Share your puppy wisdom

[mrsrek10]

JA has been asking for a dog or a cat for a while now, really more begging than asking. So, my DH and I have decided we would like to get him a dog. We decided on a dog because we wanted him to have something that could play both inside and out with him for years to come. But, I want to be prepared before we bring one home. I had a dog when I was little but my Mom and Dad did the work so I am a newbie at things like house training, crate training, whatever other training I need to do...

I have a friend that has puppies that are lab mixes and are almost 4 months old. We are going to take JA to her house this weekend (Sunday afternoon) to visit and let him play with them to see how they interact with him and him with them. I want him and the dog to kinda pick each other....

Anyway, I know lots of you have dogs and great experience... so please, share away!

I feel like we are about to have another baby and I don't know what all I need to have in its nursery!

[summergirl1211]

Good luck! I know we were completely unprepared when we got our puggle 5 years ago (shortly after we got married). I'd get a lot of puppy pads and figure out a place to keep them enclosed for awhile- like a bathroom or another room with no carpet or a gate-corral kind of thing. I've read they are comforted by having a small place that is their own. And be prepared for the dog to be terrified at first. I remember we didn't sleep a wink for 2-3 nights because our dog would just sit and whine. And leaving her alone at first was a nightmare. 

I'm going to put this here not to change your mind, but because I want to be honest with you. If I could do it again I would have waited until we were all done having kids and wait until the kids were 4-5 before getting one. There's a lot of jealousy with our dog (not in a mean way, but she just "gets in the way" sometimes). And our dog is 22 pounds and she still knocks Riley over out of excitement and I hate worrying about her hurting Riley without meaning to.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. I wish you the best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

[mightythorgi]

If you can get a puppy that is already trained to go outside I highly recommend it. When I got Arthur he was about 2 months old and already trained. He had a few accidents and the first few nights home I had to let him sleep with me because he was whining (probably adjusting from being on a farm with his mama to being with me in a 1 bedroom apartment).

Plenty of chew toys and patience.

[bantyrooster]

I am with summergirl. To be honest I wouldn't get one right now. I love Avery and we got her before Kids, which she is great with, but they are a lot of work. Also as they age they are a lot of money. We would always pay to treat her but hell its expensive.

So back to your question. Lots of toys and bones so they can chew on that and not your stuff, a place for them to sleep. The normal bowl, collar, leash, find a vet, licence them.

[pegleg715]

I have had dogs my whole life. Right now we only have one and she's 7. H and I got her as a puppy.
Crate training/housebreaking was a long process. We had 2 for a long time. One was easier than the other but it took a long time to get them housebroken and it was eventually decided that the one needed Prozac for her separation anxiety (she's still on it)

Just like summer girl. Not to deter you but this is not something I would want to do with a toddler in the house. You don't sleep much. It changes your schedule, you have to get right home and let he dog out, it's a LOT of work.
If you're absolutely set on getting a dog I would go for an older one that is trained and been fostered and you know is good with kids. But either way I love my dog and wouldn't trade her but I wouldn't mind skipping the vet bills and the fur everywhere.

Good luck!

[tribute17]

Definitely get a crate. Mine loved sleeping in it even with the door open. I covered it with a blanket too and he loved it. As far as potty training, mine was super easy but as soon as he started going, I picked him up and ran him outside. Make sure you use the same door that you want him to go to when he needs to go out. It only took him about a week. Be ready to budget for them. Not just food but the vet. Dog meds are so much more than human meds and it was not surprising to have to spend about 500$ for a normal visit. If anything goes wrong then it is way more. And lots of dogs have to be put on regular meds so make sure you have room for that.

I also agree that you need to have somewhere you can lock them away, especially puppies. They take so much energy and you have to watch them all of the time so it is nice to be able to corral them somewhere. Also, you will probably be good at the training because it is a lot of positive rewards for positive behavior, just like kids. Good luck.

[mrsrek10]

I appreciate the honest input! The positive is that my DH and I are both in and out of our home all day so the dog would never have a day where it didn't see one of us for longer than a few hours. Like today, I am working from home all day.

The reason we thought now would be a good time is that JA and the dog could grow up together. My DH and I both are trying to process that it is very likely that JA will be an only child and we want him to have a companion. But, we are trying to make an informed decision and are not going to rush it at all...which is why I truly appreciate your honest input!

I want to make an informed decision.

[bantyrooster]

Also it sounds dumb but I know they have pet insurance. Maybe look into that. Labs can have hip issues, two of my brothers and my dads labs have had hip replacements, they are 100% lab though. I think you can only get it if they are under a certain age. Then if a big health thing comes up your covered. I don't know if its expensive though.

[aimeefarrahfowler]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I've had one puppy and I never want a puppy again, but especially not with very small kids. They are a TON of work.

But, if you're up for it, I hope you get a really great dog that fits with your family. I would definitely recommend crate-training. My dog ended up loving her crate and would go in there and sleep all the time, even when we would let her have free range of the house.

[mightythorgi]

The other thing I will add is that if the breed you are looking at has known issues that can be avoided, please look into it.

Arthur passed away too early because he developed DM (Degenerative Myelopathy). It happens in corgis around year 8 (exactly what happened with him). They either didn't screen for it back in the mid-00's or we were not aware. In any case it was heartbreaking to watch and if I could avoid that scenario I would.

We won't be getting another pup for a while (we still have Merlin, who we joke has to live to be, like, 20) but when we do I have already started researching corgi breeders that do all the screening available.
And if we don't get another dog until the kids are in middle school I would consider another rescue. We have just had so many issues with Merlin and territory that we are not comfortable doing another rescue while we have small kids. That said, it has been a saving grace to have him around for easing the pain of losing Arthur as soon and as quickly as we did.

Not to be a Debbie Downer about puppies, yikes! I grew up with Chihuahuas, then Keeshonds and now Corgis. And I am grateful to have gotten to know them all. Good dogs, all around

[bliz1712]

We have a lab mix and like PP I would not get another dog. There is hair everywhere constantly. It's amazing the places that I find it. Also, if you ever want to leave town you have to find someone to watch them or board them which is then expensive. They are honestly sometimes more work than a toddler. Mine is still chewing up stuff and she's 5 years old. She digs in the garbage and we have to be extra careful what we leave lying around because she'll chew it up.

BUT, if you do decide to get one you will need a collar or 2, leash, crate, dog bed or pillow, dog dish, water dish, maybe a comb, some toys and treats. For the crate you want to make sure you get it bigger than the actual dog so they aren't crammed in there. Obviously as a puppy it will be huge for them. The crate we have is very big, but I think there is one in addition to it. Some nice toys are the kong balls. They are more durable and your less likely to have to replace them.

Do you have a fenced in yard? I highly recommend doing that so that it's easier when letting the dog out. Otherwise you have to be out there with them. I second trying to get a dog that's already trained because that can be just as difficult as PT a toddler. I honestly can't remember how we trained our dog. I think you have to just keep taking them out every 2-3 hours until they learn it on their own.

If you have carpet you're going to want to get a pet carpet spray. It's inevitable that you will have accidents, either pee, poop, or puke, and you'll want to get rid of the smell. We've actually purchased a carpet steamer because of our dogs. Also, you'll probably have to vacuum more often now.

Good luck in your decision.

[heatherbee]

Puppies are adorable but I definitely agree with the PP's that it would be a big challenge with a toddler! However, I see what you mean about wanting a dog to grow up with JA, and if you are up for it, go for it and post lots of adorable pictures

FWIW, I have two dogs. Both are from a local rescue with abuse / severe neglect histories. They were both about 1.5 when we adopted them and lived in foster homes, which meant they already had a decent amount of training and very experienced dog owners working with them. The nice thing about dogs that age was that we could really see their personalities. We knew we needed dogs that were pretty low key, since DH and I are very busy. For us, this was really helpful to know in advance. I think they fit into our family better because of it.

[britbratjf]

Well I don't have a dog because I have no desire to deal with one but growing up we always had a lab so I think you are picking a great breed! With that being said, I would look into a lab rescue organization in your area. It's likely you would be able to get a lab that's only 1 or 2 so still pretty young, but who is already crate trained & housebroken. My BFF volunteers for one in our area & got her lab through them.

[sarahandeddie]

We got our dog, a miniature dachshund, when we were first married. For pting we just kept taking her out. She was pretty easy to train. She did chew a few things she wasn't supposed to but we got her lots of toys and that helped a lot.

We never crate trained our dog. I had a bed for her and the first night we had her DH put her in bed with us and that's where she's been ever since. She has free range of our house most of the time. The only issue we had was when we moved into our current house. She dug some spots on the carpet by the front door. We assume it's because this was my grandparents house and she recognizes it as such. When she goes through her naughty spurts we just baby gate her in the kitchen with her bed, food/water and toys.

I'm glad we have her. She can be a lot of work and she is like another child but the love between her and the girls is really amazing. She was never really jealous and has been protective of the girls since day 1. I think a dog will be a great addition to your family.

[USCgirl]

Good luck with everything! Puppies sure are cute, but they can really wreak havoc. I highly recommend getting a wire crate. Don't get one that's too big, cause he/she will go to the bathroom in it. You can read on how to choose one. It has been a lifesaver for us and our two pound puppies. They get crated every time we go out and every night and love being in there. Just be patient and consistent. Consistency is key! Again, good luck and I can't wait to see pics.

[zyas]

Well I guess I ought to put in my 2 cents here And you know I am a huge animal lover but I do have to agree with those who said they would wait on getting a dog right now with already having a toddler. A puppy is SO much work (our pigs were easier to house train than our last dog was). Not only is it a lot of work but toddlers can be overwhelming to dogs. We have 3 dogs and one of our dogs still won't go near Ava. I think she's maybe let Ava touch her once or twice EVER. Whenever Ava gets close to her, she bolts and runs away. One is great with her but he has snapped at her when she's fallen on him before (he's older and she hurt him when she fell on him). Then our youngest dog is extremely jealous of her so when I am nearby all he wants is to sit with me. If Ava comes over he starts to get snippy with her.

But all that being said, if you guys decide it's the right thing for your family to get one now, then I'm happy for you Get lots of chew toys (stay away from rawhide - dogs can bite chunks off and it does not digest properly. There have been tons of cases where dogs have to have surgery to remove chunks of rawhide, and cases where they have died from complications from it. Instead look for the beef bully sticks and also deer antlers - those are great chewies!). As far as training goes - lots and lots of positive reinforcement

[summergirl1211]

mrsrek10: Well, did you pick out a puppy over the weekend? Or are you thinking about it still? Just wondering how the "meet and greet" went.

[mrsrek10]

Jan 27, 2015 11:46:58 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

mrsrek10: Well, did you pick out a puppy over the weekend? Or are you thinking about it still? Just wondering how the "meet and greet" went.

We are going this Saturday to play! I will let y'all know

Edited to add: the puppies are 4 months old and live in a house with kids...girls who have been carrying them around like babies. So the plus, they are use to kids! Also, we are doing a play date to see how they are with JA and if he even likes the puppies. I think we will see of one clicks. We aren't going to make a rush decision but figure a puppy wouldn't be any more work than us having a newborn and him...we are thinking if the puppy as a possible "sibling" to JA. But only if it all seems right!

[summergirl1211]

Jan 27, 2015 14:07:22 GMT -5 mrsrek10 said:

Jan 27, 2015 11:46:58 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

mrsrek10: Well, did you pick out a puppy over the weekend? Or are you thinking about it still? Just wondering how the "meet and greet" went.

We are going this Saturday to play! I will let y'all know

Ah! I thought it was this last weekend. Have fun!

[mrsrek10]

Jan 27, 2015 14:11:39 GMT -5 summergirl1211 said:

Jan 27, 2015 14:07:22 GMT -5 mrsrek10 said:

We are going this Saturday to play! I will let y'all know

Ah! I thought it was this last weekend. Have fun!

We couldn't coordinate it this past weekend. My friend and I had different schedules going.

[britbratjf]

mrsrek10 labs are, IMO, the best dog to get if you have kids. My mom & BFF both have labs and they love Dagny. They follow her around to "watch" her and will let her do anything to them.

[mrsrek10]

This is the puppy I hope picks us. This sweet face gets me every time I see it! 

[britbratjf]

OMG! I die. I love little lab puppies!! Is it a female? Having had both males & females I will say that females chill out earlier than males dO.

[mrsrek10]

Jan 27, 2015 15:00:20 GMT -5 britbratjf said:

OMG! I die. I love little lab puppies!! Is it a female? Having had both males & females I will say that females chill out earlier than males dO.

Yep, it is a girl. My friend said she is a very sweet, chill puppy already. I love her just from pics and hope JA does too! I want a girl...there are 3 in the litter.

[mommymadness]

Seriously so cute! Puppies are cute and a lot of work but they do become part of the family and are great pals! Good luck with your play date!! Can't wait to hear if you are getting one fore sure. Also to hear the name you choose! It's just as exciting naming a puppy as it is a baby!! Lol