new baby and puppy??

Question

i have a very young child under 1 yrs old,
we've been offered a puppy, but im not sure how it will go i would love a puppy but i don't want it attacking my LO

Answer 1

Wait til your child is about 4 and can reason. They can learn that animals feel pain and are not toys, they can help you feed and groom and feel useful. Pups are hard work! You'll have your hands full with two babies, its worse than twins!
Remember to get a pup from a breeder that understands the need for worming, and make sure you keep up with the worming schedule as well.

Answer 2

Puppies and babies can grow up to be life long friends as long as you remember a few things when bringing them together:

Your child comes first and should never be left unsupervised with a puppy. The child must be taught from an early age not to be too rough with the puppy as play fighting is common but baby could get hurt.

Puppy should be taught not to touch things like bottles but should not be ignored as this will cause attention seeking behaviour.

Accidents will happen such as pee on floor and dirty nappies be sure you can cope with a new puppy as well as the baby as puppies need walks, training and attention.

I was brought up with a rotweiller puppy and we went everywhere together the dog would never have hurt me intentionally. Keep in mind a paw or even fur can cause a child harm so keep them seperate unless someone is with them.

I would say give it a try. If it doenst work or you can't cope with the extra work find the puppy a new caring home.

Answer 3

It's probably better to wait until your child is at least a little older. A puppy is a lot of work and a big responsibility, which would be a lot to handle when you're already dealing with a baby. You'll need to have the time and energy to make housetraining, socialization, and obedience a priority, because how that is approached will affect the dog's personality throughout its lifetime. Also, very young children can't yet understand the difference between a live puppy and a stuffed toy, and may unintentionally hurt the pup, causing the dog to become nervous around the child and potentially dangerous as it matures. It's better to wait until your child is old enough to understand basic directions about how to behave around a dog.

Choosing a dog for children:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1531&S=1&SourceID=47

Dog Bite Prevention Tips:
http://www.doggonesafe.com/dog%20bite%20prevention.htm

Answer 4

You can train an 8 week old puppy to behave around your baby but this is not the big issue.

The issue is that you already have a young child which will be taking up a lot of your time.

Caring for and training a puppy takes a lot of time too.Do you have it?

You could well be better waiting till your child is older.

If you decide you have time remember the golden rule for parents who have dogs-never leave a child alone with a dog-even for 1 minute- until your 100% sure the kid understands how to treat a dog at all times.This will usually not be till the kid is at least 10 so you'd have to supervise them together for a while yet.

Answer 5

My mum got a puppy when I was about a year old and there were no problems.

In fact the dog saved my live, I was lying in my pram in the garden and there was a rat in there with me, and the dog barked continually, and then jumped up and tried to take the rat away. At first my mum was really angry with Scruffy coz I had just got of to sleep, but my mum was soooo grateful when she saw the rat. And luckily the rat didn't bite me.

Also the puppy may be good for your child as if he/she grows up with an animal they will have a greater appreciation and respect for pets and other animals.

If you are worried about the behaviour of the puppy, go and see the mother dog first because if she is calm, serene and allow people to look at her babies then there is a very great chance that the puppy will ve the same.

Hope this helps. And I want to say it it great that you are thinking about your child in this way.

Answer 6

Sorry but I think babies and puppies simply don't mix ......... children tend to use dogs as playthings and the dogs sometimes bite back! I have a German Shepherd who is obedient and loving but when children are about, I know the dog can get frustrated. This may never happen with you but I would prefer to err on the side of caution. Of course, with your situation, the dog would come into an established household and could be trained. But a dog is an animal with animal tendencies and I would simply worry on that score. And before anyone shouts back, I am a dog lover ..... just think dogs and kids need caution.

Answer 7

a puppy will of course jump on and lick a baby until you get it to some training and the puppy grows up. never leave a baby alone with a puppy or any dog for that matter. if you dont have the time to properly train the puppy without getting mad and hitting the poor thing when it jumps up to lick your baby, don't get the dog.

Answer 8

I got a puppy when I was 4 months pregnant and my daughter was 2 it was hard because he was not potty trained and he peed and pooped every where. Once the baby was born it was hard to take him out because I had a c-section and he needed attention, but now my son is almost 1 and my dog is great with both of them I think he is my daughters best friend and he is her company and mine when every one else is sleeping he is always withme or with my daughter. (he is a golden retriever and we love him very much.) Good luck.

Answer 9

have the puppy meet u and the family, get used to the baby, and play with it for a while, see how ur baby and the puppy get along, if the puppy tolerates the baby's antics that is the only way u will know

Answer 10

Raised from a young age together normally the dog grows up very fond of children in the home.You must seriesly think about it though,as a puppy takes up alot of time and attention,its like having another baby.Will you be able to give it the proper exercise it requires?socilise it well?training?playing?love etc there is so many questions to ask yourself and be honest about your answers as you dont want to end up rehoming the dog when its fully grown because you couldn't cope.