Would getting a puppy make this any easier? Serious question :)

LeoLauren · March 2012

I'm trying to convince DH that if we got a puppy I could focus my energies on that and maybe it would help me relax a little. We are both very busy and live in an apartment. I can bring the pup to work if i wanted to but on the other hand, its definitley alot of responsibility.

When i don't have babies on the brain, its puppies.

Those with fur babies, are they helping you get through this?

racheyt0227 · March 2012

I have 3, so I may be the wrong person to ask

Ccjones85 · March 2012

I think it can help distract your mind to have something else to focus on. I have been trying to pay a lot of attention to my dogs right now to help keep my mind busy. However they are 6 years old and a puppy is a lot of work! Just keep if you were to get pregnant soon you pup will still be very young and need a lot of attention and training.

I am a huge animal lover so I say if you both agree go for it My fur babies make me feel so much better when Im down because they always just want to curl up and be sweet.

delino · March 2012

I have 2 kitty furbabies and they have helped get me through the heartache. But, on the other hand, I worry about baby and kitties. Mostly about the litterbox and possibly that baby is allergic to kitties. Obviously not an issue with a dog, but those have different concerns.

genmalone · March 2012

I've adopted 3 as well and all have been since we started our IF journey. Wouldn't of been able to do this without them.

kmc84 · March 2012

Honestly, I wouldn't do it. We have three dogs (started with one, got onother, then inherited my mom's dog this winter after she passed away). I love our dogs and really enjoy taking them for walks as it helps me destress and they need as much exercise as they can get. However, they were all housebroken before we started IF treatments and that really counts for something! I think having a puppy that you need to be commited to training, exercising, and playing with would add more stress. You already said that you and YH are very busy, this is a red flag to me. Maybe an alternative could be volunteering at a shelter. MH and I have done this before and its been a lot of fun and rewarding at the same time. Shelters near us are always thrilled to have volunteers to walk, feed or handle the dogs. Please really think about this! A puppy is a huge commitment!

racheyt0227 · March 2012

kmc84:
Honestly, I wouldn't do it. We have three dogs (started with one, got onother, then inherited my mom's dog this winter after she passed away). I love our dogs and really enjoy taking them for walks as it helps me destress and they need as much exercise as they can get. However, they were all housebroken before we started IF treatments and that really counts for something! I think having a puppy that you need to be commited to training, exercising, and playing with would add more stress. You already said that you and YH are very busy, this is a red flag to me. Maybe an alternative could be volunteering at a shelter. MH and I have done this before and its been a lot of fun and rewarding at the same time. Shelters near us are always thrilled to have volunteers to walk, feed or handle the dogs. Please really think about this! A puppy is a huge commitment!

I agree with what you are saying. Puppies are a huge commitment. I adopted my last one as a 3 year old. So much easier. If you really want a dog & are so busy, you may want to look into adopting an adult dog.

Gregermis · March 2012

Definitely!! Not sure what I would do without my furbabies!! Though we adopted both at a year so they were already house broken. We will have one puppy and one kitten each at some point, but otherwise we'll adopt older pets. One year olds are still puppy like but with less hassle... Easier to leave alone for long periods of time sooner and they have a harder time getting adopted. Good luck makin your decision! ( hope that wasn't too soap box-y)

LaLe09 · March 2012

Yes!! We adopted our dog right after my D&C. She has brought alot of joy to our lives. She is so sweet and loving and just wants to cuddle with us. We definitely spend alot of our time focusing on her. It's just been really nice to have something else to put our energy into at home. so YES! go get your puppy.

ThereBeDragons · March 2012

We were a cat house before TTC and they've been part of our lives since we were children. There was no decision about babies or cats- it was always always babies AND cats.

We know that Tatsu (our bengal kitten) adores kids and will probably be invasive (in a loving way) with a baby on the floor. We know that Kavi (our 3 year old bengal) will not want anything to do with a loud screaming infant. We accept that and are looking forward to integrating a baby into the mix. I'm not worried about litter boxes while pregnant and I have no problems letting a cat with all it's claws right up next to a baby to sniff and be affectionate. Some people do.

Just be realistic about how comfortable you're going to feel with a dog being part of your family for the next 10-15 years. And get a dog that you will feel comfortable with if you bring a baby home in 9 months. The hardest thing to remember is that your dog is still going to need your love and attention even when you are sleep deprived with a new baby at home.

Tatsu was older (6 months as opposed to 8 weeks) when we got him- I knew that kittenhood is a long process for his breed and I wanted to see if we could get most of the kittenhood out of the way before we brought home a baby (and with IVF planning we had a very realistic idea of how long it could be before we brought home a child) so I could properly focus on his needs while he was still a baby. Even a few months makes a huge difference in being able to tell the adult personality of a companion pet too.

But do they help? Of course. Our cats are amazing. They love, they play, they take my mind off the tedious and comfort me during the worst parts. I wouldn't want to go through infertility without my cats.

LeoLauren · March 2012

You all make really valid points. A 1 yr old may be the way to go. I see some of your pics and i want to climb in with all those pooches! My lab passed away while i was on a business trip. if he were here, i know he'd be a huge help to my nerves. I have my heart set on another lab. Anyway, I finally have a day off tomorrow... I'll let you know if anyone follows me home!

glueck · April 2012

My fur baby is alone responsible for my smiling on some days. I don't know what it is about petting a dog that helps so much. My pup helps me to live by his example- live in this moment; not the one that just happened or the one that is to come. He makes sure I leave the house to get lots of fresh air. Walking in the woods with him is so fun. Plus, his furry deliciousness makes my heart happy. I can only recommend it.

PennyLane26 · April 2012

YES! We got our puppy 2 years into TTC, just before we found out about our infertility issues. Without trying to sound too corny, my want to nurture was directed to puppy instead of baby and though she will never replace a child, she certainly gives us a different sort of happiness and love. She is 11 months now, ironically we will be going through my egg retrieval and transfer the very same week she was born one year ago!

ermo515 · April 2012

I agree that a slightly older dog might be a good fit for you. We got our dog as a 3 month old puppy from the local SPCA and she has been the best thing for us. It was stressful for the first few months (training, chewing, letting her in and out,etc) but we were lucky to get a very easy easy dog. Other dogs require lots and lots of attention all the time.Our dog is 2.5 and since finding out about IF has been with us every step of the way on our journey.She even senses when Im sad (but she doesnt like it when I cry). She makes us smile every second of every day and shows unconditional love to us all the time. Coming home from work and having her greet us is the best feeling. IF has made her spoiled rotten and she comes with us everywhere now.

Good luck with your decision and dont rush into a decision until you meet the dog for you. When you find YOUR dog, you will know (sounds cheesy but its so true...I knew the second I saw my dog that she was going to be my dog...Then I had to convince my husband that a dog was a good idea! Luckily he trusted me on this one and now he thanks me EVERY day for "slightly" pushing him to convince him that a puppy was a good idea!

LeoLauren · April 2012

ermo515:

I agree that a slightly older dog might be a good fit for you. We got our dog as a 3 month old puppy from the local SPCA and she has been the best thing for us. It was stressful for the first few months (training, chewing, letting her in and out,etc) but we were lucky to get a very easy easy dog. Other dogs require lots and lots of attention all the time.Our dog is 2.5 and since finding out about IF has been with us every step of the way on our journey.She even senses when Im sad (but she doesnt like it when I cry). She makes us smile every second of every day and shows unconditional love to us all the time. Coming home from work and having her greet us is the best feeling. IF has made her spoiled rotten and she comes with us everywhere now.

Good luck with your decision and dont rush into a decision until you meet the dog for you. When you find YOUR dog, you will know (sounds cheesy but its so true...I knew the second I saw my dog that she was going to be my dog...Then I had to convince my husband that a dog was a good idea! Luckily he trusted me on this one and now he thanks me EVERY day for "slightly" pushing him to convince him that a puppy was a good idea!

I totally know what you mean... you want what your "heart" dog, not just any dog. Max, my lab, was my heart dog. I plan on being very picky. My DH is very reluctant although every Saturday afternoon we've been stalking the dog park so i think he also needs a push. i think once i find the right pup, DH will come around.

LeoLauren · April 2012

PennyLane26:
YES! We got our puppy 2 years into TTC, just before we found out about our infertility issues. Without trying to sound too corny, my want to nurture was directed to puppy instead of baby and though she will never replace a child, she certainly gives us a different sort of happiness and love. She is 11 months now, ironically we will be going through my egg retrieval and transfer the very same week she was born one year ago!

I totally know what you mean... And coming home to pure happiness when you're dealing with such heavy stuff can't be bad.

4legsRbest · April 2012

racheyt0227:

kmc84:
Honestly, I wouldn't do it. We have three dogs (started with one, got onother, then inherited my mom's dog this winter after she passed away). I love our dogs and really enjoy taking them for walks as it helps me destress and they need as much exercise as they can get. However, they were all housebroken before we started IF treatments and that really counts for something! I think having a puppy that you need to be commited to training, exercising, and playing with would add more stress. You already said that you and YH are very busy, this is a red flag to me. Maybe an alternative could be volunteering at a shelter. MH and I have done this before and its been a lot of fun and rewarding at the same time. Shelters near us are always thrilled to have volunteers to walk, feed or handle the dogs. Please really think about this! A puppy is a huge commitment!

I agree with what you are saying. Puppies are a huge commitment. I adopted my last one as a 3 year old. So much easier. If you really want a dog & are so busy, you may want to look into adopting an adult dog.

I 100% agree with this. DH and I are a foster family for a breed specific rescue and I will not take fosters under the age of 4 - the older, the better IMO. We have 3 of our own and my biggest worry is finding the time for them when/if we have a baby. They are my world right now but I feel they will be short changed when there is a kid involved. They all laid in our bed with me for 2 days b/c my ER and it was awesome. The #1 reason we get Weims into rescue is because of babies. If you are considering it, you can go through a rescue and find a dog that is known to be good with kids and has other traits you like (snuggler, runner, etc.) just keep in mind that the dog will need the same amount of attention - if not more - once you bring your baby home. It isn't fair to them to go from being your first baby to the last in line overnight. Just something to consider - I fret over this ALL the time.

mslady919 · April 2012

I would have to say yes. I was having a rough emotional day yesterday and he had to have shots that morning so I found myself snuggled up on the floor with my little, well I guess at 90lbs he isnt a little guy any more.

LeoLauren · April 2012

4legsRbest:
racheyt0227:

kmc84:
Honestly, I wouldn't do it. We have three dogs (started with one, got onother, then inherited my mom's dog this winter after she passed away). I love our dogs and really enjoy taking them for walks as it helps me destress and they need as much exercise as they can get. However, they were all housebroken before we started IF treatments and that really counts for something! I think having a puppy that you need to be commited to training, exercising, and playing with would add more stress. You already said that you and YH are very busy, this is a red flag to me. Maybe an alternative could be volunteering at a shelter. MH and I have done this before and its been a lot of fun and rewarding at the same time. Shelters near us are always thrilled to have volunteers to walk, feed or handle the dogs. Please really think about this! A puppy is a huge commitment!

I agree with what you are saying. Puppies are a huge commitment. I adopted my last one as a 3 year old. So much easier. If you really want a dog & are so busy, you may want to look into adopting an adult dog.

I 100% agree with this. DH and I are a foster family for a breed specific rescue and I will not take fosters under the age of 4 - the older, the better IMO. We have 3 of our own and my biggest worry is finding the time for them when/if we have a baby. They are my world right now but I feel they will be short changed when there is a kid involved. They all laid in our bed with me for 2 days b/c my ER and it was awesome. The #1 reason we get Weims into rescue is because of babies. If you are considering it, you can go through a rescue and find a dog that is known to be good with kids and has other traits you like (snuggler, runner, etc.) just keep in mind that the dog will need the same amount of attention - if not more - once you bring your baby home. It isn't fair to them to go from being your first baby to the last in line overnight. Just something to consider - I fret over this ALL the time.

I think about that alot - not putting the puppy last after a baby. Thankfully my mom wants one too and would take him/her if it got to be too much....Like a doggy share. That makes me ok with it. We're going to my friend's house today who has a lab to hang out with him. He's going out of town soon and i think we're going to dog sit to make sure if its for us.

4Legs- i LOVE your pic. Are weims barking dogs? We can't have a barker because our apt walls are thin and i know a barking dog would bark through the walls to my neighbor's barking dog. We babysat a barking dog once and bc of this, it was a disaster!

LuvWIfootball · April 2012

Puppies were my cure for baby fever the last two years in a row. After the first year of knowing we couldn't get pregnant naturally and weren't allowed to do any IF tx due to DH's cancer/chemo recovery, we got a puppy. It definitely helped. The sleepless nights in the beginning, getting up every few hours to take him outside, taking him to work with me, not going out too long each day because he had to be let outside... seemed as close to having babies as we could get. Then the puppy phase wore off and baby fever struck again. So almost a year to the day, we got our second puppy. The two have kept us busy.

Luckily, we're finally doing IVF in May, so a third puppy will not be needed, lol.

pbj1975 · April 2012

I'd be completely lost without my Gus. He really is the only thing that makes feel better and makes me smile. He was a year old when we adopted him, fully potty trained. He's my best buddy, always will be! Good luck!

maggie2324 · April 2012

If you are really busy, you don't want a puppy. Between the waking up multiple times per night, potty training, teething, etc, it's a lot of work. I am only working part time and I decided that there was no way of me going to work full time with a young puppy at home.

Once he started sleeping through the night, it got easier, but it was still rough for several months. Now that he's 9 months old, it's much much better. He still requires a ton of attention, but that's the worst of it. To keep him happy, he requires 3 hours of exercise per day. It's hard devoting 3 hours to him, and I can't always do it, but I try my best.

So, how much time (every single day) can you devote to a puppy/dog? They are an awesome addition to love on, but only if you have time for them.

kaf7 · April 2012

DH and I are really busy. And yet, we had committed to getting a puppy 6 months ago. Now we will be getting the puppy about 2 weeks after IVF#1...right when it will be end of 2ww. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed about it, but I guess it will just be what it will be. Luckily DH is a teacher and will have summer off to work on training.

versace1008 · April 2012

I was thinking about this too, I never really wanted a dog but now I kinda want one, but the thing is our schedule is so bad that I would feel bad for leaving the dog at home all day, but I really want someone to get excited when i get home and someone to walk wtih on the weekends...so as much as I would want one, I dont think I can right now!

erpetdoc · April 2012

I think visiting a local humane society/shelter would be a great way to get an adult dog for you. Being a veterinarian, I hear all the time about how dogs have affected people's lives in such positive ways, especially after tragedy or loss. Personally, we have a Lab who is such a joy for our family and two cats. The cats are sometimes cuddly, but the dog just seems to have a way about him of settling my nerves. I hope it works out for you!

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