[dilsdaisy]

Have had a yearning for a family dog since our old rescue Springer passed away over a year  ago at the ripe old age of 15 years....
Being pregnant with number four at the time we didn't go down the route of looking for a dog in the immediate months after ..and now with Baby Four a year old the yearning for a dog has returned in earnest!!!

Investigated the Rescue Dog situ but with young children and chooks ..think we would be hard pushed to find a match ( or a Rescue Centre who would let us have a dog with a one year old child in the house)

So decided that a puppy would be the better option .thinking along the line of a lab or Lab cross.....however I have NEVER had a puppy always had rescue dogs (even as family dogs when I was a child) the youngest being 2 years at adoption so please tell me (apart from the purchase cost) what costs do I need to think about for the first year  .. time wise/training etc  I think I will be okay at home most of day etc etc , it would be a family dog coming on holidays etc so no boarding kennel costs

Also possibly going to look at some Lab Pups on Friday ..what questions do I need to ask and what to look out for

Thanks for reading ...babbled on a bit there 

[nickmcmechan]

dogs and young children are never really a good mix IMHO; i've met some very experienced and qualified handlers who have done it

however if your determined to make a go of it, its worthwhile spending a lot of research on how. Labs not great with kids IMO,have you thought about a retriever?

[Lulu]

I cannot talk to you about what sort of dog is particularly good with children or not but I would just point out to you that puppies take your time up with house training and training in general etc.  Something I forgot when I got my springer as a puppy- I found it wearisome at times and I don't have kids!! It certainly gave me food for thought although 3 years on I wouldn't be with out him.  I admire your ability to manage your little lot - well done and good luck 

[Tenhens]

Oh dear , going to look at puppies!

My OH did that about 5 years ago and he's still as daft as a brush!

Our lab puppy arrived when my children were just starting school and we have had no problems. Our hound lets them know when he's had enough and we tell them to take note or on their heads be it. Saying that he usually vacates.

[ManicMum]

We prefer rescue dogs for all sorts of reasons and we like to have 2 at a time.

In the April when our youngest was 2, we rehomed a Staffie cross from Battersea - they were great: application form with searching questions then an interview.  They have no rules re children - they said they look at each dog and its history and assess the family.  We said we wanted a safe, easy dog as we had 3 children & lots of visiting kids.  They picked Gizmo out for us and she was perfect - she'd been a family pet with small children until redundancy forced them to give up the dog.

We also took on a Springer in the November of the same year: different organisation, but again a dog who had grown up with children & was being rehomed due to dad's working hours.

Both were brilliant with our kids and visitors - we taught the children dog-care manners and made sure they weren't unsupervised.

Puppies are HARD WORK but seriously cute.  At least any problems are of your own making. 

[dilsdaisy]

Hi ..thanks for the replies

Such a hard decicion to make!  .. have talked to three local rescue centres and all said 'no' to homes with children under 3yrs (one was 5yrs) ...maybe I need to look further afield...unfortunately too far from Battersea am up near Chester ...

On the other hand the time a puppy takes with the basic training, their missing mum stage in the middle of the night etc .....(see I'm thinking a year until I have to do potty training with Baby Four so may aswell keep practising with a puppy  )

The older kids are all dog savvy with our last dog and know they are not toys, to give them space etc etc , just feel there is a dog shaped hole in the family but can't decide whether its a puppy or adult sized one!

[compostqueen]

I would leave well alone until your children are older as you will have enough on your plate without a large boisterous puppy in the mix.

[tosca100]

I really do understand your yearning for a puppy. We got our lab cross Bella 18 months ago. She is a sweet dog...but hard work and destructive, still can't be left for any time near soft furnishings or this happens!


Lab puppies are very boistrous and the main threat to a small child is that they get bowled over in their enthusiasm. I love labs but would not recommend a pup with small children. Will pm you.

[joyfull]

oh dear Tosca we have had that happen to us so many times (and also had the inside of a car completely demolished within half an hour as well) and each time done with a collie cross.
As for getting a puppy dilsdaisy I really would wait until your youngest is at school. The rescue places have said no for a reason.

[Spana]

Do you need talking out of it, I would say YES.

Dont make life hard for yourself at the moment.  You will all enjoy a puppy much better when your baby is a older, I dont think toddlers and puppies are a good combination.
But its wonderful to have a dog in the family, just wait a little while

[jamima]

Puppies need a lot of attention for the first year , i had a retreiver puppy from eight wks old although no kids these are the best family dog ( in my opinion )you could have they adore kids, after the initial outlay of about £750 , you need to think of insurance ,food, training classes, bedding ,toys the list goes on most of all night toilet training (i suppose your used to getting up in the night) and as for leaving a puppy all day on its own its a definate  NO NO  (in my opinion ),it's not fair to it at all, if thats the case i would strongly recommend you think again.

[Tenhens]

Plenty of plusses and minuses.

Go with your gut feeling. Could be quality time out of the house , just you and the new dog going for a wander. "ok kids, I'm out with the dog for an hour" 

What is the consensus with your family?

[dilsdaisy]

Thanks for your replies and advice ... my gut feeling is that we should try and find a youngish rescue dog like our last one but my head says a puppy is the more sensible option in the long run..

and TenHens the excuse to get out and about is def a big plus!!  also husband often still gets up at stupid o clock on a weekend as he is still in 'work mode' and wanders the house aimlessly  and whines about if he had a dog he could go for a good walk!

but shall investigate the rescue centres furher and see if they can find us a match first I think

[Tigerwren]

Hi Dilsdaisy,  I have two lovely boys aged 5 and 3 (soon to be 6 and 4).  We have a Jack Russell who is 13 and last October went to see some little JR pups who were staying for the weekend with a lady in our village.  I wanted the boys to see the pups as I knew how cute they would be and knew my boys would enjoy it.   Sure enough they fell in love and although we had definitely not intended to get a new dog/ pup, we ended up walking down the hill with a new puppy which we did not intend to get.  we were given enough food for two days and that was that!! Talk about spur of the moment!!! ANyway, to cut a long story short, it is the best thing I could have done for the boys.  Yes, it was hard work, especially in the early days as the boys wanted to be quite hands on and needed a lot of help to be gentle etc.  And of course puppies are hard work, but so is any new pet.  I think if you want a puppy and understand the importance of discipline and teaching the pup manners etc, then you will have many fantastic times.  Only you know what your situation is, but if you have the time and energy I think you should go with your instincts.  Good luck!

[elibump]

I had a Border Collie with my daughter as a baby and the collie was absolutely terrific with her, I think she considered the baby to be her puppy and garded her brilliantly.  Puppies and babies together are hard work but definately worth it. 

Maybe discuss both age and breed options with your local vet, who should be able to advise.

I would also say that even our boisterous Belgian Shepherd was well behaved when our grandson came to stay last summer and as you have previous experience of dogs and children together, you should manage pretty well.  The main costs of puppies - other than those you have mentioned are replacment costs of shoes/toys whatever the puppy decides to eat but even that shouldn't be too bad as you say you'll be at home most of the day anyway to keep an eye on things.

Sorry to waffle on a bit.
Eli xx