this would give me even more time.