Puppy Craving?!?

MGM81 · August 2014

I have 2 kids and I almost 6 months pregnant.....WHY on earth am I craving a puppy?!??! A friend posted a trio of puppies from petfinder on fb that need a home. Why am I even considering this?!

Anyone here just got a puppy while pregnant?

Here is the batch of cuties so you can see why this is so tempting.....
www.petfinder.com/petdetail/29712020

Megansb916 · August 2014

Sooo cute and irresistible but just say no!!! My puppy is a year old and I love him more than anything but we're still working on him settling down before November. I'm nervous about the whole situation...making sure he gets daily walks all winter, not taking the baby's socks, pacifiers, diapers, and not jumping on the baby, and this will be our first baby. So I can't even imagine with 2 other little ones! Also I don't think it's fair to the dog because puppies need tons of attention, something you won't be able to give him once LO arrives. Wait til the kids are older and can help you with the pup!

minibean16 · August 2014

I say wait until LO is a year old so they can grow up together. I can't imagine dealing with a newborn and a puppy.

I'll also say, I'm so glad you don't want to eat the puppy. The title had me freaked out! :-SS

jj0313 · August 2014

Do not eat a puppy! Go for the ice cream!!

happyfrappy · August 2014

I too immediately thought that a puppy (even deep fried) would not be tasty, lol. But they sure are cute and cuddly!

absolutelymaybe · August 2014

Oh god. I was worried you were craving puppies...to eat.

Kristil2014 · August 2014

I did. Our puppy will be 11 months when my baby arrives. Not the smartest thing we have ever done, but the pup is here to stay.

lincoln79 · August 2014

DON'T DO IT!

I am just puppy-sitting for the weekend, am not pregnant (we're using a gestational surrogate), and it is crazy!!!

lol

(edited for clarity)

jj0313 · August 2014

@lincoln79‌ what in the world are you doing on a specific birth month board then if you're not pregnant?? So confused!

lincoln79 · August 2014

Thanks for the correction @FhSTAR81, sorry @JJ0313 for the confusion!

jj0313 · August 2014

@kyliedaniellexx‌ I totally get people aren't pregnant who are on the boards, it was the post in a birth club month that threw me off.

@lincoln79‌ makes total sense now!

brooklyngirl18 · August 2014

me and dh got our puppy a week before bfp. i wouldn't say it was a mistake i just thought i'd have more time before getting pregnant to adjust to the puppy. it was really hard to the first few months because the dog needed so much time and attention and i felt so shitty but now it's a lot better. given that you're so close to your due date i'd probably wait til after the baby is born. i imagine being super pregnant and dealing with accidents all over the house and a crying barking puppy won't be enjoyable. those puppies are so cute though!!

mommymeg143 · August 2014

They are super cute!! I think depending on your financial situation and living arrangements you should be fine!! If it were a large breed dog, I would say consider waiting but you may not have as much work on your hands with them being smaller. I only say that because I have two medium breed dogs and they are a little more work than my parents small breed dogs. I know several people who adopted a dog prior to the birth of their LO and they love it. You would just need to have the puppy potty trained and have him/her understand basic commands before your baby comes.

Good luck!!

NunyaBennis · August 2014

I may have thought you were talking about puppy-kabobs IF I hadn't been almost ready to ask my husband to meet me at the animal shelter yesterday.
We had the opportunity to adopt a dog (not puppy) a couple of months ago, but decided that we would wait until our future wee one asks for one. For the last couple of days, though, I've been second-guessing our decision. Silently. It's a pretty crazy notion. Manageable, yes. Advisable, ehhh... I'm not convinced.

missnacholover · August 2014

Hushpuppies, yes. Puppy that will grow into a dog, no.

@jj0313 - There are women on here who are using a surrogate or have suffered a loss but want ot keep up with their friends that they've made. There's no rule that you have to be due in November to post here. We even, *gasp* have some October and December EDD moms!!

jj0313 · August 2014

Makes sense to me!

kellyz86 · August 2014

We adopted a 6 month old lab right before a mc in october. So glad we had her then. She was already house broke and is so happy all of the time. DH wants another now! He wants to get a male dog for me this time since this one is so attached to him. I said not yet even though I woukd love for her to have a playmate. I just keep hoping she won't be too jealous come November.

2ndGeneration · August 2014

I could NEVER do it, a baby with a puppy to deal with too! I get the shakes just thinking about it. OP, I have had 5 kids and we didn't start getting pets till everyone was older, like school age.

jj0313 · August 2014

@kyliedaniellexx‌ got it. And hindsight being 20/20 wouldn't have mentioned it if I could go back. Simple mistake. No ill intent. May not be the last time I stick my foot in my mouth but I try my best not to!

kikimeemee · August 2014

You are onto something, OP. I have noticed high numbers of families taking on new baby + puppy at the same time. I didn't grow up with any pets and I don't have a dog currently so when to purchase a dog I can advise on not. But it does intrigue me when people adopt a puppy around time of a baby's birth. Caretaker hormones and feelings trumping all??

MGM81 · August 2014

@jj0313
I would love some Hushpuppies now!!!

FirstBabyDoyle · August 2014

I was looking at the posting and it says they are from a puppy mill raid. They are really cute, but a lot of inbreeding happens at puppy mills and it can mean more physical ailments and neurological problems.

KTgator · August 2014

4 years ago we got our whippet puppy and then 2 weeks later found out I was pregnant. Let me just say... Puppy was SO much harder than baby. I will never get a puppy again haha

MGM81 · August 2014

@firstBabyDoyle

Thank you, I was thinking that....plus I doubt they will give us a small breed dog with soon to be 3 kids under 6 in the house. Yikes!

Sarahbeth612 · August 2014

I've been wanting a puppy so bad recently. My friend has a 10 week old shihtzu so they came over to play

Cutest thing ever, but I prefer having one baby in a house at a time. Middle of the night + newborn crying + puppy barking and peeing = huge pain

HollyNewling · August 2014

We got a puppy last October and she will be a year this month. I'm 6 months pregnant and I couldn't imagine having a baby when she was a young pup. We just got her potty trained and still are working on her chewing habit. I would wait trust me. Puppies and babies are a lot of work. But I do think every kid needs a dog. We also have a 4 yr old dog and my 13 & 8 yr old sons really learn responsibility and have a great friend and protector.

FirstBabyDoyle · August 2014

MGM81 said:
@firstBabyDoyle

Thank you, I was thinking that....plus I doubt they will give us a small breed dog with soon to be 3 kids under 6 in the house. Yikes!

I'm sure there are exceptions, but my mom has one that came from a similar situation and he is basically not "right" and BSC, despite efforts from trainers and animal behaviorist. He is on a daily regimen of doggy Xanax per the vets order, yet he still incessantly barks at things that are not there. He's also has a ton of health problems and in his 3 years has cost them a ton of $. It makes me so angry, because it is a result of inbreeding and he won't ever be a "normal" dog. I can't imagine having him and an infant. I would need a daily regimen of Xanax. I think dogs are a wonderful addition to a family, but having 3 (or soon to be 3) under 6 is going to require some special selection. A lot of pet rescues will work to find the perfect match for your family or finding a kid friendly breed and looking for a reputable breeder.

Carebella · August 2014

I completely understand the desire to want to adopt a puppy or a dog. I even joked that if we hadn't gotten a second dog a year ago I'd use pregnancy hormones as an excuse to get a kitten.

That being said, SO very many of the puppies/dogs that people are rehoming or giving to shelters are from families that thought they could handle a puppy and kids. Yes, some people can do it. But in a sense, it's just as big a commitment as a child because they will always depend on your care whereas a child can eventually start being self-reliant. A lot of rescues won't even adopt out puppies or dogs to homes with children under 8 years old. I'd do a lot of soul searching and really research the breed(s) of the dog(s) your interested in before you make the leap.

lesliegolem · August 2014

I know kittens and puppies are completely different but just wanted to tell you I completely understand and just adopted a kitten lol! My maternal ooey gooey feelings have been out of control and a stray cat had kittens in our backyard. Worked with a rescue got them vetted, etc. Then got 4 out of 5 adopted. The fifth one cried day and night because her siblings were gone and I just couldn't resist temptation anymore. She is now ours

While I say I don't regret it I will say holy crap I forgot how much work a new animal is and I know cats are usually less maintenance than a dog. Ideally we would have waited until new baby was born and grown some before adding a new animal to the household. So my advice would be to wait. If you can't I'm sure you'll make it work but its an awful amount of stress to have and we don't have that much time left until babies are here. But its hard, puppies and kittens and babies...ah they're just so cute!!!!!!!

lincoln79 · August 2014

We adopted a 4 y.o. female dog the weekend after our first loss.

She was, and still is, minimal work.

Would you be up for adopting an adult dog?

ARZamora1111 · August 2014

Did this and regretted it!!

I got a puppy on Father's Day and have a 16 month old on top of (obviously) being pregnant. Yeah, worst idea ever!! Trying to referee a toddler and a puppy is so much work and beyond frustrating! One would be getting into something they shouldn't while the other was peeing on the floor (not necessarily who you think was doing what). It has gotten a little bit better now that puppy is mostly house broken, but the chewing has started, so now I have to watch all of DD's toys and make sure she's not getting chewed on herself.

For the love of God, please wait!!! Wait until your eldest is capable of fending for themselves and you're not over tired from pregnancy or a newborn.

hellosweety18 · August 2014

I definitely wanted a puppy last time around SOOO bad haha! DH talked me out of it though, probably a good thing. :P
One thought on waiting though. My parents waited to get my siblings and I a puppy until we were a bit older and in grade school. They randomly loaded us up in the car and it was a huge surprise! It is great that we were old enough to have that memory! And then they had 3 extra hands to help out! (We ended up with two puppies, sisters, we didn't want them to be lonely- awesome decision!

)

highbornhunter · August 2014

I had a dream about finding and taking home a new kitten last night. It looked like a tiny orange leopard.

I am not a dog person but it seems like a lot to take on and PP have said smart things.

On a brighter note, Rockville MD is not that far from where I am (South Central PA), and I know a couple whose second dog died within the past month. I am deciding if I should share the link with them and see if they are interested in opening their heart and home to a new dog. They do have another dog who may be lonely without his playmate.

So just by posting this, you may be helping one of those sweet little puppies find a home!

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