I have a 20 month old daughter, and my husband and I are thinking about getting a puppy.
I work from home part-time so can be with the puppy all day, which I know is important, but that means I’ll be spending my days with a toddler and a new puppy and I’m pretty sure that is the route to insanity.
Has anyone here raised a puppy at the same time as a very young child? Anyone have any advice about whether we should just go for it, or if we should wait until the kids are older? (Yes kids, we are trying for the next kid this summer. I must love chaos.)
Can’t be too much different than having kids close together in age. They’ll grow out of it. Now, while you’re home, is a good time to keep an eye on a puppy.
I had a rule, I’d only deal with so much poop in a day. Cleaning up dogshit after days of cleaning up diapers and dealing with potty training was NOT my idea of a good time.
My kids are potty trained now, we still don’t have a dog.
I got a puppy as a christmas present from my wife, right before our twins were born 3 weeks later. It’s doable, but make sure you take some anger management classes and aren’t too attached to your carpet.
A puppy might be a lot to handle with a young child, especially since puppies come with sharp teeth and not much sense about when to use them. An older dog (say a year old or more) might be a better fit, as it will hopefully be less mouthy.
Sorry, I was free-associating for a minute there. I would reiterate jeevmon’s recommendation to get a slightly older dog. Puppies, like babies, don’t really know limits and while one nipping an adult might not be a big deal, it could frighten a small child even if it doesn’t hurt her. An older dog (leastways, one that has had a bit of training) is more likely to know what isn’t acceptable. The last thing you want is your daughter to be a puppy’s chew toy.
I generally recommend against it for all but the most experienced dog owners. And the most experienced dog owners generally know better than to want to do it.
How about a homeless adult dog that’s been temperament tested by a rescue group? I think that would be a better choice.
I would also say to pass on getting a dog that’s still a puppy. But an older dog would make a great addition.
Look for rescue groups in your area. Some take in all dogs and others are just for certain breeds or sizes. Most times the dog is with a foster family who will be able to give you an idea of the dog’s personality and if it would be good around children.
Go for it. It’s not that big a deal. Puppies grow up a lot faster than kids do.
I do have one safety (and compatibility) suggestion for you: always have the youngest member of the family (within reason) feed the new dog. This gets the dog used to the toddler (or anyone, for that matter) being around him when he eats and he won’t get aggressive–as many dogs do–and will be used to being ‘messed with’ while he’s eating, will be used to the child, and won’t ever ever bite your child or any one else (hopefully).
It will also help your child to bond with the dog, to make him/her affectionate, think of the dog as a companion/friend, rather than as a rival for your attention, and they can play together while you sleep (when he’s older) or while you and your hubby work on #2.
Of course, we all know that you will be the one who actually is responsible for feeding the dog and who gets out the food, etc., but the point is to make sure that the toddler is actively involved in the process and occasionally intervenes in the operation. Makes for good photo opps, too. Also, then you’ll have lots of good stories when child is older about when he/she ate dog food.
