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1st Trimester
christyhal
member
Love 06/2005 | Marriage 05/28/2011 | Baby! Peanut born on his due date, 9/30/12
Adopting a dog? (kinda long, sorry)
christyhal
member
Hi ladies, I wanted to see if any of you had any experience with this.
My husband and I moved into our current place in the fall, and we'd been looking forward to adopting a dog once we got settled. We'd been planning for months to adopt one in February (this month). However, we're now expecting, and wondering if this should change our plans.
On one hand, I'm concerned it might not be fair to the dog to have to deal with a new baby and the reduced time we'd have to spend with it because of the baby, especially at the very end of the pregnancy and shortly after the birth.
On the other hand, if we'd adopted a dog this month and found out we were expecting next month, we wouldn't try to re-home the dog! As it is, I'm not due until October 3, so if we did find a dog within the next few weeks, we'd still have over 6 months before the baby comes. (We're only still considering adopting a dog because there's still so much time left - if it was close to my due date, we'd be waiting until post baby.)
Some other relevant info:
--We're not looking for a puppy. We'd like to adopt an adult dog that's past the puppy stage where it would need the most attention.
--We had planned to look for a dog that was good with kids of all ages and had a mellow personality. Also looking for a smaller sized dog, though not super tiny like a chihuahua. (we're thinking 15-25 lbs.)
--We would want a dog that is not a super-active breed, but would be happy with walks and such for exercise and would do well as an inside dog with daily low-impact outdoor activity. Our apartment building has an enclosed dog area so, if I was unable to walk with the dog, I could still sit outside with it and allow it time to run and play.
What are your thoughts, ladies? Are we nutso to be considering adopting a dog with a baby on the way? Or do you think we've got enough time for a dog to settle in and we'll be okay if we stick with a dog with the characteristics I've described? Do any of you have any personal experience with this?
Love 06/2005 | Marriage 05/28/2011 | Baby! Peanut born on his due date, 9/30/12
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Adopting a dog? (kinda long, sorry)
I vote that you get a dog. You can ask the shelter to help you pick one with high tolerance (hint: if you can bother it while it's eating, and "pat" pet it around the face like kids do, then it will be a good buddy for a tot).
It will be good for your pregnancy to start taking some walks!
I just recommend talking to the shelter workers to find the RIGHT dog. Don't get a little yappy terrier. They usually have 'leaky faucets' and are snappy with kids. I have one, my mom has 3, ugh, I love the little guy but LORD never again. And no cocker spaniels. They eat children. (these are all unfair generalizations, by the way)
Lurker here, but I think if you want to adopt a dog, then you should go for it. You have a bit of an advantage since you are looking to rescue an adult dog, as their foster family will have a good idea of their behavior with children. You can even specifically look for a dog that currently lives with babies or children. I think you have plenty of time to settle a dog in before the baby comes.
We rescued our French Bulldog when he was 3 years old, and it was the ideal situation. He is practically perfect! Small (26lbs) but he's all muscle so he is sturdy! He's mellow and mostly sleeps/lounges, but likes to have fun in short spurts here and there, take short walks around the neighborhood, etc. Most of all, he is a lover. He has been by my side non stop the last few weeks, when I have been on an emotional roller coaster. We love him and can't imagine our life without him! He loves babies and children and actually seeks them out when they are nearby
frenchbulldogrescue.org is a great starting point, you should check it out
petfinder.com is another great site!
Eat children? I have never heard of that. Ever.
no, but they are stereotypically VERY high energy, are known for having potty training issues/regression, and for being jealous. I love my BFF's cocker, but he is insane. Pees everytime you touch him, barks non-stop, and does try to eat babies! not in a mean way, but that dog trys to put every.thing. in his mouth, including our friend's 3 month old. Obviously some of it is training, but some of it is temperment.
Every time I'm ready to adopt a dog I find out I'm pregnant. (maybe its my subconscious). Anyway we put off adopting a dog the first time. I personally wanted to focus on my pregnancy and then with having a newborn it was just not for us. We were ready to adopt again and sure enough...baby #2 is on the way. So we are putting it off for a few years.
But if you're ready go for it.
Thank you for all the feedback, ladies! We are definitely going to be looking for a dog that is known to be good with kids, and we'll be interacting with it before we make our decision. I work from home, so I'll have plenty of time to spend with the dog to ensure that it is fully house-trained and resolve any issues that may come up after adoption and before baby.
We had previously identified some pet-adoption places we wanted to check out, so we might start looking around this weekend, to see if we can find any dog that could be a good match for us. :-)
Love 06/2005 | Marriage 05/28/2011 | Baby! Peanut born on his due date, 9/30/12
This is a tough one. We had 2 big rescue dogs (70 pound greyhound and 90 pound Dobie) for years before my first pregnancy. I am a stickler for obedience and socialization, and both of them were fairly well-behaved and well-adjusted by the time DS was born. My Dobie was an untrained/mishandled abandonment case at the shelter, and has always been the more difficult of my "kids." Despite all the work that we put into our dogs (both before and after DS was born), there are still surprises. I honestly was very worried about having to rehome my Dobe, who has a lot of issues, but after DS was born, he was (and still is) incredibly tolerant, patient, and loving of my child. On the other hand, my greyhound (who has always the far more docile of my two canines) is the one that we have to be very vigilant about with my son (now 2.)
Long story short, a rescue dog is a lot of work, and the dynamics may change a lot once you have a baby, for better or worse. I also think that it can take up to a year to really get a good feel for your dog if you are adopting an adult, especially if you have no contact or knowledge of their prior life and training. The fact that you work from home really works to your advantage, so I don't think its unreasonable, I would just try to find a dog whose history is known (as much as possible) before you bring them home. And start working on obedience early and frequently.
I would not limit yourself to a specific breed. Since you're looking for an adult dog, you have the luxury of knowing (for the most part) how big he/she is and what their coat type and activity level are. Even dogs of the same breed can be very different in those regards. Focus more on the size, care requirements, and temperament that work for you. Mixed breed dogs are frequently the best - and healthiest!
Sorry this is long, but these are hard decisions and there is a lot to think about. Good luck and keep us posted!