Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 7:52 am Post subject: Will I still get my puppy?
Hi, I need some advice..
My husband and I are on a waiting list for a Chocolate Labrador puppy, who will be ready to go around April/May time. Anyway last weekend I unexpectedly found I was pregnant again and due in August.
My husband and I have had a long chat about this and we still really want to go ahead with the puppy and as our other children are older, we have a lot of support in place.
The other day however, a friend said to me that a breeder will not sell me a puppy if I am pregnant or have a baby under a year old - is she right?
I understand it will be hard work training a puppy and having a newborn to care for but i'm well aware of this and feel that as a family unit we will be just fine.
I'm unsure how many posts I have left, and I can't get subscription until monday so I will respond as soon as I can.
Obviously the only person who can really answer this is the breeder. Some won't sell to people with young children, however many do.
As you have a lot of support in place, then I can't see why you shouldn't have a pup, as long as you realise the pup will be at about it's most demanding (some would say Difficult) stage when the baby arrives. But if you're a Coper and not a Stressy Panicker then it's do-able. I had a toddler, a hyper Collie pup and a newborn all at the same time, with very little support at all. Not sure I'd do it again, but I managed.
Awwww new pup and new baby, sounds like it was meant to be; I hope the breeder will recognise that you are not going into it without giving it loads of thought, and will agree.
As the others have said if the pup is going to be a shared responsibilty with all the family, and they will help with pup who will be about 4/5 months old when baby comes it sounds do-able to me.
What sort of Lab do you have your name down for? Is it from heavier, more sedate lines or from slimmer working stock? The temperament of the parents will probably give you a clue as to how your pup is likely to behave. There are some incredibly laid back puppies around but also some who are very much live-wires who need a lot more attention. Having said that, all puppies are demanding and the majority do a lot of biting and rough play before they settle down.
By the time you are 6 months pregnant will you be able to cope with getting up during the night to take your pup out, will you still be fit enough to clean up after it and take it out 10-20 times a day (after every feed, every play and every sleep - and more in between) in the first few weeks? Will you have someone else who can do all of that for you? You will also need a lot of help to manage both a puppy and a baby in the first few weeks after you give birth.
Is your house big enough to have space where a dog can have peace from a baby and a baby can be safe from a playful pup? There will be times in your baby's first few years when you need to keep them apart, but when supervised they may become the very best of friends.
Please read all the sticky posts about puppy behaviour - biting, toilet training, crates, mad half hours etc. You need to be fully informed before you dive in and get your pup. I'm not saying that you can't do it but you really need to know what you are taking on - the papers are full of "new baby forces reluctant sale" type adverts. If you haven't had a puppy before it can be quite a shock just how demanding they are - in some ways they are harder than a new baby.
My children were all older when we got a puppy but I found that the puppy's needs meant that the children had to take 2nd place quite frequently because I had to deal with the puppy - despite it being my husband's dog!!
Personally I wouldn't do it - I have a 15 week old puppy now and its like having a newborn baby in the house. The thought of having a real baby to add into the equation would just about finish me off. But then I don't do stress
I suggest you are up front with the breeder and see what she says.
As you have older children you already know the upheaval a new baby can cause, but what about a puppy? Have either you or your husband had one before?
I've raised 2 litters and kept a puppy from each of them while looking after 2 of my grandsons 2 days a week. My youngest grandson was only 6 months old when the first litter was born and the main problem with the pup I kept was separating her and my grandson. He started to crawl and would end up covered in dog hair and she would chew all his toys - somethings never change and he still goes home in hairy clothes The pup I kept from this recent litter is much calmer and more placid, not only that my grandson is 3 years old so they get along really well, but that would have been completely different had I kept one of the other, more boisterous, pups.
What you're planning is do-able but you need to think long and hard about it. The breeder should want to make sure you've looked at from every angle and should act as devil's advocate by stressing the 'bad' side of owning a puppy while raising a baby. Better to be upfront with them now.
____________ Lynda x
Emily, Poppy, Maisie, Phoebe, Martha, Will, Ned and Isis
As a non parent its probably hard to comment but I know ALL about stress and juggling sixteen hundred things at the same time.
As a BREEDER I would ask you to reconsider and come with us the NEXT year when newster child has settled. But thats maybe just being someone who likes the pup to fit in immediately HOWEVER to be the focus for a while whilst you jam in all the things that make a well behaved puppy, housetraining, early training, socialisation etc, without the hugest possible distraction which presumably a baby must be.
There is no hard and fast rule amongst breeders however. I would be concerned about a breeder who didn't, at least, expecress CONCERN about the situation and badger you to explain how you would cope with the situation, but I would think many would still sell you a puppy, yes.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
To be honest I think I would put the puppy on hold for a while, especially if its your first dog. When the baby comes along, your puppy will be at a very demanding age...I have three children and three dogs. My youngest was two when I got Murphy and it was do able but even though Murphy was a very good easy going puppy, he needed alot of work for the first year or so and I think it would have been hard to manage his needs if I had also had the demands of a newborn baby. I feel tired even looking at babies these days And I'm only 30
Take time, enjoy your new baby and then when the time is right you'll be able to really enjoy your puppy!
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The pup I kept from this recent litter is much calmer and more placid, not only that my grandson is 3 years old so they get along really well, but that would have been completely different had I kept one of the other, more boisterous, pups.
