What would you do? Puppy question.

[chloe]

i did exactly the same thing! but luckily the day we were sposed to get the dog my mum turned round and said no we werent getting.....you know what, best decision ever made!!! my lil girl was 1 and a half at the time, there was no way i could have coped with a dog and a child!
the dog wakes up during the night (i didnt know that lol) you need to house train it, money would have been an issue as my lil girl has a mild form of autism so she needs special equipment....just loads of factors to take in that i had never even have thought about!
id say wait till hes 2 or 3, perfect age and that way hes a bit bigger and will stand above the dog.

hope that helps a bit

 

[Ang]

I told my friend, thanks for the great opportunity, but i'm going to wait.


Oh and i know it may have come across that i want a dog to entertain my son, thats how i may have worded it, but thats not what i meant.

I meant he would probably enjoy a dog to play with. He's very energetic and loves dogs to bits. He's very gentle and just like a dog my son knows the command "GENTLE" ...lol

He pets his kitties very gently and has fun crawling after them.

I want a dog for ME.. but also as a friend for my son. But mainly because I have always wanted one and now that I am at home all day, its the first opportunity I have had to be with a dog all day.
Before I worked full time and would never have had the time to care for a dog.


So thats the main reason I want one. I'm home all day now and have never been able to have one before. As a friend for me AND my son.

After we move, and maybe once he is 2 years old or at least 18 months old, i will consider it again. Only I will consider an adult dog first.

You're all very right. A puppy will probably just be too much added work. Which is what I was thinking myself, i just needed to hear it from more people to help me make up my mind NOT to get one.
haha

 

[Red Devil]

well then when your ready for a puppy anytime will be the right time for your son....

 

[Ang]

well then when your ready for a puppy anytime will be the right time for your son....

thanks Liz.

Yeah, its really just me that needs the extra time. lol as much as i want one.

 

[lordofthejewsjr]

actually thats why i got dogs when my daughter was very young, so u can teach them from an early age how to properly treat animals and handle them and what not to do. She has 2 very small dogs and a very big on and its becuase i taught her well on respecting dogs that she has never pulled a tail or anything like that. she knows exactly where to touch dogs, how and when not to. its important lessons.

you got me there

 

[lordofthejewsjr]

also keep in mind that it wont be a puppy for a long time.

 

[Ang]

actually. contrary to popular belief as well as how I have come across,...

I dont like the puppy stage. LOL


I hate the idea of having a puppy. I would basically just be powering through hoping it will be over.
I only want a puppy so it can be raised with my son......


Which is why i'm considering adult dogs, and i always have, i'm just worried about adult dogs and the baggage they come with....

you see my dilemma.


But i can totally do without the puppy stage. yeah they're cute, bla bla bla... lol

 

[navygirl76]

lol the right dog will come your way when youre absolutely ready. i know pound dogs can have issues, but ive found some great dogs there-very loyal and just needed to be trained on boundary issues-they just had no manners lol.

thats what happens when you chain a dog to a box and keep it in the backyard i guess. also, the pound has puppies all the time too.

if i were you, when youre ready look at Petfinder. you would be amazed at the great dogs people are getting rid of! i wanted a boxer, and there were hundreds on there in my state.. it was sad. also, maybe your friend will breed again in a few years-labs are great dogs and would be a nice pick.

i think its a great idea to raise kids with dogs and other pets, i would just wait a little bit-maybe when hes a little older.

 

[Shaina]

Which is why i'm considering adult dogs, and i always have, i'm just worried about adult dogs and the baggage they come with....

you see my dilemma.

Many private rescues have adult dogs for adoption that actually live in foster homes, so you can see what the dogs are like in a family setting with cats, other dogs, kids, etc. And the people who foster them tend to want the best for the dog, i.e. a "forever" home, so they will make sure that you get a dog that actually fits you.

Often the rescue knows the history of the dog and/or does temperament testing in addition to the foster's observations of the dog living with their own family day in and day out, so the chances of having behaviors you can't live with crop up is low. Even if you got a puppy, it's hard to know 100% what the puppy's adult temperament will be like at 8-12 weeks (though an experienced breeder, stable ancestry, and puppy temperament tests like the Volhards' help, plus proper socialization, training, etc).

My friend who lives in SF bay area found a darling ~10 yr old rottie at an adoption event this past weekend, though unfortunately he's not in the position to get another dog right now...she had been given up by her family after 10 years because they lost their home. Rock solid temperament, snuggle-bug, raised with children, undemanding but still lively...a real gem of a dog. Dogs like that are all over rescues, especially with the current economy forcing owners to give up their pets due to personal crisis.

I totally agree with your decision to hold off on a puppy for a while though...I can't imagine trying to raise a 1 yr old AND a puppy, lol. Especially a Lab or similar...

Good luck

 

[meghanashley]

It will be more work for you. Wait till your son is 3 or 4 or older, he will interact more appropriately with the dog at that age. Right now at one he will be pulling ears and fur, plus niether the dog or your son will be enteratining each other for more than seconds at a time since both attention spans are short.

I personally would rescue a dog or puppy (adopt from a shelter/ rescue) no reason to spend money like that when there are thousands of unwanted dogs waiting for homes, there are many ways to tell a good puppy from a questionable one if your worried about the temperment. Just because he has "documented" genes dosen't mean anything.

Having said that if you have wanted a dog for some time get em. Just do it for you.