New baby and pet?

[thebing]

I have a friend that is having a baby, and wants to get a new pet dog at the same time, or just before she has the baby, is that a good idea to be looking after a new dog and new baby, what do you lot think, or should she wait until the baby is older before getting a pet.

[stacwase]

It really depends on the dog - but if it was me I'd make sure I had the dog long before the baby was born, so the dog would be settled in and any necessary adjustments in my lifestyle were made before the baby came along and I had to make more adjustments. It would be terribly stressful to have a new dog and a new baby at the same time - and I'm afraid the dog might end up being asked to find another place to stay if your friend isn't prepared for all the new responsibility.

[Samantha Puppy]

Oh man, I can't imagine having had Samantha and a brand new baby at the same time! Does she realize everything a new puppy entails - fixing your schedule around theirs, house-training it, behavior-training it, cleaning up after it, etc.? On top of adjusting to life as a new mom? NO WAY!! Horrible, horrible timing. She should get the puppy first so that she has time to bond with it before a baby comes along, otherwise the dog is never going to get the attention it deserves. However, it sounds like she's pretty close to giving birth, so in that case, I would wait quite awhile before getting a dog. Like, four or five years.

Wow. My fiance and I knew that we wanted a dog in our lives, but we had been planning on waiting until we started a family first. Then Samantha dropped into our lives and I realize now that it was for the best - by the time we have kids, she'll be at least four... so not only will she have had plenty of time to herself with Mommy and Daddy, but she also will be out of that insane puppy stage where they're 10x more effort than a regular dog.

[Albea]

Did your friend have a baby or a dog before? Does she have any idea of the resposibility and amount of time they both require?
I do volunteer work for Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue and have seen hundreds of dogs turned in by owners who said: "I just had a baby and don't have time to care for the dog." Even an older dog, not just a puppy, needs time and dedication from the guardian.
I'm afraid that any dog your friend gets will end up in a shelter in a very short time.

[thebing]

Yes it’s her first baby, but I’m sure that she is aware and realize how mach attention a baby needs. But I do think that she do not realize how mach time a new pet will take up as she has not had a pet dog before

[Samantha Puppy]

Please please please discourage her from getting a new pet right now. A baby animal deserves time to bond with its humans and really requires so much time with adjusting, house-breaking, and behavior training. Your friend is going to extremely overwhelmed adjusting to motherhood and caring for a puppy that I fear she will feel no other alternative than to give up the dog.

[Stenograsaurus]

What do I think? I think your friend is crazy!!!!

I have a 7 mo. old baby. I also have a 6 yr. old. I have to tell you that I had forgotten how much time and attention a baby needs!!!! I have two dogs, age 5 and 7. I have to say that I feel guilty many times at the lack of time I have to give to my dogs. I know there is no way I would have the time to take care of a puppy now. Please discourage her.

[thebing]

I am finding it hard to discourage her form getting a pet, and I’m starting to feel guilty about it, I do not think that I can show her this thread as it will upset her to much, she has about one months to go so I think that I’ll try not to upset her she is always at my house playing with my pets, so I think that I will get her to stay at my house for the weekend and see what I have to go through looking after my pets and all the time it takes up and have a good talk with her about it all.

[robyn9121]

That's a good idea! and it's better than telling her that shes crazy LOL