Getting dog before or after baby?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

17:26- thank you so much, your post was very helpful and I really appreciate it.

20:46- I already have a child. That I had as a newborn by myself while my DH was deployed overseas. She was born, in the NICU and back home, crawled, walked and turned one all while he was overseas and I was by myself (I have no family in the country, his lives hours away.) I never once wondered how I was going to be able to take a shower. I'm not saying this to try to seem superior or whatever, I really don't think that highly of myself. But some people have an easier time dealing with certain things than others. The idea of having a dog and two kids doesn't freak me out.

Sounds like you had an unusually easy baby. It happens. You're not likely to get that lucky twice.

[Anonymous]

The dog could go into a small prey frenzy and whip your baby around like a rag doll until it broke its neck and then it could tear the flesh from its carcass. This could happen while you are 'showering'. Will it all be worth it just to say you followed through with your 'plan' to get a dog? Or this could all be the imaginings of my feverish pea brain. Do what you want--become a headline for the National Enquirer. Military Wife/Mom Takes Shower While Dog Eats Baby...

[Anonymous]

Really? Oh geez, go write for the tabloids.

[Anonymous]

OP, why are you so set on getting a dog this year?what harm is there in waiting? I know you say you can handle anything, having been a military mom, nanny and having grown up with dogs, but it also sounds like you've never been the sole responsible adult with a dog. Who knows how hard your second baby might be. How will your quality of life be negatively impacted if you do not get a dog this year? Probably not one bit. Wait a year.

[Anonymous]

What kind of dog are you thinking of getting OP? A border collie that needs a TON of exercise and mental stimulation? Or a small lap dog that is fine with a quick walk down the street and back?

Are you thinking about adopting a house-broken dog from the pound or a puppy that needs " a lot of work"?

[Anonymous]

Does your husband still have to travel sometimes? What will you do when he's out of town and the dog needs its early morning or late night walks and the weather is horrible and one of the kids is sick?

[Anonymous]

Many dog rescue organizations won't allow you to adopt a dog if you have children under 6 in the home....there are good reasons for this rule.

[Anonymous]

What if your baby has dog allergies, OP? I learned the hard way that it's best to test for these things before introducing a dog into the family.

[Anonymous]

I think OP sounds like a troll. Her posts are not logically consistent. On one hand you have a super supportive husband who helps out with everything, and then in the next post you said he was overseas and gone for significant milestones with your first born. So which is it? And where's he going to be in the next two years?

Why the obsession with having a dog RIGHT NOW? I grew up with dogs, one of ours had a litter a few months after I was born, and I have always been around dogs. And we had two dogs at the time of our daughter's birth. But now with both dogs having passed away and my wife expecting a second baby, we both agree that it makes more sense to wait at least a few years before getting another dog just so that our kids are at the point that they can relate properly with a dog. Our daughter regularly tried to pull the ears, and poke the eyes of our last dog, which was not fun for the dog, for us to police, or for the baby when the dog snapped at her.

Unless you explain the rush, I think other posters will continue to miss what it is that you are after.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a medium to large breed pup now. Lab, golden, poodle, pwd, staghound. Start training both pup and 4 year old now....get a gentle leader so the kid can "walk" the pup. Be sure that the dog has good parents with good temperament, and pick a nice middle of the road pup. You want the one that comes up to you, not the one hat hangs back OR the one that runs up and jumps on you. Fairly calm. Do not get a herding breed, you'll have problems with nipping for years.

By the time the babe is here, she'll be potty trained---and yes, I vote for a bitch, not a dog. By the time the babe is mobile, she'll be old enough to stand a little mauling and young enough to like it. Goldens and labs have nice soft mouths---I prefer labs with kids myself. The four year old will soon be five, which is plenty old enough to work a do with supervision. Try agility classes. There are some really good trainers in the area. Have your daughter work with the pup i puppy class.

I like this post. Been there done that with a lab-got her at 8 weeks and baby born 6.5 months later. I would not get a dog unless the OP is a SAHM.

[Anonymous]

After, after, after!!,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate all the replies so far, but like I said on the OP, we are getting a dog this year, so the advice I am looking for is simply about it being before or after the baby. The decision is already made: we are getting a dog this year, not 1, 5 or 12 years from now.

I have a new puppy right now, my children are 2.5 and 6.

I would say to get a puppy NOW. I can tell you that the house training is really really challenging and it is really really challenging training the puppy not to jump or chew or nip. I hope you get an "easy" dog to train because it will be complete chaos when the baby arrives.

I strongly advise you to budget in a dog walker for at least the first 3 months of your baby's life. it will make things tremendously easier if you have someone who can exercise the dog at least once a day for a decent stretch of time.

GL! It is hard, but we all love our new puppy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many dog rescue organizations won't allow you to adopt a dog if you have children under 6 in the home....there are good reasons for this rule.

really? I had no problem with Lost Dog Rescue or A Forever Home. I have children under 6.