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October 2015 Moms
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New pet before baby?

heytallmamaheytallmama member
in October 2015 Moms
Two weeks ago, we lost our dog to cancer and it's absolutely awful not having him here anymore. We also have a cat, and at first he seemed to not really notice the pup was gone, but this last week he's definitely changed. We always joked he was an asshole cat, but those tendencies definitely diminished once we adopted our dog. Well, they are back, and we think it's because he misses his buddy and got used to having a companion these last few years.
My husband and I both eventually want to adopt another dog, but I know neither of us are ready just yet...but maybe by late spring, especially now that our cat is showing these signs again. Are we crazy to adopt a new dog just months before baby arrives? On one hand, I think it will be great for us (and help to mellow out cat out again before baby hits the scene), but on the other hand, I know how much work it is to bring a new 4-legged family member into our lives. Any advice/ thoughts?
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Re: New pet before baby?

  • smlowe9311smlowe9311 member
    The only thing I would say is try to get one full grown or a breed that isn't super hyper. We have a 7 mo th old puppy we got around Christmas time as we had lost one of our dogs prior and I love him to pieces but he's still learning not to jump and such. He's gotten so much better over the months and I'm certain he'll only improve more over time it can just be over whelming at times between him and our 18 month old.

    I would also try to research breeds that are good with children. I know this isn't a guarantee as dogs all have their own personalities but it might be helpful.
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  • Taran82Taran82 member
    I just got a puppy last week and I have a 2 year old. I don't think it is crazy at all! It may be difficult at first but the dog will grow up with the baby and more than likely have a strong attachment!
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  • aah1013aah1013 member
    Sorry to hear you lost your pup. I know they can be like family.
    If you're going to do it, do it now. You're not going to feel like training a dog when you're sleep deprived. This doesn't mean I don't think it's a little crazy, but if you're going to do it anyway, do it now.
    Also, my MIL likes to tell the story about how they got a puppy when she brought home her 1st born. They figured since she'd be home on maternity leave, it would be the perfect time to train a dog. Big mistake!
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  • heytallmamaheytallmama member
    Yeah, we would definitely do it a little sooner than later- more like June than September :) Glad to know others have gotten pups close-ish to baby's arrival, too! I know we would absolutely get another pittie, but not a puppy. Our local shelter does a fantastic job with temperament testing and getting as much background on them as possible (good with kids, cats, etc) and training so I know whatever pup we'd adopt, we'd be in good hands.
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  • JennKempenJennKempen member
    Me and my husband adopted a 9 week old puppy and 2 days later, found out we were pregnant.  We weren't planning on getting pregnant, but weren't planning on not getting pregnant :)  This is my first dog, but he is a LOT of work.  He jumps on me, scratches me, and playfully bites.  I am sure he will calm down once we neuter him and he will be almost a year old when we have the baby.  I have never had a baby before, but I am assuming it is going to be hectic with a puppy and a baby....  I guess my advice would be to get the puppy sooner rather than later, to be able to train the pup and give it time to grow out of its puppy stage a little bit.  I could not imagine having this little puppy now at 4 months old and a newborn! 
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  • Jdelli27Jdelli27 member
    I don't think it's crazy at all. I was 8 months pregnant with my DD and I adopted a cat and a dog! I already had a dog too and I was fostering one for a short period of time. So 3 dogs and a cat. One found a home so I just have my 2 dogs and a cat and they are all very loving with DD from the second she was born until now (16m)
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  • amberrmariee20amberrmariee20 member
    I lost my dog when my son was 3 months old, had her for 12+ years and when my son turned about 1.5 I got a new dog, it was definitely different to train a dog and have a small child ! But not impossible ! And now they love each other !
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  • nrocke129nrocke129 member
    We got our puppy when she was 8 weeks and our daughter was 5. We have a lot of small children in our extended family so we wanted a young dog that would be used to being handled and around young kids. We adopted her from the humane society. She was actually born in their care. She is the sweetest dog. She is very playful but has not shown any signs of aggression. I suggest socializing the dog well with children of all ages. We were diligent about that and she jumps a little because she gets excited but anyone can handle her and she loves it. She is also a small dog (7 lbs)
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  • ClaireBear90ClaireBear90 member
    Our dog is a sweetie and I would never get rid of her just because now I have children, (hate it when people do that! Unless there's aggression). But had I known I was going to have a baby so quickly I would not have said "let's get a puppy!" She is wonderful with our kids, but I don't feel like I can give her as much attention and care as she deserves. She is the dog, so she comes last and I feel bad about that when there's a newborn in the house and it's all I can do to let her out and feed her. I'm not saying we don't take care of her, but she is a high energy dog and really ought to have more playtime and exercise than we're able to give her.

    So my advice would be no, don't get another one right now for your sake and for the dog's. If you feel like you have the time and energy after the baby is born, then go for it!
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  • princesslocknessprincesslockness member
    *Lurker form August 15*
    My H and I just got a new puppy. She is 8 weeks old, chews, and isn't house broken. I really wanted a dog to grow with baby, as my sisters and I all had that. It is a special bond while growing up.
    H said that a newborn and puppy at the same time wasn't ok. So we have Dally. She will be trained decently in a couple weeks, so when baby comes she is calm and ready to snuggle all the time.
    Be prepared. With hormones and stress and all the changes happening in our bodies and lives, animals take on a new light. I say if you are going to get a new dog, do it now. Doesn't really matter puppy or just young dog, make sure you have the time to devote to it now, so when baby comes its not a massive time and energy drain.


    Formerly known as Kate08young
    August '18 Siggy April Showers:






    Me: 28 H: 24
    Married: 7/22/14
    Baby L: 8/4/2015  August 2015 Moms
    Baby E: 11/18/2016   December 2016 Moms
    TTC #3 08/2017  BFP 11/27/2017. 
    Twin B lost 11/22/2017, Twin A doing well. 


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  • anorthroanorthro member
    My friend got a puppy and found out she was pregnant a month later.  She LOVED that puppy, but once the baby came it started to be a real burden and now she really doesn't like it.  I would think that getting a puppy would be a bad idea, but an older dog that isn't as needy sounds ok to me!

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