Am I crazy for considering getting a puppy with a 7 month old baby?

[GoldmanBaby09]

So, my friend's dog (seen here) has fathered babies with the Yorkie next door, and she is due any day with the pups. The puppies will all need a home. The father is a half Lhasa Apso half long haired Dachshund. I'm a SAHM with an almost 7 month old. My husband has always wanted a dog and has never owned one. We do have a friendly cat already and my family always had a dog (usually a Golden Ret) when I was growing up. Am I crazy for considering getting one of the puppies once they have weaned? I know it will be a lot of work and we had planned on eventually getting a family dog, but further down the line when my son was older. We have plenty of room for a dog that size and a good yard for little dog exercise. We also live close to a park for socialization. I have read all those dog breeds can be difficult with children, but I think that when the puppy is raised with the baby, it is a little easier than introducing an adult dog.

So help me! Is it nuts to get a dog with our baby this age (though he would be a couple months older by the time the pups are ready to leave their mother)? What puppy raising factors should I keep in mind to help me make this decision?

[stik]

I wouldn't do it. I have no feedback at all on the breed issue. My concern would be the difficulties that could easily arise in mediating conflicts between a cat, a puppy, and a newly mobile child. I think it will be just as easy to wait and adopt a dog from a shelter when your lo is a bit older and you have a better idea of what type of dog will suit your family's style and your child's personality.

I hope your friend and their neighbors get their dogs neutered after this litter.

[babygirlie]

I wouldn't certify you. Also gotta think you won't have the puppy for at least another 3 months. There's a lot more than weaning off moms teet to being moved to a new home or at least I hope that person knows that. If you are ok with how your habits are and it's what you want I would get it. But only you know what you can handle. Keep in mind a puppy is a baby only mobile with teeth :P Read up on puppy behavior before making a final decision. You will need to put the puppy outside every 2 hours, measure it's food out since they tend to overeat, it will chew your couch shoes underwear floor wall... anything it can for a YEAR. It's going to be a puppy for a long time and pretty rowdy until it turns 2. it will want to jump up scratch nip all in play and tear around the house and have a ton of accidents. It also will drool on the baby and you will also need to train the baby AND the puppy how to react to each other. The puppy WILL have accidents all over so buy a bunch of puppypads.

If you have that energy, go for it! and don't forget to spay it or it will have a period all over your house or start lifting it's leg if it's male and want to wander.

[sparkygirl74]

We got a puppy last spring and it was not the best idea we have ever had. We are just starting to bond with her as a family. It was very difficult to take care of her, a one year old and a four year old. She was a big puppy, so of course that was part of it, but she is a breed that is known for being amazing with children ( a newfoundland) and she was just too puppyish....she is a lot mellower now and can actually pay attention and she is turning into an amazing dog, but it was a rough first year. I am not sure I ever want to get a puppy again.
Another issue would be the breed mix. You are right, some of those breeds can be bad with children.....that would make me a little nervous.

[Katielady]

Am I crazy for considering getting a puppy with a 7 month old baby?

Yes.

[GoldmanBaby09]

Thank you for the reality check, ladies. I really wanted to wait until about a year from now, when my son will already know how to walk. Plus that time frame would give me enough time to get the dog trained before TTC #2 when DS is 3ish (or that was the rough family plan in my head). And I need to think about it in terms of it adding a new member to our family and not an impulse of cute baby dogishness. The pups aren't even born so I have lots of time to sleep on the idea. I should not have mentioned any of this to DH, who was just thrilled that I even said puppy in a sentence. But the responsible choice is to wait.

[SoulCakes]

I dunno. If you had raised several pups up since you were an adult, then I'd say you're not crazy because you know exactly how much of a pain puppies are and you're prepared to not only take on that responsibility but add it on top of a baby.

But. Your husband has never had a dog, and you haven't had one since you were a kid. I don't recommend taking on a puppy. Instead, look for a friendly, kid-proven adult dog that needs a new home (for a legitimate reason, not because it bites!). I've raised several puppies, but when I daughter was six months old I opted for a full-grown Corgi instead of adding another puppy for the mix. It's just a ton of work.

[North_Of_60]

Do I think you're crazy for thinking of getting a puppy with a 7 month old? No, not at all. It's very do-able. But do I think you're crazy for getting a lhaso/yorkie with a 7 month old child? Absolutely.

I suggest you really research both breeds, because I wouldn't suggest either one for a house with a small baby, a cat, and minimal experience owning dogs. Lhaso's tend to be strong willed, and Yorkies are terriers. Small, but they're still terriers. They're not known to be good with other dogs, small animals, or strangers.

I don't like the breeds for your situation. You'll have to research them well on your own and then decide how much work you're willing to put into this dog in order to get the results you want. At the end of the day that's what it all boils down to. How much time, effort, and expense you're willing to put into the training and learning process. A great family dog can be made out of any breed... IF you know how, and are willing to follow through on the work.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by GoldmanBaby09

My husband has always wanted a dog and has never owned one. We do have a friendly cat already and my family always had a dog (usually a Golden Ret) when I was growing up.

That would make you a totally inexperienced dog owner IMO. I had dogs growing up but when we got our first (and she was 6-8 months old, not a tiny puppy and we had no kids) it was a HUGE adjustment. I expected it to be a lot of work but I totally under-estimated the amount of work and stress it would really be.

I have read all those dog breeds can be difficult with children, but I think that when the puppy is raised with the baby, it is a little easier than introducing an adult dog.

I don't think that's true at all. In fact I would prefer an adult dog in this situation because you can evaluate its temperament whereas with a puppy you never really know what you're getting or how the dog will change as it matures, etc. There is a reason why many responsible breeders won't sell their dogs to families with small children - it's not discrimination, it's just that more often than not the dog ends up being returned due to the resulting issues.

So my vote is for yes, it is nuts. IMO if you want to get a dog with small kids (say under 5 years old) it's really best to stack the deck in your favour in terms of choosing good breeds, a well-tempered dog, etc. Also keep in mind that small dogs, especially terriers, still need a lot of exercise - just letting them out in the backyard will likely result in a bored dog that causes trouble (barking, digging, etc). Plus small dogs tend not to be as tolerant with children because it's simply so much easier for them to be injured.

If you're tempted to get a puppy, consider this:
- am I getting too much sleep at night and would really love to get up at least a couple of times at night to take the puppy out?
- can I deal with the night-time barking/whining/crying of a puppy that is adjusting to being away from their family
- can my children be left unattended with less than a minute's notice when the puppy starts sniffing around and needs to be taken out to potty?
- will my children enjoy getting their hands/feet nibbled on by sharp puppy teeth?
- can I socialize the dog properly by exposing him/her to a variety of people and positive experiences on an almost daily basis?
- do we have too many toys/shoes/chair legs/rugs that really need to be shredded?
- am I prepared to supervise the puppy and children 100% of the time when they are together?
- will I have time to attend training classes once a week without the kiddos and practice training commands several times a day?

[j_p_i]

Well, if you are crazy than I definitely am, because we did the exact same thing recently! My DD was 7 months and DH convinced me that getting a puppy would be fun for all of us, help get me motivated to go on walks, etc. While I do enjoy the puppy (he's a pug & bulldog mix, so relatively mellow most of the time) he is definitely a puppy... and I have definitely felt crazy at times. He pushes my boundaries constantly and is often more needy than (perhaps jealous of?) my DD. I do walk him twice a day with DD in a kelty backpack, which she and I enjoy immensely. However, if I had it all to do over again, I would definitely wait. It is definitely doable, and after about a month I feel as though I am a little more sane, but the first couple weeks we had him, I was absolutely exhausted.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

[GoldmanBaby09]

Originally Posted by Ola_

If you're tempted to get a puppy, consider this:
- am I getting too much sleep at night and would really love to get up at least a couple of times at night to take the puppy out?
- can I deal with the night-time barking/whining/crying of a puppy that is adjusting to being away from their family
- can my children be left unattended with less than a minute's notice when the puppy starts sniffing around and needs to be taken out to potty?
- will my children enjoy getting their hands/feet nibbled on by sharp puppy teeth?
- can I socialize the dog properly by exposing him/her to a variety of people and positive experiences on an almost daily basis?
- do we have too many toys/shoes/chair legs/rugs that really need to be shredded?
- am I prepared to supervise the puppy and children 100% of the time when they are together?
- will I have time to attend training classes once a week without the kiddos and practice training commands several times a day?

Yes, this is an important list and I'm not sure that I am really ready to take on all of those things. I think we will wait. My DH will have to cool his jets until it is a more appropriate time for our family.

[Catherine12]

I think it might actually be easier to get a puppy now than when your baby is older and you have to worry more about whether your child will be too rough with the puppy (plus, if your baby is still getting up at night you can use those night-wakings as a time to deal with puppy-pottying, without losing much additional sleep). I've had babies/puppies together and had it work fine - that said, getting a puppy is a big commitment and a lot of work at any time. Also, all our dogs have been pugs, a breed noted for getting along well with kids. I am not familiar with the breeds you mentioned. Picking the right breed can be key.

If you get a pup, be sure to crack down right away on playful nipping. It is a lot less cute in an older dog than a puppy. If you are firm about it from the outset, the pup should quickly outgrow that behavior (if you aren't it can become a lifelong habit). If you are lucky, the breeder will have begun this process already (I have had pups already not nipping at 8 weeks, but again, they were pugs).

I'll also add that the pups should not be separated from their mother until they are at least 8 weeks old, even if they are weaned - you should perhaps make sure the mother-dog's owner knows that. I will restrain my urge to offer all sorts of other advice on how to raise healthy pups since you are not actually the owner...

[newbymom05]

Don't do it. I would wait until your child is at least 2 or older and then I"d get an adult dog. Our dog is an adult fostered rescue and it was great to bypass the teething, house training, and general puppy-ness and know what we were getting re: size, behavior and temperament. I'll never get a puppy again. Too much work!