Puppy and Pregnancy?

[AngelLily]

Me and OH have decided to buy a rottweiler puppy, we'll be getting here at the end of this month. By the time my baby is born the pup will be 7 months and should be fully trained! I've had dogs all my life and even had a rottweilier I grew up with until the age of 18 and want my baby to be brought up with them too!

I just need opinions, do you think this is a good idea?

I posted this on another pregnancy forum I'm on and got a lot of negative comments including one saying "I think you're daft"

Is it really that much of a bad idea? xxx

 

[Samsgirl]

Is this your first baby? X

 

[AngelLily]

Baby number one xxx

 

[Mummybexee]

personally I wouldn't - I'm not going to throw insults or tell you your wrong- just think that even at a year old that dog is still a puppy and as much as you would say - she/he will be fully trained you can't guarantee that

If I were in your shoes I would concentrate on the baby and leave the pup... But it's your decision

 

[bluegirl]

It depends. I have a little dog who is 3 and fully trained and well behaved. I suppose you have to weigh up your time. A dog as you will know needs at least two walks a day. When you have a newborn are you going to be able to commit to that. Most people on pregnancy forums will be thinking of the baby aspect but I also think - will this dog get the attention it needs/deserves when the baby comes. When it barks at the door when someone walks past and the baby is asleep having just got it to fall asleep... That dog may be better off with a family who can give it everything. I'm already thinking of my dog and whether he's going to be as important in the grand scheme of priorities - I don't want him to suffer but I love him way too much because he's been my little one for 3 years... Think long and hard... Hope this gives you something to think about and doesn't come across nasty in anyway. You have to do what is best for your little family x

 

[Jojo84]

Personally I'd wait until the baby was born and a little older before the puppy. The pup will then be brought up with he baby and used to it. Besides that, looking after and training a dog while pregnant is no easy feat

If you left it a While then the child would be involved in the process of bringing up and training the puppy and would be far better IMO.

 

[Tigger87]

I have to be honest I don't think it's the best idea. At 7 months, they are unlikely to be "fully" trained (there's always going to be room for improvement!!) and I don't know the nature of a Rottweiler, but our lab x cocker is almost 2 and apparently won't calm down till he's about 4 - some days he's a total nutcase, but comparatively now a lot better than at 7 months!!

If you think you can manage, then do it. Just make sure you look fully at what having the dog is going to entail. I'd definitely look at professional training schools too, we still go to weekly obedience training and its brilliant to have a professional on hand to help me sort any behaviour issues before the baby arrives!

 

[clareybell]

I think only you know how much you can personally handle - if you think you have time and energy for both then go for it! For me, I'm worrying enough about the baby! I can imagine though it would be extremely difficult t change your mind once your heart is set on the puppy xx

 

[lozzalozza]

Hi, I'm a vet and deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis. It is my job to put the animals first and therefore I'm going to be very honest and quite negative. Firstly, rotties are amazing dogs and usually very friendly but they are very lively, need lots of exercise and also have been bred as a guarding type dog they are also very powerful. As a guarding breed they have lower bite/attack threshold in general than say a Labrador, or a cavalier spaniel or some of the companion breeds. People who say its all about the way you rear then are not entirely correct as we have selectively bred some breeds for 100's of years to have certain traits. I know that many families live happily with young children and rotties but there is a risk and as rotties are so strong any bite could be catastrophic. Having a new baby and an adolescent dog is going to be tough on a dog they need lots of exercise and I worry how you will cope with this. However my main worry would be when the child is a toddler and pulls the dogs ears, blows in their face, wakes them from sleeping etc. unfortunately toddlers and young kids are not good with dogs and can lead to lots of potential confrontations. I am sure lots of people will share many happy stories of rotties and young children but sadly my experiences are as follows; young couple get large breed dog, one year later young couple have child one year later dog gets put down with lots of tears and I love him/her so much but My child has to come first. Why do you want a dog now and what do you want from a dog? Is it really a great time to get a dog and is this the best dog for you? Think long and hard. X.

 

[Mummy2toddler]

I think it's a bad idea personally only because when a baby is born you have no time at all and the puppy wouldn't get any attention IMO which wouldn't be fair. Puppies are also like babies well they are babies and its just like having a child. And also I see so many people selling there dogs or cats because they've just had a baby and haven't got time for there dog. Of course it's upto you but I wouldn't xx

 

[Samsgirl]

Ok, honest opinion. When baby comes along...for the first few weeks you will struggle to find time to feed yourself. Hard to believe but it is true. I just don't think you will have time for a young dog too. I would wait a few years x

 

[Rachel80]

I'm 29 weeks with my first baby. I have a cat & am about to also inherit a racing greyhound that we are retiring. She isn't used to cats, kids or normal life but if she doesn't settle quickly she'll be rehomed. I think if you're used to dogs & you are sensible (don't leave the lo unsupervised with the dog) then only you can judge whether its right for you. People are full of opinions & alot of people aren't animal friendly so wouldn't understand. Me personally I wouldn't have a staffie, they are the only dogs that scare me. But I would happily get a puppy now. Yeah you'll be busy with a baby but not to the point where you can't feed or stroke your pet, & I'm sure your oh would walk it. Do what's right in your situation, with your knowledge & your homelife x

 

[jodie34]

Hi hope u dont mind me commenting im stil a ttc 'er , we got a staffie pup then i found out i was expectin our dd , pup was 10onths wen we brought dd home he sniffed her head as we came in and from that day until the day he passed away 2 years ago he never left her side ihad my ds wen or staffie was 7 same again sniffed his head and wherever the kids were our doggy was with them we had had him for 15 years , atvthe end of the day its your choice , it was hard work being a first time mum caring for my baby aswell as myself then a pup aswell hubby did most of the walkin feeding etc , all i will say is when you think you have thought it through have another think dont rush into it xx

 

[BevG]

id wait til after you have had the baby personally, having ababy and training a dog are both quite hard especially if you havent done them before, you can never tell how a dog will react to a baby either and it does take a lot of awareness and control to have dogs around you baby safely, its not taht i doubt you could do it id just say why give yourself the hassle and stress, wait til your kid is old enough to enjoy getting the puppy and can be involved in training etc, that way the dog will also grow up with the kid and get used to kids easier

 

[timtam78]

Hi there, I'm all for having dogs as part of the family, I have 2 demanding border collies myself (6 and 7 now) and wouldn't be without them. When my baby comes I know it's going to be hard work to give them all the attention they deserve, but I will be as prepared as i can be for it. However saying that I don't think I'd get a young dog at the same time as being pregnant personally, I think i'd wait a while. I think a crying baby would be quite stressful for a growing pup too. X

 

[Pumpkin9]

I would agree with do it once you've had the baby and are abit more settled. This will be my first child and we already have a Jack Russell whose 7 years old. He is still absolutely mental at times although a very loving dog and has calmed down a lot since he was a puppy. I'm still wondering how I'm going to give him the attention he needs (even as an adult dog) as I don't want him to feel left out. I have alot of support from my parents as they already look after him in the day so I'm lucky in that respect but dogs up until that age of about 2 or 3 are very demanding!!

 

[Lou1103]

Hey hun,
I think its a good idea but just make sure u socialise it LOADS will babies/children - when its had its injections go and sit in a park/outside a school or something and if its trained i dont see the issue.

If you could put it off a while it might make your life easier - so the dog will come into the house when the baby is already there to avoid territorial issues but having a baby and puppy might be hard work! Xxx

 

[Lou1103]

Also, im not 100% of the traits if rotties. If its a hunting type breed i've heard that a baby's cry mimics that of a dying fox/rabbit and obviously that can trigger certain instincts xxx

 

[Bonfire Bride]

I think you've had some excellent info here to help make your decision. I'll just give you my own experience as we have 1 dog and had to rehome a larger breed at the end of last year.

We currently have a 5 year old Parsons Russell (a taller version of a Jack Russell - renowned for being snappy) He has been very well trained and is a very well mannered little pooch. However, even though I trust him, I would never leave him alone with a baby even though I have raised him since he was 7 weeks old. It took a good 18 months to train him - you cannot train a pup in 7 months. He will be gently introduced to the baby and any negative behaviour will be identified and corrected....this would be difficult to do with a puppy who at 7 months would still be learning correct behaviour.

We rehomed a beautiful chocolate labrador in 2011 as her previous owners could not give her the time she needed after having a baby. She would snatch food, rummage in our bins and became destructive if left for only 2 hours. I tried my best with her for 12 months but it was very difficult to stop these bad habits - she made me bleed once when snatching food (something I could not risk with a baby) it broke my heart when I decided to rehome her to a friend but it was not fair on her as she needed specialist attention and with a baby on the way, I could not give her this attention. It caused a few rows between me and my husband also, which is not the environment a dog or baby should live in. Another thing that drove me crazy was the amount of hair she would lose - not her fault, but I couldnt deal with the thought of a toddler being exposed to that much fur...we would literally need to sweep up 3 times a day because of the shedding - even more when she was losing her seasonal fur.

A puppy is very much like a new baby - they need attention constantly and will develop difficult habits if you cannot afford to spend time training them. It is your decision completely, but I would sum up the pros and cons carefully to avoid any upset in the future should you then decide that it was the wrong decision to make.

Good Luck xx

 

[J_Anne]

There's lots of very good advice and I would echo most of it. A puppy won't be fully trained at 7 months, my dog is 3 years old and she's still learning every day! I'm afraid I do think its a bad idea, no matter how good your intentions are, the fact is you will have plenty of days where you do not have time for the puppy, I hate to admit it but in the early days, on 2 occasions I got to 7pm and realised I hadn't fed my poor dog. She's so polite and well behaved, she didn't even bother me for it!!
Definately wait until you are settled with your baby, like others have said it will be much easier to settle a puppy in a home where a baby is already present. It's a good point about dog hair too, luckily my dog doesn't shed too much but especially when she was brand new, I hated it if a hair got on her clothes! Obviously it's not the dogs fault! Rotties shed a lot too.x