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Puppy... or no puppy?
Every time we go to my in-laws place I become obsessed with the idea of getting a dog. I spend all my time playing with their dogs and I go through dog-withdrawl when we leave. I've never had a dog before, but the more I think about it the more I want one.
DH says we can't get one until I find a job this summer because he wants me totally focused on my job search. But I feel like I won't have the time or energy to train a new puppy when I start teaching full time.
So if I wait a year or so until I've gotten better at managing my time with my new job, then we'll be trying to get pregnant. And I feel like it probably isn't the best time to get a dog when I'm working AND potentially throwing up every day.
Then we'll have the baby and I'll be busy figuring out how to care for a newborn. Again, not the best time to get a dog for the first time.
Am I crazy? Should I just give up on the idea of a puppy for the next 5 years? Or should I just get one this summer and figure it out?
If you have a dog, how much does it cost for food, grooming, vet bills, etc?
BFP on Jan. 18; EDD Oct. 1
Re: Puppy... or no puppy?
My advice is to get one now if you really think you want one and can handle it. As of now you have the time to get up in the middle of the night to take it out and you're off during the day to make sure it doesn't have any accidents. However, since you will be spending so much time with a puppy when its new, once you do get a job it may have some separation anxiety and it won't be used to being in a crate (if you choose to go that route). Also, if a puppy is an 'only child' and then you plan on having a baby so soon it will take awhile for the dog to get used to the baby and you'll have to deal with a newborn and a dog that wants all of your attention. I would either get one now and socialize it around kids or I would wait until the baby is a toddler. I can't imagine having a new born and a puppy at the same time!
The other option is to not get a puppy. I adopted a 6 year old Lhasa/Poodle 4 years ago and it's been awesome. She is such a sweetheart and I didn't have to house break her. DH got a puppy when we had been together for 3 months and he called me all of the time wondering if he had done the right thing. Puppies are frustrating, they have to go out all the time, they cry, they have accidents and will vomit on the floor. If you're not prepared for that, I wouldn't advise you to get a puppy. Also, puppies cost more. If you want a specific breed you have to pay over $1000 usually, and then get all of the puppy shots, spay/neuter, and yearly vet appointments for life for booster shots. If you don't care about the breed you can adopt mutts from local shelters readily and they make amazing dogs. That is how DH got the puppy and she is such a sweetie.
I don't honestly know how much we spend on our dogs because if I added it all up I think I'd cry. But we buy very expensive dog food (roughly $40.00/bag that lasts for a month or so between the two) because the dog food at regular grocery stores/Wal-Mart is complete crap and has no nutrition for them. Also, every vet is different for prices of shots. For us to get them their 3 yearly shots (not counting rabies, which is every 3 years) it runs roughly $60.00. We used to go to a vet that cost about double that. Also, our Lhasa has to be groomed every 8 weeks and that runs around $50.00-$60.00. The best thing we have done is to become a member at our local pet store. It cost us $5.00/year to be a member and we save 10% on every purchase and can get their nails done for free when we bring them in. Some vets will also do nails for free.
Ok, sorry this is long but I LOVE dogs and believe everyone should have one, but not unless you're 100% sure that it's the right move for you. Too many dogs end up at shelters because people get one and then can't handle it. But the thought of waiting 5 years for a dog would break my heart (I want a puppy really badly right now but we're not ready for another one yet.)
I love love LOVE dogs - I grew up with a Lhasa and my parents now have a Shih Tzu that I absolutely adore. I've gone over this same dilemma SO many times in my head - ultimately, it was a visit with our friends with kids that led us to decide wait. They had a bulldog they adored...and then they had their first kid. And then their second. Their poor dog spends most of his day in a crate. As H's friend said, "dogs are great when you don't have kids. When you have kids, they become a pain in the ass."
Now I KNOW this isn't how all dog owners feel/treat their pets after kids - and this family is living in a tiny, tiny space which isn't good for any of them. But it helped me put it in to perspective - when we have a dog, I don't want him/her to be "neglected" or forgotten, which is what *might* happen when we have kids in a couple of years. I'm thinking we'll hold off until the kids are old enough to understand/help take care of the puppy a bit (and right around the time we'll want to "baby" again without having another kid!). This way, I think he/she will become a member of the family.
Ashley's advice about getting a dog instead of a puppy is a great one, too. Would it be possible to dog-sit your ILs dog? Every time we watch my parents' dog, I'm reminded about how much work it is...and how neurotic I am about him being alone, what he's eating, if he's sleeping...(this is most certainly a "me" problem!)...but maybe that would help you with your decision?
January 2, 2010
EDD October 10, 2013
I've only ever had cats, but I would imagine dogs, like cats, are expensive and time consuming... and become a welcome addition to families who want them.
Maybe try asking on the pet board - they're pretty knowledgeable over there and I'm sure they'd have good advice.
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all of this.
Pepper was one of our best decisions. She was 6 months when we got her, and there isn't much training to do.
Just make sure that it really is what's right for the two of you.
Thank you for all the great advice!
Unfortunately I'm not off during the day. I am working as a substitute teacher until I find a full-time job for the fall. However, I will have all summer with nothing to do but job search so I will have plenty of time then.
I love this idea, but unfortunately my ILs live on a farm really far away and we only see them once a year. Even if the timing worked out, I know I couldn't take care of their 3 massive dogs, 3 horses, and 1 cat.
I don't feel the need to get an actual puppy, I just tend to call all dogs puppies. More than likely the dog I would get would be a couple years old. It all depends on what is available when I am looking. That is definitely a very good point about getting a dog that is already housebroken. I am quite picky about the breed mainly because I am allergic to most dogs, but also because a toy poodle is the only kind of dog my husband and I could both agree on. I have been looking at a couple poodle rescue places, and I would like to go that route if at all possible.
I love this idea, but unfortunately my ILs live on a farm really far away and we only see them once a year. I was thinking about providing a temporary home for a shelter dog while it's waiting for adoption, but I don't think DH or I could handle saying goodbye once they found it a permanent home.
BFP on Jan. 18; EDD Oct. 1
BFP on Jan. 18; EDD Oct. 1
BFP 02/2010 m/c 03/17/2010 dx PCOS 04/2010
BFP 08/13/2011 CP 08/15/2011
BFP 09/16/2011 EDD 05/20/2012
Claire Elizabeth, born 5/30 via a med free birth