Bringing home puppy and I have a baby?

Question

Okay, I've searched online and have found how to introduce you new baby to the family dog when returning home from the hospital...but what about reversing the situation and bringing a new puppy home instead. Anyone have good advice for me from that perspective? Or links to articles I should read, books to buy, etc. We have a 10 month old baby and will be bringing home a 7 week old chocolate lab (English) next weekend. We plan to crate train (the puppy that is ;-) and I will definitely supervise closely when the two are together. Any other words of wisdom would be appreciated...don't do it and you're crazy don't count as words of wisdom though. TIA

I'd like to add that yes, the puppy is coming from a respected breeder, we are knowledgeable about baby proofing, puppy proofing and dog training. Also, we know it's going to be a TON of work on our part. We've done our research and are willing to put forth the effort. I'm just curious if anyone has additional information on supervising the two together so they can interact safely and grow up together. Anyone out there been in my position? Also, I'm a stay-at-home mom, so I will be devoting a lot of time to my son and the puppy...plus my husband works 2 minutes away and comes home once or twice a day.

Answer 1

Having them interact safely is going to be almost impossible unless you have physical control over one or the other---best bet is to hold the baby.

Does the baby walk yet?

Obviously the two cannot be loose on the floor together, even if the baby walks. The pup will bounce, bound and bump the baby without meaning to hurt the kid.

The pup is going to need to be confined when the baby is running loose in the house until the pup is older than 1. Even the sweetest lab in the world is a bouncing, jumping ball of energy when the weather is bad or it is first thing in the morning, etc.

Perhaps an X pen set up in the kitchen where the pup can have his crate and see what is going on without being loose? The plus of the pen is the pup will become accustomed to seeing the baby running around, tossing toys, etc.

The downside of the pen is you will have to carefully monitor pup and kid so that the pup doesn't (when a bit bigger) tip the pen or the baby grab/knock down the pen or stick something into the pen.

Good luck

Answer 2

I'm one of the people who believe that kids and dogs belong together - with the qualifier that the kids have to be taught how to treat a dog and the dog has to have a good temperament.

You sound like you've done everything right, so don't anticipate any problems. I had a house full of afghan hounds with a toddler and a baby with never a problem - and the dogs were around the kids all the time.

The main thing you'll have to watch is your baby will be learning to walk when your puppy is at his most rambunctious. Your main concern will be teaching the puppy not to play too hard or run in the house so the baby doesn't get knocked over. You'll be there to teach your baby how to pet a dog, what not to do and I believe your puppy and baby will become best friends.

Answer 3

You're gonna have your hands full so hope you've been taking your vitamins.
puppies are very much like babies..They have to be potty trained and will teeth on everything so it'll be like having 2 babies in the house for awhile.Close supervision is a must and not just when the pup and child are together.It's a 24/7 job but you'll do fine after you get over the initial overwhelmed feeling and get everyone on a schedule you can live with.
Just remember that having a dog is very like having a 4 yr.old underfoot until the day it passes on.Your dog will only be as good as the time you put into teaching it.And if you want peace in your neighborhood do not banish the dog to the backyard and leave it rather than deal with it's problems because you're too busy.
You would not put your child at 10 months outside all night so don't do it to the dog.You also cannot expect your child to stay in it's crib all day so don't try to leave the dog in the crate all day either.
Puppies have the same needs as children,nutritious food,exercise,mental stimulation and discipline and guidance as well as medical care.
You're probably amazed right now at how well your baby is starting to understand and communicate back with you.Dogs start that much earlier than 10 months.They talk to us non-stop all day long and to truly understand them we have to use more than our ears to listen because they use more than their mouths to talk.You have your child on a schedule no doubt so you'll need to put the pup on one too so your life will be a whole lot simpler.So go to the library or buy some training manuals and join a breed specific chat room now.Puppies are never too young to start learning and you'll get the best advice on your breed from other owners when in need of it.
Good luck and have fun.

Answer 4

Sounds like you are on the right track. Luckily at 7 weeks the pup will be sleeping alot! Make sure that the pup gets LOTS of attention and never learns to be jealous of the baby....and I'd keep a very close on on the pup when they are together. I have a 10 week old lab right now that I picked up when he was 7 weeks and boy oh boy is he mouthy and vocal! (he's still at that phase where he wants to chew on people and he is a barker....so different from my other pup). I'd make sure the baby isn't afraid of the puppy barking too...I can't imagine the noise if he is!

I think when the pup is tired would be a great time to spend with it and the baby. Teach the baby to pet him and teach the pup to kiss the baby and not bite. (if you are against puppy kisses it might be hard to teach the pup to be nice!)

This will be such a great relationship raising them together if done the right way so there is understanding and respect built between baby and puppy!

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 5

I just simply wanted to ask if you have a poetential vet you will be taking your dog to. If yes then you should call the potential vet and talk to them about the situation, perhaps they can offer a great deal of help. Another suggestion is to go to a store like PetsMart/Petco and talk to some trainers that work there about the situation.

I know I completely lucked out with my PetsMart trainier because she's really great and she is very knowledgeable about what to do in every situation I ask my dog about.

Other than that I don't know any books you can by other than going to the bookstore and looking in the pet sections and continue to browse the web for more information.

I know some people who had a baby and got a dog or had a dog and had a baby and they have been very sucessful for the baby and dog getting along. I want to wish you the best of luck.

Answer 6

you may take this as a don't do it, but having an 11 month old daughter and 3 adult dogs, i just want to ask are you sure you've thought about every possible situation? our daughter had colic and stayed awake crying for 2 days straight. we could not have anticipated this nor would i wish it on anyone or any baby. but at that time care of her took both of us 24 hours a day. there were times when i had to get out of the house and playing in the yard with my dogs helped, but i could not even imagine having a puppy to contend with. labs are great, but they are high energy, especially if you are getting one from the older bloodlines. sounds like a great breeder and a georgus dog, you don't see many labs of that breeding anymore. i just worry that maybe your husband's time could be better spent coming home to give you a break and what will be some much needed rest. i believe that a puppy and a child growing up together is a great idea, but they can still do this when your child can understand a bit about what no and leave the doggie alone means. also it was nice when we were out visiting with our newborn not to have to worry home right away because of a puppy needing to be let out so often. i am sad to admit, but for the first 3 months of our daughters life our dogs were not cared for like they were accustomed to. i worry that you might find that the human baby requires so much of your time the pup care is left to your husband and that can take time away from him bonding with the baby. both of you should just enjoy having a new human life in the house and add the dog later on down the road. but either way good luck to you, sounds like you have way more energy than i could ever have thought of having. i'm just sitting here thinking of when i lived off of 2 hours sleep a day, and that wasn't all at once, adding the care of a puppy. and there's no way i could subject myself to it and stay sane.

Answer 7

Answerer #1 is correct, having a puppy and baby is a lot of
work. It is more that the sum of the parts. Each one will
need close supervision at times, but sometimes that time will
be at the same time. Hope your spouse/companion is very
helpful and supportive and will help when needed, which will
be a lot.
Like your choice of dogs. Good family dog.
Our kids are older, so we now have retired greyhound racers.

Good luck with your situation.

Answer 8

ok firstly NOT from a pet store I hope...

ok next sometimes you need to be aware of what you are getting into
babies are ALOT of work
puppies are ALOT of work
are you sure you have the time for both?? or would an adult dog be a better choice?

with crate training (good) you have to go out with the pup EVERY time and give it an instant reward when it goes bathroom outside then you have to watch it constantly throughout the day so you are ready to go out again when it is... instantly.. this will be really hard with a baby...

you will need a baby gate sometimes to keep the two apart more than to keep either out of an area...
always REWARD the pup for being good... soft treats to keep its attention on YOU!!!
Obediences lessons will be a MUST when its old enough (vaccinated fully)
plus puppys have no mannars - they jump, they scratch, they use their mouths to explore.. not only on your kid.. but on the toys too...your home is baby proof BUT is it puppy proof???

thats my thoughts - your breed choice was excellent..

Answer 9

hahaha....dogs and children are a good mix, so I don't think you are crazy and shan't suggest you nix the idea!

Puppies jump, lick, hike, etc. places where you wish they wouldn't.

Keep puppy on leash whenever around the baby, but by all means let the baby have much exposure to the puppy...it will be a learning experience for the puppy and the baby. Basically, common sense should prevail.

Please, above ALL else, have a camera always on hand when the two are mixing. Such wonderful memories for later!

Answer 10

I think it is great to have dogs around children, although you may need to take extra precaution because both the puppy and child are so young (of course).....labs are extra hyper compared to other breeds of dogs, so he will need a lot of exercise. I think this is important because it will decrease the occurrence of boredom behaviors: nibbling on people, chewing furniture, chewing baby, etc...lol.....that is my advice.