Easier or harder to have a puppy after kids?

[Anonymous]

We have a 11 week old puppy and while I am exhausted I definitely am not as tired as when I had our kids. I am on Reddit puppy group and all of these people post about puppy blues and how hard it is to be in charge and responsible for a puppy 24/7 and all I can think of is, maybe these people don’t have kids? While obviously having a puppy is a lot of work I feel like I am already in the throes of having to always think of another living things so it’s not exponentially more.

[Anonymous]

Because they're ready to sacrifice themselves for a child but not a puppy?

Or getting up at 4am in the cold dead of winter is different when you feed an change your baby in the warm house, instead of freezing outside in the arctic blast with a puppy who just decided to play instead of pee?

I mean, I didn't find either babies or puppies very difficult, but maybe some people just like to complain.

[Anonymous]

I find the puppy far harder than the child.

[Anonymous]

I have no children, but puppies are really, really difficult.

I got the puppy blues only once, and that was with my last pup. It’s real, and it’s sucks.

From what I see, some aspects of having a baby are harder, such as not being able to leave them alone; other aspects of having a puppy are harder, such as having to take them outside frequently. Also, puppies are mobile right off the bat.

[Anonymous]

OP I have seen that Reddit groups and I think a lot of the posters on there are young and lack a lot of life experience.

[Anonymous]

Op here - yea I guess I just mean getting a puppy after you have kids isn’t so life disrupting as it was prior to kids. I have done the middle of the night wake ups and always have to think about something other than myself. We can’t just go to happy hour or go away on a trip on a whim because we have to think about how to care for the kids. So add a puppy in and it doesn’t change your calculus a whole ton.

[Anonymous]

We've done both and there are challenges both ways. We're empty nesters with a new puppy and it's hard getting back to taking a puppy out at all hours of the night; our neat and clean house is full of puppy stuff (and accidents); my leisurely morning and evening routines are no more.

We love our little guy, but it's a real adjustment. He's cute as can be, but I'm looking forward to getting past the puppy phase.

[Anonymous]

I have a teenager and so getting a puppy threw me back into having a toddler except my puppy toddler bites a lot. The upside is that I can put my puppy in a crate and take a nap or go out and I couldn't do that with my kid.

[Anonymous]

Puppies aren’t nearly as much work as newborns. That said, I also find them more annoying because I’m less invested in doing the work. So, it was easier than my kids but harder because I was kind of over that phase.

[Anonymous]

Babies are SO much harder! So much. I couldn't put my baby in a crate and just leave for brunch. My puppy didn't give me mastitis and cracked nipples. My puppy slept through the night much much faster than my kids did.

My puppy is only 4 and sweet as pie. My teens are rough 🤣

[Anonymous]

I don’t know how any puppy is exhausting especially at 11 weeks? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. I have three kids, a dog and a puppy and I don’t feel exhausted, although sometimes my teen wears me out.

I think it’s more about the personality of the human posting, and their innate tolerance of activity, not about the reality of having a puppy.

[Anonymous]

We had two tween boys when we brought our schnoodle puppy home when she was six weeks old.

On the difficulty scale: child 1 was an 8. child 2 was a 5. The puppy was a 2.
We got lucky with the puppy. The kids kicked my butt - hard, draining, sleep deprivation and finances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know how any puppy is exhausting especially at 11 weeks? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. I have three kids, a dog and a puppy and I don’t feel exhausted, although sometimes my teen wears me out.

I think it’s more about the personality of the human posting, and their innate tolerance of activity, not about the reality of having a puppy.

Depends on the breed. Some are pretty high maintenance when they are puppies. My Lab had so much energy. She chewed on everything. You couldn’t take your eyes off of her for a second.

[Anonymous]

I’m with you, OP. I had preemie twins (humans) and a spouse who traveled for work. The puppy was a cinch by comparison and I had no dog experience whatsoever. I’m already home every night and have given up spontaneity now that I have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know how any puppy is exhausting especially at 11 weeks? I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. I have three kids, a dog and a puppy and I don’t feel exhausted, although sometimes my teen wears me out.

I think it’s more about the personality of the human posting, and their innate tolerance of activity, not about the reality of having a puppy.

Depends on the breed. Some are pretty high maintenance when they are puppies. My Lab had so much energy. She chewed on everything. You couldn’t take your eyes off of her for a second.

I agree breed plays a role, but also house set up too. All puppies chew, but I didn’t mind so much because I put up a fairly large puppy play pen so I knew if I needed to not supervise her for a period of time, she had room to play in a safe gated area. I would have had a much harder time if my only options were to supervise or crate. With a large play pen, the puppy can be social with us while being contained and unable to do damage to the house.