Dog before baby or vice versa?

Question

How do you prevent your dog being felt left out when you get a baby? And is it preferable that you get a dog after a baby? But my only concern is that after a baby I will get too busy and I would give up the idea of getting a dog as it would mean doubling my work. But I am very keen on having a dog.Please advice a good time.
Also, is having a dog during pregnancy harmful for pregnancy? Does it depend on dog breed?

Please mention a suitable breed. How about a labrador retriever?

Answer 1

Baby before dog. A baby is a very big responsibility, and so is a dog, and I don't think you could handle having a dog while your baby is less than a year old. I would suggest having your baby first, waiting until he turns at least 2 years old, and then getting the dog. I'm sure the baby would be delighted to have a new companion! Plus, most dogs love babies, and would protect them, so it would be good for the baby in many ways. Do some research and find out which dog breed is the most compatible with babies. I don't think having a dog is harmful for pregnancy, but check with your doctor just in case.

If you do decide to get a dog before you have your baby, there is no way to prevent your dog from feeling left out. If you get the right breed of dog, it'll be noble and understand that while the baby is young and fragile, he's gonna have to sacrifice some attention. When the baby grows up, he will be less fragile, and the dog will once again receive the attention that he deserves!

Good luck and congrats!

Answer 2

Well hers what i did. I got a puppy when my little girl was 3 months old. She is a mix, and not very high-per. It is a lot of work, but not so bad if you only have one child. While the baby was sleeping I trained the puppy. The puppy we got was the same age as the baby 3 months. Akima, pups name, did really well and I didnt feel to over whelmed trying to potty train a child and a puppy at the same time. By the time our daughter was really doing much my dog was potty trained and had the basics down. They are both 3 now, and we even have another puppy. Time is the biggest issue, do you work because I dont I am a stay at home mom and have plenty of time. Then there is the breed choice find a breed that fits you. The choice really is yours, and if you really dont think you can do it, dont because you will stress yourself out and the pet wont do so well either.

I am 8 months pregnant, and the only thing I dont do is clean their poo. I groom them and everything. My doctor has never said anything about it being harmful for me to have the dogs. You do run the risk of the baby having an alergy to the dog. The fur issue vacume, and vacume. I brush my dogs every day or at least every other day, and we vacume the floor 4 or 5 times a week to keep the fur from being to bad. I do not let the dogs on the furnature just to help with the fur. There are types of dogs that dont shed that much, and you should look into that if its an issue for you. Mine (sigh) shed bad. Good luck. I hope I helped.

Answer 3

You are thinking right- after a baby, you will get busy, and a dog will add to that. I have seen couples get dog first, and spoil the dog. When the baby comes, the dog all of a sudden is an outdoor dog- which I think is horribly wrong.
Personally, I would wait on a dog until a baby is finished crawling on the floor- the dog hair will gross you out when its all over your baby. An infant will not benefit or suffer for the lack of a dog. It will be more fun for you the dog and a child when your child and dog can interact.
A dog breed depends a lot on your activity level, your living quarters and the amount of time you want to spend grooming etc... Any dog requires time, patience and attention. Consider adopting an adult dog too, they often are healthy, potty trained and definately will be glad for a new forever home.

Good luck, hope this helps, sorry for being so long winded.....

Answer 4

My suggestion to you is to have the baby first and then you will know how much time you will have for a dog. You never know how you baby will be when you bring them home for example, they may have colic like my sister until she was 9 months old. The last thing my mom could have dealt with was a dog. The second thing you would want to consider is the type of dog you would get. A big dog like a lab would need more attention with walks and play time. A smaller dog like a Yorkie and such still need the exercise and play time but if you had to skip a day, it wouldn't mean your couch would pay the price. Perhaps a better time for a dog would be after your child is a year or 2 old. I have no information on if having a dog during pregnancy can be harmful. Sorry. Best of luck!

Answer 5

Babies and dogs have zero parallels. Oh, a person may say that you have to feed both, that you have to potty train both. But the reality is that once you have a baby, whether the dog came first or second, you'll be downright clear on where your dog falls on the food chain in relation to your child. My advice: Have the baby first. About the time a baby is 2 or 3, get a peace-loving, happy dog. Golden Retrievers are SUPERB. We had them before my bro was born and continued to raise them throughout our growing years. Never a bite, never even a snarl. Even if you don't like Golden Retrievers, consider some other equally congenial breed. We had 2 Chows when I found out I was pregnant and both were raised to guard. When we had a child I became very uneasy at how unaccepting these dogs were of our child and kept the two sequestered from one another. But I'm a realist and knew I wouldn't be able to keep my daughter from finding the doggies on her own one day AND it wasn't fair to the dogs to exile them right out of family interraction for being what they are. We found them a different home. So really consider your breed. Having a dog during pregnancy does NOT harm you or your baby.

Kids and dogs go together and dogs are fantastic family members! Just be very selective. If my daughter bit a dog, I'd no-no her to death and send her to her room and later go in and explain why she was there. If a dog bit my daughter.....I'd have no trouble eliminating the dog from the picture by any method.

Answer 6

If you are having question now then my suggestion would be to wait until the baby is a bit older. If you get a puppy the same time you have a newborn it may be to much to handle, a puppy is a puppy for the first 3 years. If you really want a dog, go for an adult dog from your local shelter then you wont have the "puppy" issues. And there are no health issues to be concerned with regarding a puppy and pregnancy. Good Luck and if you want to see some of the dogs/puppies in your area at shelters/rescues groups go yo petfinder.org. Regards KG

Answer 7

Having a pet requires a lot of time, attention and patience. They deserve to be in a relationship with you as much as a human.
Are we talking about a dog or puppy?
If you are a pet lover and want to raise a puppy with your new baby, I think you should have the puppy before so you can have it some what trained. Also it would help it to be comfortable with the family before hand. I think the love and enjoyment you get from a puppy will help ease your delivery also. Not to mention, transfering that love to your unborn baby. WOW. sounds like a win win . Good Luck

Answer 8

You should research on which breeds are best around children. But taking care of both a baby and a puppy at the same time could be a lot of work. Perhaps you could wait until your child is older before you consider getting a pet.

Answer 9

Consider an adult dog, with you young child.
In my experience, fostering, and matching families with dogs,
I feel it's a great match.

Puppies ARE babies, and they absolutely love to bite (with those sharp little teeth), chew, and get into everything!

And, consider the overload on the parent(s)!
There's a romantic notion of "raising them together". But, it's not the only way - or the easiest way - to add a dog.

I've matched up, for instance, a 5-yr old, female, black lab with a young family. The dog instantly became the "nanny of the year" watching the baby's every move..
And, she was tolerant when the baby pulled her ears, etc.

Best to you and your new baby - and your new dog!

Answer 10

dog before baby, that way you can raise the dog to know its place, no biting ect. Yellow Labs, make an excellent family pet. Very loving and very gentle. Keep in mind that any dog will attack if provoked long enough. You will have to keep a close eye on your baby around the dog.