December 2015 Moms

Caregiving Mania

Does anyone else have a craving to adopt an animal? I've been really wanting a dog. It's almost like Ibecause I have to wait for the baby, I've gotten impatient and want to love something else. We have two cats who we love, so it really wouldn't be fair to spring two new creatures on them.

Re: Caregiving Mania

  • Haha - no. I have a toddler. The idea of anything/one joining this house except this new baby is not even a question! It's going to get busy so I'd wait it out and nest. Personally I like the idea of getting a dog once my oldest can help take care of it and have some ownership.
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  • Haha yes! That's kind of why I got my husband bearded dragons for father's day. It was genius lol :)
  • You can adopt my dog lol he's been driving me insane. An 11 month old boxer to train while preparing for a baby is tiring. No one warned me their "puppy stage" lasts 3 years. Oh well, at least he loves and is gentle with kids and babies.
  • My husband wants a dog really badly, too! I like the idea of waiting until the baby can help...but that seems forever away!
  • If you want to introduce a dog into your household before the baby, check out your local rescues and shelters. See if you can't find one that's already a couple years old. They are calmer by that age and likely already housetrained. Rescues and shelters do obedience tests to see how they will be with children and other animals. The idea of a puppy is fun but they really are exhausting because they require so much more maintenance. An adult dog will be forever grateful to have a home :)
  • Maybe some fish or something low maintenance would be better for now...

    On my last BMB, a woman adopted a puppy while pregnant and really regretted it. There's so much training involved, and once you get closer to delivery - walking it and taking it out to do its business gets difficult.

    Even if you get an older dog, it would still need to adjust to your family and routine. Only to have it all upset in a few months when baby arrives.

  • I have 1 dog, and getting another in the next few weeks so he has a buddy! We've been talking about rescuing a puppy, Lord help me.
  • grkgdss00 said:

    I have 1 dog, and getting another in the next few weeks so he has a buddy! We've been talking about rescuing a puppy, Lord help me.

    If you're getting a mixed breed, try to get one that's mixed with some breeds that have history of responding well to training. Labs and shepherds I know are eager to please their owners. My boxer was a breeze to crate train and still picks up commands so well, his only downside is his endless energy but we knew to expect that. The dog park does wonders for him.
  • No thanks! I have an 8 yr old cat, 15 yr old dog, and almost 2 yr old toddler. No way I want something else to take care of with a newborn coming!

    Jamie


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  • Got my SO a puppy for Xmas so his mom would shut up about having grandkids for a while. And now here we are, with a 7 month bull terrier. He is crazy, but very eager to please, so we know he will be a great puprother to our baby. 
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  • Has he been around kids it babies yet? That's a good way to know how he will react, but I'm sure he will be great :) Panzer, my boxer, loves my nephews and every neighborhood kid. The first time he would see a parent pick up their child, he will bark and growl until he saw that the child is ok. He knows the adults now and they love him.
    Oh, and my boyfriend trained him to "find baby brother". He runs to me and licks my belly. It's pretty cute. lol
  • My cousin got an older shelter dog that had come from a woman with a daycare in her home. He did wonderfully with her kids and was already well past the puppy stage.

    For me, with my first pregnancy I set the nurturing loose on hubs. He ate it up and it made him really try to do more for me in kind. Win/win. This time I have a nine month old to keep nurturing.
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