Getting a puppy while TTC?

cloudymeatballs

I was wondering if anyone has tried this.  As of now my H and I are kind of TTC.  Well, we aren't NOT not trying, if that makes any sense.  We are at the point if we get pregnant awesome.  But also, I would love to get a puppy.  I have wanted one for a while now and really want one.  He said he doesn't know though, since what if we were to get pregnant, what the responsibilities would be.  I say lets do it, since who knows when we actually will get pregnant.  Then we will have at least 9 months to start training the pup, right?  Any advice or suggestions about this??

aggiebug

It's really up to you. A puppy is a lot of time and responsibility. We have a 4mo old puppy right now and I am really good I don't have a really young child. That being said at 1 yr (9 mo + 3 no puppy) hopefully most of your basic training should be well on its way and it's more about appropriate exercise and continuing with your base training.

Also think about an older dog they can be wonderful pets with the need of less hands on.

firechica8

@cloudymeatballs my DH and I are also in the same situation. I totally understand the, "not, not trying" because we are the same way. We are not on BC and figure if we get pregnant then great! But we arent timing ovulation or anything yet.

We are on a list for a litter of pups being born @ end of December. We have wanted this dog for awhile, just didnt know when would be the best time. We both had puppies when we were really young, grew up with our puppies,  and like the idea for our future baby. Puppies do take lots of time and patience, but we have 2 other dogs that we have raised since pups and they are amazing dogs. I say, if you can take the craziest situation possible that could occur, and you are ok with it and having to deal with it, then go for it! I know we are!

sandollar1010

I would definitely consider a dog that was a little older than a puppy.  I have 2 dogs, one we got as a puppy, and one we got at 4 yrs old.  A puppy is a LOT of work, for a LONG time.  I cannot stress that enough!  Most dogs don't really start to settle down until around 3 years old.  While my "puppy" is 2 now, she has basic manners and is obviously house broken, but she still needs a lot of attention and exercise.  If she doesn't get it, she is getting into trouble - chewing things, counter surfing, etc.  My older dog is almost 6 and is perfectly happy just hanging around us and napping, he has been like that since we got him.  I have been TTC for over two years, and thinking back, I'm not sure what we would have done if we got pregnant right away - it would have been super stressful.  If you go the puppy route, just make sure you and DH are both 100% commited to the dog.  If you get pregnant soon, and priorities change, it isn't fair to let the puppy suffer because of it.  

cloudymeatballs

Thanks ladies.  @firechica8 fun!  It makes getting pregnant less stressful, I think, for now anyways.  I have just always wanted a puppy before having a baby  I would be totally around and available for anything and a puppy would be an amazing addition to our family.  We have a dog and a cat now and think a puppy would add to the joy.   

We aren't timing or taking temps or anything either.  Just kind of paying more attention to my cycles. Well for a month or so anyway..  haha  

doeydo

It's up to you, but I would not want to look after a puppy/young dog once I had a baby.  So, I would get a dog that is at least a year old from a shelter.  But, if you are up for it, get a puppy.

Caz1221

It's ultimately a personal decision, but I have a 4 month old LO and a 6 year old dog, and I would not want a puppy and a baby at the same time. Both require lots of time and energy, and if the pup isn't 100% trained, it can cause a lot of stress when you bring baby home. Dogs may also regress in their training when baby comes home, so even a fully trained dog might need a refresher. DH and I wanted our dog to be an adult and fully trained before we had a baby, and it has worked out wonderfully. Our dog is incredibly mellow by nature but is also certified as a therapy dog - he visits nursing homes with me, so he has to be able to accept and roll with pretty much anything (loud noises, rough petting, jerky movements, strange contraptions, etc.).

There are many days when I can't take our dog on a long walk, and sometimes he has to go a very long time between potty breaks (we live in the city so have to take him out on a leash), but it has never been an issue because he's low energy, happy to snuggle on the couch while I nurse LO, and fully housebroken. I can't imagine having to take a puppy out every few hours and watching the puppy like a hawk inside to avoid accidents with an infant to care for. Plus, my dog can be left alone in any room of the house while I go change or tend to LO, while a puppy would likely have to be crated or brought with you to avoid destructive behavior or accidents.

One of the top reasons people give for getting rid of their dogs is having a baby, which is really sad and unfair to the dog, so definitely think carefully and make sure you are willing to commit to the dog for its life even if a baby comes along!

RedheadBaker

I don't "do" puppies, ever, but having had a newborn, there was no way in HELL I would have wanted to deal with a puppy, too. Assuming you get a BFP soon, your puppy would be entering doggie teenager-hood when your baby would be born (testing every single command and boundary you spend the past months training them to obey). Recipe for disaster. 

Ditto the PP who said get a 1-year-old shelter/rescue dog. They are still puppy-like, but aren't mouthy, needing to go out around the clock, and likely don't need 24/7 supervision. 

WildFlower2350

It's a personal choice though I would say puppies are just like a newborn and can be exhausting!  Couple that with the sleepiness of a first trimester..yikes!  They are so much work...we adopted a 10 month old dog and have had her 1 year now  It has taken a full year for her to start settling down, she is highly energetic, requires daily, long vigorous walks so she is chill in the house and we went through 2 levels of obedience training over 12 weeks.  That being said adopting a slightly older "puppy" was WONDERFUL.  My husband and I love the thought of a cute, wiggly little puppy but agree we will never get one.  Our girl was potty trained and crate trained when we got her- seamless adoption process Her personality was fairly evident and we really knew what we were getting.  We too are thinking of TTC and quite honestly, being pregnant and/or having a newborn last year with the dog would have been really hard for me, I honestly dont think I could have handled it.  The first year was a lot of work with the dog...daily training to work on her manners, LOTS of exercise....  I do work full time so that adds it challenges...but its totally your preference.  I really, truly recommend a slightly older dog (even a year old), they are still very puppy like but don't have the intense needs a young dog and there are so many wonderful benefits and they still have a life of love to give you!  Good luck!!

cloudymeatballs

Thanks everyone for your advice.  We may be putting this on hold for now.  Lol, I have been thinking about it, and still unsure, but reading these is making me REALLY think about this.  I'm sure we would wait until our kid, when we have one, is a few years old and get a puppy then.  We will see.    But I wanna puppy so bad..  I sound like a little kid, haha don't I.. xoxo

LuckyAngel07

cloudymeatballs said:

Thanks everyone for your advice.  We may be putting this on hold for now.  Lol, I have been thinking about it, and still unsure, but reading these is making me REALLY think about this.  I'm sure we would wait until our kid, when we have one, is a few years old and get a puppy then.  We will see.    But I wanna puppy so bad..  I sound like a little kid, haha don't I.. xoxo

Getting a dog is something you should REALLY think about, anyway. It's a huge commitment. When you get a dog, it is for LIFE. And if the dog doesn't have perfect manners because of a lack of consistent training or lack of exercise to mellow it out because the decision to get it wasn't fully thought through or consideration given to how much work it would truly be, that poor animal is likely to get dumped in a shelter while the people move on to something "easier." 

At around 2 years old, my pup finally mellowed to the point that we could start slacking on as much vigorous exercise. Before that? Nope, exercise every day, plenty of working on commands and tricks to mentally exhaust her, too. I could not have done all of it while pregnant/with an infant.

cloudymeatballs

LuckyAngel07 said:

cloudymeatballs said:

Thanks everyone for your advice.  We may be putting this on hold for now.  Lol, I have been thinking about it, and still unsure, but reading these is making me REALLY think about this.  I'm sure we would wait until our kid, when we have one, is a few years old and get a puppy then.  We will see.    But I wanna puppy so bad..  I sound like a little kid, haha don't I.. xoxo

Getting a dog is something you should REALLY think about, anyway. It's a huge commitment. When you get a dog, it is for LIFE. And if the dog doesn't have perfect manners because of a lack of consistent training or lack of exercise to mellow it out because the decision to get it wasn't fully thought through or consideration given to how much work it would truly be, that poor animal is likely to get dumped in a shelter while the people move on to something "easier." 

At around 2 years old, my pup finally mellowed to the point that we could start slacking on as much vigorous exercise. Before that? Nope, exercise every day, plenty of working on commands and tricks to mentally exhaust her, too. I could not have done all of it while pregnant/with an infant.

Oh Lucky, I know.  I just wanted to get some insight from people, if they did this at this time and how it was.  We were already not sure.  We do have a kitty and a dog already, I was just thinking.    If we were to get one we would handle it correctly and would NEVER give him back just because he was acting up or whatever.  It is almost like another kid.  We are on hold for now of it, so no worries. 

I was just actually thinking, since you never know how long it could take to get pregnant.  Lol, was hoping to get the pup all house trained before, but we just don't know.  We could be pregnant next month or in 2 years so I was wondering....  Thanks again..

mikeandnat

There are obviously pros and cons to this. As long as the puppy is at least a year old by the time baby is born, the puppy will most likely be trained well enough (at least so that you're not cleaning up puppy messes AND baby messes)....Also, puppies learn to overcome most fears & anxieties within the first year or two, so the younger your puppy is when the baby's born, the more likely the dog will quickly accept the baby as part of the family pack. I have 2 dogs and no kids yet, and both of my pups are pretty scared of kids because they've never been around them. Not looking forward to the reaction that happens one day when we bring a baby home. haha.

Of course dogs will need exercise and attention for a long time after puppyhood, but there's no reason you can't attach the leash to a stroller and take everyone on a nice walk a few times a week. And lots of dog friendly parks are also baby/kid friendly parks. Good luck!

LolaCola29

If you're up for the responsibility, go for.  Make sure you socialize it with a lot of babies and kids though, preferably while it's still very young. 

We are planning on having #3 after we get our puppy and DS2 both house trained