Am I mad to get a puppy with a 1yo

[Wingingthis]

I have a 14mo DD. Would I be mad to get a puppy soon? I grew up with a dog but my parents trained it etc

[HTKS]

Sorry, 6mo baby and 2mo puppy here (and a 4yo boy). All worked out beautifully. There was definitely mouthing and nipping and jumping up and face licking but I just trained everyone and all is fine. Puppy and baby are now both nearly 3. Occasionally my 3yo complains the dog is “biting” him (mouthing in play) to which I just say stop annoying him then. If you are prepared to put the work in I don’t see why. Although 14 mo is a
difficult age as they are mobile but not very biddable.... if it’s possible to wait a year or so I would but if not then go for it.

[HTKS]

6mo baby and 2

[IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere]

I had two adult dogs and five kids including a 14 month old who hadn't started walking when I got a puppy and they got on brilliantly from the start. She was a really difficult stubborn little dog but my daughter adored her from the day she arrived and they became inseparable.

I think it helped that my daughter was very placid and happy to sit and watch the puppy play rather than chase her. I honestly don't remember her nipping or chewing anything - unlike the next couple of dogs we had over the following years. So the puppy might have been the exception!

[Runningbutnotscared]

Yes, you would be mad:

You think you can take the child and the dog to the same places, but you can’t really. Play parks don’t allow dogs in them, so you will end up tying your dog up, but if your dogs a barker that’s misery for everyone.
Maybe you have a chilled child who will stay in a pram while you walk the dog, then the child turns two and won’t wear a hat or gloves or sit in a pram so but you still have to walk twice a day in the rain but now you’re going at toddler pace and it’s miserable.

Many pubs take dogs and children, but not in the same area - dogs in the bar, children in the restaurant. Who do you leave outside?

You can’t, for example, walk to the library with your dog and child and leave your dog outside while you pick up a few books. Bad bad people steal dogs, so you need eyes on your dog the whole time.
So you end up driving everywhere because to have enough time to cram in two visits to the park and do ANYTHING else with your day you have to keep moving like a blue-arsed fly.

If you get pregnant again you will have a young dog, toddler and exhaustion.

Want to go out for the day, you have to pay a dog walker.

Can’t leave the dog in the car on hot days, so no nipping to the shops on the way back from a walk. That there’s two separate trips. So the children spend double the amount of time in the car as you drive past the shops to drop the dog off to go back to the shops again.

And dear god the vets fees! Because vet care has changed a hell of a lot in the last ten years. They can do everything now, and you pay it because they are are your family. My children could be dressed in designer gear if it wasn’t for the dog.

Get a cat! When the dog dies I’m getting a cat.
Or maybe a fish.

[OldPosterNewUsername]

It depends on the circumstances but probably yes.

Do you own your own home?

I know, sounds like a weird question but if you are renting you may not be able to get a dog.

Even if your current LL is fine with you getting a dog, you may find that if you need to move and find a new rental that having a dog makes a difficult task next to impossible.

How does your DD behave around animals?

Has she had much contact with dogs up until now?

Do you live alone or with somebody else?

Are they keen to get a dog or is it mainly you who wants to get a dog?

Do you work?

How would you find time to exercise the dog?

What about if you are ill, would someone be able to help you?

Can you afford the vets fees and / or pet insurance?

Do you like going on holiday?

If so, do you have someone who could look after the dog or would you need to find a dog boarder or kennels?

[Almostflownthenest]

I had a 7 year old, just 4 year old and the youngest was 20 months old when we brought home our 8 week old Lab x Golden Retriever. Yes it’s hard work having a puppy and then having a teenage dog in the house but it’s so worth it. He finally calmed down at about 10 years old but he was absolutely loved by us all, and he was wonderful with the dc. We had to have him pts in 2017, it broke our hearts to say goodbye after 15 and a half years.

Just remember if you get a dog whether it be a puppy or an older dog you’ll be the one looking after it and shouldering the responsibility. I couldn’t stand the house being so empty after he’d gone and 3 months later we got a Golden Retriever who is totally different to MiffyMieows, is an absolute sweetheart, gives dh and I a focus, the dc love him to bits and he them even though they aren’t here all the time. We love our cat but our house wouldn’t be a home without a dog in it,

[Miffymeow]

I think you would be mad to do it. I have a 4 and a half month old golden retriever, had him since he was 9 weeks old... and his favorite thing to do in the world is bite everyone as much as possible. Even if you hold a toy for him, he will go for your arm, face, body, anything... and I don't mean a few bites here and there, I mean if you are in the same room as him, you are being bitten... hard. I would never allow him around children at this age. He is starting to calm down on the biting a bit now which is normal for the breed, but he still makes up for that with jumping up and being so boisterous. Imagine a toddler that can run at 15mph, jump, is far smarter than you expect, has 28 very sharp teeth, and enjoys nothing more than biting humans.

I'm usually a very calm person, but I've lost it so badly that I kicked in part of the kitchen one night before calming down. I knew a puppy would be hard work but they really do test you, and they know they are doing it as well. I wouldn't feel at all safe with him being around young children at this age, he has a heart of gold but not the knowledge or self control and he takes a whole lot of looking after as well, as he requires a lot of time and attention, which couldn't be shared with a young child.

Another thing he enjoys when people aren't about is destroying our house. He has ripped up most of the lino flooring in the kitchen, torn the insulation out of the door frame, ripped most of his beds to shreds, bitten through a lot of the kitchen units, and dug up most of our garden/eaten the decking. It doesn't matter how much we walk him, or that he has probably almost every toy ever created. I've learned the real meaning of the expression 'like a dog with a bone', they are obsessive and relentless.

Puppies also poop about 5 times a day and young kids learn to explore by putting things in their mouths.

I'm sure some people have managed it and it probably depends on the size of the house, resources, and how many people are helping, but I wouldn't bring up a young kid and a puppy at the same time for all the money in the world.

My brother also recently(ish) brought up a puppy and it was just as bad as mine, from what I hear of other peoples, we have been very lucky with ours so far.

[thesnapandfartisinfallible]

Absolutely batshit loopy. I wouldn't have done the puppy stage with a child. They're like having another toddler that can't wear a nappy.

[eliolip]

How about rescuing a dog who needs a home who is already used to being around children?

[Costacoffeeplease]

Terrible idea. Think again in a couple of years

[Hisaishi]

I wouldn't get a puppy. An older dog that has some training and no behavioural issues, yes. A puppy, no.

And if you do get one, please keep them apart as much as possible. I cringe so much at the videos/pictures of babies right up in a dog's face, riding the dog, sleeping in the dog's bed etc. My dog was crated when my daughter was crawling or my daughter was in her cot while the dog was out. She is not allowed near his things, he is not allowed near her things. And she only touches him while she is sitting on my/my husband's knee.

Way too many people who take huge risks with dogs and children.

[fleshmarketclose]

I wouldn't, babies and toddlers are a doddle compared to puppies. Eric is almost five now and wonderful but he tested my patience to the limit and I won't ever have another puppy. Rescue dogs all the way from now on.

[LegoandiPads]

Depends how In control of life you are. If you are total on it, calm patience and bags of energy then go for it. Otherwise wait a while.

[MamaTT]

I have a 17mo dd and we bought a beagle puppy 3 months ago. It's been brilliant and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. DD absolutely adores the puppy. The puppy isn't particularly well trained yet but she's brilliantly gentle with Dd. I put DD in a baby carrier on my front to take the dog for a walk and she loves it.
You'll have people telling you you're batshit to get a puppy with a toddler but honestly, it's been fine for us.

[wheelwarrior]

I never do puppy route again and mine was older yes now at 4 he is fab

But when my niece and nephew stay longer than overnight he goes to my home boarder for his sake as while they are good but at 3 and 1 .Need constant supervising around him also struggle take them and him out for his long walks in all weather's

So he goes to stay (he loves them they also my dog walker /)

[Fannyfanakerpants]

I got a collie x with a 6 yr old, 3yr old and was 5 months pregnant. I'm a complete gluten for punishment. I did my research, spoke to a trainer before we got the dog, had a trainer in from week one and still go to training at least once a week. There are times the dog has saved my sanity. She gets me out off the house every day and gives me something to do other than house work and babies. She is a good, calm dog but she is such hard work, far more than 3 children and even with daily walks and training, if I'm honest, I don't give her the attention she needs.
If you do decide to do it, then please think about long term training, walks in all weather, giving the puppy and children their own space and the on going cost.
Think about what you'll do if you want to take dc out for the day, or your dc is ill and you can't get out of the house. I don't regret getting our Dog and I love her but I'm still not at the stage where I'd never be without her.

[Greystar]

No no no ... glad to help!

[Wolfiefan]

I wouldn’t. Mine wouldn’t sleep unless she could see me. She ate through a wall when I left her so I could pee. We had holes in all our clothes and sometimes us as well.
That’s the pup BTW. Not my kids.

[90mammasophie]

Yes x

[GrowThroughWhatYouGoThrough]

missbattenburg I know it's unusual maybe it's because I have two other dogs. She was also crate trained from 2 days in too. I was just trying to say having a puppy isn't always bad

[adaline]

Our puppy was relatively easy (compared to what I've read on here) but I wouldn't do it with a 1yo!

Puppies jump, mouth and nip. They poo and pee everywhere in the house and need taking to the toilet 2-3 times a night for a good 6-8 weeks on average. It means getting up, schlepping outside (no fun in the middle of winter) standing in the garden and waiting for the dog to pee/poo, praising like mad and settling it back to bed again.

They require constant supervision, training and separating from the baby unless you are right there to keep them apart. What are you going to do when your 1yo starts walking and wants to chase the dog, pull its ears/tail, climb on it, hug it, sleep on it...

[Phillipa12]

I have. I had ds1 age 3 and dd1 age 9 months, ddog1 was 4 and we got a puppy (both working cockers). I was under no illusion how hard it was going to be and i was right. A puppy from when you collect it to it being toilet trained and reasonably trained is seriously hard work and time consuming. In all about 18 months till he was shoot ready. If i had to do it again i would wait till youngest was in nursery as my youngest is now 3 and we look after my sisters jack russell pup 2 days a week and its much easier, even when the dog is being a twat!

[shiningstar2]

I wouldn't. My daughter with a full time job and a three year old and 5 year old decided to get a gorgeous puppy retriever. Lovely dog but definitely the wrong time. We kept saying wait a while ...but no ...now she concedes ...although we all love the dog, that waiting a bit longer would have been better for training, fair amount of time and play given, walks ext. Dogs are great ...but wait a while.

[missbattenburg]

it took 3 days to fully house train

Be aware this is far from the norm and most puppies don't have sphincter control until about 12 weeks old. I think about 5 months old for toilet training is more usual - and some dogs can take a few months more than that.

[Ethel80]

I think you'd be mad, yes.

IMO, your children should be at an age where they know how to behave around a dog. Toddlers pull tails and put fingers in eyes or ears and you've then possibly got a situation where a puppy ends up nipping your child.

Depends on the child but I'd wait until they are at least 4 or 5.

Obviously it's different when the dog is there first but even then there can be problems when a baby comes along. I've known a couple of much loved dogs that have been rehomed when the baby arrives.