Should we get a dog?

m6agua · March 2016

I really didn't think this question fit anywhere so I decided to create a thread.

Should we get a dog? I am only 4 weeks along. Are we crazy for considering this? Please give me honest opinions, even if they are negative.

This dog is up for adoption at a local humane society. He is a year old and it is the first dog that H and I both like. We have our own home, with a large fenced in back yard. We are financially stable and can afford it. Most of the minimal traveling we do, we could bring the dog with. We don't really do a lot of traveling. We have one cat. There is only about 3-4 hours per day, 3 days a week when no one is home, otherwise one of us is home the rest of the time.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/38/8jz6n0x3sqaf.png

AandDM2014 · March 2016

TBH, I'm not a dog person, I'm a cat person. That being said, I think you may want to wait until after your LO arrives, that way it isn't a big upset when you introduce baby and dog. Baby will already be an established member of the pack. Dogs (and other pets) can get jealous of new babies. You wouldn't want that if it was a dog you had just adopted.

hellopartyof5 · March 2016

DONT DO IT!!!!!!! You are about to embark on the craziest ride of your life. Don't add to the crazy!!! Just my opinion, but my cat who goes to the bathroom outside, drives me bonkers since I had DS.

RiverSong15 · March 2016

H and I actually put a deposit on a puppy before we found out I was pregnant. Now we are deciding whether to take the puppy in a couple months or eat the deposit. We're seriously leaning toward taking the dog. We absolutely love dogs and can't imagine raising our family without pets in the picture. We know it will be crazy and add to the chaos, but we've owned dogs and raised a really crazy puppy before, so we know what we're getting into. 9 months is a long time for you to get the dog acclimated and settled in. It helps that he's older.

My only concern with a rescue would be how good the dog is around children. You don't want to adopt him and then find out he's afraid of babies. That would be bad news bears. But even if you're crazy, you have company!

EmmieAnn22 · March 2016

I love dogs! I have 2 and would have more if my city allowed us to have more. My opinion would be hell no don't get a dog! Our first dog was super easy laid back dog. She's amazing and well behaved and we housebroke her really easily. Our second dog is nothing but sweetness and emotional issues. She took well over a year to house break and needed to go out every 15 minutes during the day. She's 3 now and has become a really great dog but it was hard to get to this point. Also, that looks like a hound dog. Our is half beagle and they are loud and eat EVERYTHING! I would think you are adding stress to an already stressful situation.

comealongponds · March 2016

As long as he's been tested/fostered with children, I don't see why not! I wouldn't want to suffer the puppy phase with a newborn, but since you're only 4w along, and he's a grown up pup, I don't think it would be a big deal. Lots of time to expose him to babies and children as well as work out any kinks in his training!

NatashaSprout · March 2016

Do it! We are huge dog people. We have 4 and a puppy coming this summer. Plus 2 kids already. Life is not complete without a ridiculous amount of dogs for us.

GraceUponGrace09 · March 2016

We got a puppy almost three years ago when we had like a 6wk old baby. Seriously, such a stupid decision (obviously!!) That being said, I wouldn't rule it out just because you are 4wks PG. I think 36 weeks is quite a bit of time for you all to adjust and get the basic training done.
Edited: I hate bump app.

BlondeSunnyDays · March 2016

First of all you'll want to see the dog's temperament around small children/babies to confirm that they will be calm, well behaved and non-aggressive.

Then just make sure that you will be committed to getting up early to take care of the dog (even if it's the one time ever that the baby is sleeping in) and make sure that you have a way to separate them in the house in case they don't get along. Good luck!

MrsBigTime · March 2016

If you are dog people, go for it. If you are not dog people, DO NOT DO IT!! I am not a dog person and as much as I do love our puppy, I really wish we had waited and not gotten him. Life is so much easier without a dog, but dogs do add a lot of love to a family, but, I would recommend on,y getting one if your heart really feels like a furry family member is missing.

MrsBigTime · March 2016

I realize I may sound like a horrible person for saying I wish we didn't have our dog, but it just my honest answer. We are also in the thick of puppy teenager-ness and it's really hard and time consuming. And so messy. And destructive. Actually, it's not that I don't want our dog, I just want the dog our guy will be in 2 years

DunkinDecaf · March 2016

So we got a chocolate lab puppy 4 days before I got my BFP. Everyone said we were crazy, but my husband was so sad when we didn't have a dog. I like dogs, but my husband LOVES them. I'm a SAHM, so I figured I'd have the time, and it would make him so happy. That being said, I was really worried that I wouldn't like the dog enough to tolerate it's shenanigans. I'm not the world's most patient woman.

Anyway, I would do it again in a heartbeat. He's my second baby. I adore him. He's pretty mellow for a puppy and sweet as can be. The toddler-puppy thing hasn't been nearly as hard as I expected. He learned to be gentle with her within a couple days and she was gentle with him immediately (which really surprised me). I'm still pretty shocked at how well he's fit into our family.

So, to answer your question, I think you can certainly do it. It sounds like you have more than enough time for a dog. No one but you will be able to know if you want to do it, though. You just have to decide if you want a dog enough to be happy dealing with the ways it will complicate your lives.

As far as adopting a humane society dog, I would make sure to talk to the people who he's living with now about his temperament ahead of time, and definitely let them know you're expecting. We tried to adopt before choosing to buy a puppy but were told again and again that their personalities weren't compatible with a toddler. Even some dogs who were sweet and gentle with kids were incompatible because of the worry that a loud crazy little girl would scare the dog and give them anxiety issues. In the end I called a couple vets and they recommended we just get a puppy, so that's what we did

edited because spelling is hard

doraleigh35 · March 2016

We just adopted a dog last week! H and I had been planning on getting a pup for a long time. We've been looking at local shelters and weren't having any luck. We saw the perfect little guy on a shelter's website and had to rescue him. He is 1-2 years old, he was a stray so they're not sure exactly how old he is. We did a lot of research and spent quite a bit of time with the dog before we decided to adopt him. He was in a foster home with kids and other animals. He has a very gentle and relaxed temperament. So far he has been an amazing addition. He actually lays on the floor next to me when I get sick. It's been nice having the companionship!

I would recommend doing your research on the breed and spending as much time as you can with the dog before you make your decision. If you have any questions let me know!

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt · March 2016

We got our dog when my daughter was three months old (the dog is 8 days older than her.) The way we saw it, we really wanted a dog as part of our family, but dealing with a house-training puppy and a mobile baby at the same time would have been a total pain in the arse, so we figured we'd get a puppy before the baby was mobile.

It actually worked out really well. Our dog is pretty much one of the kids as far as she is concerned. While, obviously, we are cautious about dog-kid interactions, our kids have grown up with good 'dog manners' and our dog has good 'kid manners.' They play together constantly. She has slept with our oldest since he was 6. They're all very close.

Megz1902 · March 2016

I am a dog person so I say go for it

however, that looks like a pointer or foxhound, so be prepared for a lot of energy and a possible escape artist. My pointer can climb a normal chain link fence if she wants. She hasn't done it since we went through training classes, but I still watch her like a hawk. Is there a way you could take him on a trial basis?

m6agua · March 2016

Thank you all for your feedback. I keep going back and forth. The only reason I can come up with not to get him is because of the baby. We decided to go take a look at him tomorrow and see if we think he would be a good fit. We are going just with the mindset of seeing him not that we will get him. It sounds like they have a program for veterans (DH) and placing dogs where you can foster for a few weeks. I figure I will ask them a bunch of questions about how he is with kids and trial runs and such. And who knows maybe they have other applications already for him.

TucknBoom · March 2016

this was just taken. I can't imagine raising this little guy without these two. They're a handful but these moments make it worth it. I say go for it! Dogs bring so much joy if you treat them right(:

TheBorg7of9 · March 2016

I have a dog and two kids. I honestly wouldn't do it. Dogs are a lot of work. And when the dog has to be walked and you're home alone with the baby and it's raining or freezing, it's no fun.

whaat · March 2016

Hell no you should not get a dog. You will have enough to worry about. Having a dog is like having a toddler that you can't bring anywhere. I would not recommend it at this stage in the game.

mrsmoose5 · March 2016

MrsBigTime said:

I realize I may sound like a horrible person for saying I wish we didn't have our dog, but it just my honest answer. We are also in the thick of puppy teenager-ness and it's really hard and time consuming. And so messy. And destructive. Actually, it's not that I don't want our dog, I just want the dog our guy will be in 2 years

This. We have a 3 year old lab, and I love him to death, but he is so hyper and destructive and needs constant attention. It does sound horrible, but sometimes I wish we hadn't gotten a dog before having a baby. I have to walk him daily, while also pushing DS in the stroller, and he is not very good on a leash and can sometimes get aggressive with other dogs, so walking him is pretty anxiety-inducing. He's also 100 pounds and gets excited/hyperactive so easily, I'm constantly worried about him trampling DS, and he has knocked him over a few times. Not to mention, the amount of dog hair drives me insane. I have to vacuum every day and I am still constantly pulling dog hairs out of DS's mouth. But, like @MrsBigTime said, I can't wait until he is a little older and more calm. I can already see a lifelong friendship forming between him and DS as they are starting to interact more, and DS loves him so much. So, of course I love him, and I'm glad he's part of our family, but he is a lot of added stress.

So OP, I guess my advice to you is, no, don't get a dog now. You are about to go through a crazy, stressful, life-changing period, and a dog will only make it harder. I would suggest waiting until you're settled in with baby and feel like you can take on another "baby." Just some things to think about.

talkthewholetime · March 2016

I got our dog the month before I got pregnant with our daughter. I felt like total shit, and had ot take care of her, too. Which I realize is a lot like being pregnant this time - I feel like shit and now I have to take care of her AND a kid.

It turned out fine, and she's wonderful with our daughter....but I tell my husband all the time, if we didn't have her before we had kids, we'd never get a dog. I can't imagine doing the whole puppy thing now with a job and a toddler.

So...if you're gonna do it, now's the time.

talkthewholetime · March 2016

And then you can have besties: (AW Alert)

Image: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xla1/v/t1.0-9/1914626_10101641797636432_5910972069371333850_n.jpg?oh=1ab9794088432d16cd50af823f344ced&oe=578B75AB

RiverSong15 · March 2016

A lot of what should go into this decision is making sure you get the right dog and breed for your family. You need to be honest with yourself about your lifestyle now, and really honest about what life with a baby or toddler will be like. For example, if you don't like walking/jogging with a stroller everyday, even in bad weather, don't get a high energy dog like a border collie that needs an hour of exercise everyday. If you hate vacuuming and sweeping, don't get a golden retriever or another dog that sheds a lot. If you're worried about dogs knocking down toddlers, don't get a large breed dog. A small yappy breed that could easily be hurt by a young child that handles them roughly isn't the best choice either.

I totally think this can work out, I'm just saying be smart about it and 100% honest with yourself about your lifestyle and preferences.

MissAmeliaPond · March 2016

@m6agua if you are a first time dog owner, I'm going to go ahead and say say don't get a puppy right now. Even 1 year old dogs are still lots of trouble. One of my coworkers was trying to say she would get a puppy when she got pregnant, but ended up adopting a puppy last year and that 1000% changed her mind. She realized there was no way she would've been able to handle having a puppy and a newborn at the same time. (They still have not started trying yet.)

Good luck with your decision!

ACarullo · March 2016

I say go for it!!

m6agua · March 2016

Once again thanks for all the feedback. H and I met him yesterday and put in an application and it was approved. We are picking him up on Friday because H has off and I'm off all weekend. This is crazy, but I think it's the best for our family. He was actually a pretty calm and laid back dog. We will for sure need to do some training right away. He likes to jump up on things. We brought our jackets back and our cat seemed to like the sent. He ended up cuddling and laying on the jackets. Our biggest concern right now is how our cat will react to the dog. They tested the dog with some days there and he seemed fine.

Now I just need to get a crate/collar/leash/baby gates and a few other things of course.

GraceUponGrace09 · March 2016

Good for you! Hope it all goes well and the transition is smooth. Have fun!

BabyVB118 · March 2016

Congratulations @m6agua ! I didn't chime in earlier because by the time I saw your post you would have already met him and made your decision but I would have said go for it. We have a 7 month old puppy (got her in December at 4 months) and we love her, she adds so much happiness to our home. Dogs are a lot of work but they are so worth it. My cat is still not a huge fan of the puppy but every once in a while we see some progress, it takes time. Enjoy!

Megz1902 · March 2016

Yay! @m6agua best of luck to you with him! Keep us posted how it goes with him after you bring him home! And more pics of course

Oakleypoozles · March 2016

I personally don't think it would be wise to add a dog to the family during pregnancy. From my perspective you are already making changes for new baby and there is a lot of concerns with dogs and babies. Baby will take up a LOT of time and a dog on top of that also being needy seems like it would be tough to me. To me it's really a matter of keeping your sanity and safety.

Obviously though I think this is gonna come down to preference. If you can make it work and are feeling it then let your heart lead you. Keep in mind that a large breed dog around an infant is serious business though. I don't have anything against large dogs, we have a 140lb rottweiler in fact but being responsible and keeping them separated and supervising is time consuming and difficult.

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