Kids and dogs, your opinions please??

I think a big part depends on the type of dog. Both my kids have grown up with dogs since the day they came home from the hospital and we've never had a problem. You just need to be diligent in protecting both the baby and the dog (babies like to pull ears and tails and climb all over the pups).

A friend who is a vet tells me that pits, rottis, and akitas are the most unpredictable-doesn't mean they can't be great dogs but they can also be less than reliable in the temperment department. We have shepherds and they adore our kids and vice versa. Labs can be high strung, especially as puppies so training is very important (both for dog and baby). My sister had labs with her kids and never had a problem...you will just always have to be alert no matter what kind of dog. I say go for it and enjoy!

Have you had dogs before? Are you experienced in training them?

A puppy is like having a second baby, really. They take a lot of work and they will chew too and may chew on little hands when you are not looking. You may be better off getting a dog that is through the puppy stage, which is already house trained, walks on lead, etc., and which is known to be good with small children. Another advantage of getting a grown dog is that you will know exactly what you are getting. Often a puppy, especially a crossbred puppy, will end up nothing like you were expecting.

Many rescues will have delightful dogs that have been living in a home situation with a foster carer. Unless you are an experienced dog owner, that is what I would recommend you get instead of a puppy.

We grew up with dogs. Our kids are 4.5yrs, 2.5yrs and 1.5yrs old. We have an American Bulldog (shes almost 10yrs old), Boxer( hes 4 yrs old) and American PItbull Terrier (hes about 9 weeks).... Yes, our house is crazy and we LOVE it..I wouldn't have a home w/o a dog. (we have a fenced yard, so that helps a lot). The kids and dog interact with eachother all the time. (supervised of course).

Every family is diferent. If I didn't have a fenced yard, I wouldn't have the big dogs. Labs are big by nature and collies are too, so becareful, you may end up with an 60+ pound furry pup with high energy. I would do research on both breeds and see if they fit your family dymanics. Puppies are fun but a LOT of work. (I stay home with the kids, so the puppy has a lot of outside potty time.).

A lab is generally a great family dog, loyal, affectionate, and soft as putty. Just make sure you train te dog. Take them to puppy class, socialise them. Yes they take a bit of work, but no, there not like a second baby - unless you either had an unusually easy baby or an unusually difficult dog.

Dogs and people have happily co-existed for a very long time. Be sensible with your dog, and you're giving your child the wonderful gift of a great, loyal friend.

Have you had dogs before? Are you experienced in training them?

A puppy is like having a second baby, really. They take a lot of work and they will chew too and may chew on little hands when you are not looking. You may be better off getting a dog that is through the puppy stage, which is already house trained, walks on lead, etc., and which is known to be good with small children. Another advantage of getting a grown dog is that you will know exactly what you are getting. Often a puppy, especially a crossbred puppy, will end up nothing like you were expecting.

Many rescues will have delightful dogs that have been living in a home situation with a foster carer. Unless you are an experienced dog owner, that is what I would recommend you get instead of a puppy.

Absolutely right!! We only have rescue dogs and I totally agree that if it's possible to get one who has lived in a family situation as a foster it would be better. Dogs ARE like children: you need to nourish, exercise, educate, and discipline them. If you are not whole-heartedly comitted I would say you aren't yet ready. Please think about it carefully - your child isn't yet walking, have you thought about how much of a handful it will be when you are running round trying to stop them getting into mischief as WELL as training a puppy?

You should never leave a child unattended with ANY breed of dog, large or small.

You asked for opinions, so here's mine (as a dog owner). Wait until your kid has grown a little, then you can choose the family pet that fits in with their personality. I just think a puppy would be a lot for you to take on when you have a child of that age, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to then find another home for the dog if it didn't work out. :flowerforyou:

It doesn't matter if it's a chihauhau, poodle, lab, or pit bull. There are no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners. It is all in how they are raised from puppyhood. Dogs, unlike humans are born naturally trusting humans and capable of unconditional love that doesn't have to be taught. We are the ones that breech their trust. All animals are capable of agression but will not use it unless they see need. Most dogs if raised properly never see the need. The only thing that really varies significantly is the energy levels. Some breeds are "chewers" and some are "jumpers" and some are "lap dogs". It depends on what you want...good luck. Do some research before you get a dog.

I agree to an extent-that how you raise and treat a dog greatly affects how they react to you. That being said, I've had two shepherds of my own (grew up with them as well) and they were all raised the same way and treated the same way, but just like people every dog has their own distinct personality. My male dog was sweet as anything to us-but the kids could never have friends over unless he was put outside because his temperament with others was less than sweet. My female is the sweetest thing you've ever met and will let anybody love on her. Each breed has its own unique traits-shepherds are protective and sometimes stand-offish, labs are known for their high energy levels, too many other breeds/personality combos to list. I think it's important to be aware of those things when getting a dog because adding a dog to your family is a life long commitment-these fur babies need to be in their forever home and without prior knowledge about what you are going to be living with they will sometimes lose out on that opportunity.

Regardless of whether or not you take this pup, could you please suggest to your friend to have her Lab spayed?

I've worked in shelters and animal hospitals, and it's heartbreaking the number of pets who are put to sleep simply because there's not enough homes.

I'm also a huge advocate of adopting older pets. I agree, with shelter dogs, you don't know their history. But a lot of rescue group foster the dogs in homes for weeks or months, so they've give the dogs a head start on basic obedience and house-training, as well as a pretty solid glimpse into their temperament. Many are fostered in homes with children, with other dogs, with cats, etc. I've known several rescues that became therapy dogs.

Dogs? Babies? No thanks, on both counts!

But seriously, use some common sense and you'll be fine. Babies are interactive chew toys for dogs. Don't leave baby unattended with dog. Even the best trained dog can snap. It's not their fault. There's only so much crying and hair pulled I could take before I snapped and ate somebody's face too.

If I were in this situation, I would probably wait on getting a puppy until after my kid was a little older, around 5ish. Toddlers are clumsy. Older children are better able to control their body, pressure when petting, etc. I dunno ... toddlers are enough work in and of themselves. Not sure why you'd want to heap more work on top of that by getting a puppy.

A few questions to ask yourself...

Will the dog grow to be too big for the size of the flat

Is the flat big enough so the dog has somewhere he can go to escape a noisy lively toddler

Will you still get to walk it with a child in tow when its absolutely p'ing it down with rain for the day (and poop scoop)

If you can answer yes to those then maybe

Pets are for life. Think hard before you bring something home.

Have you had dogs before? Are you experienced in training them?

A puppy is like having a second baby, really. They take a lot of work and they will chew too and may chew on little hands when you are not looking. You may be better off getting a dog that is through the puppy stage, which is already house trained, walks on lead, etc., and which is known to be good with small children. Another advantage of getting a grown dog is that you will know exactly what you are getting. Often a puppy, especially a crossbred puppy, will end up nothing like you were expecting.

Many rescues will have delightful dogs that have been living in a home situation with a foster carer. Unless you are an experienced dog owner, that is what I would recommend you get instead of a puppy.

quoted for truth. if you have a one year old, you are basically going to training two babies to pee in the proper place. honestly, sooooo many animal shelters already have dogs that are trained up, and adults. i know, everyone wants a puppy because they are sooooooo cute. but you don't know what kind of personalities they have. my advice, go to the aspca, and ask if they have any nice calm dogs, like 3 years old, that'll be good with kids, and hang out with one of them and see how they react with your kid. a puppy just doesn't know his body yet. they don't understand that their teeth and nails can hurt.

If its a puppy there is a good chance it will nip the baby,because its a puppy and puppys chew.

Labs don't tend to nip when pups. Soft mouths.

But the advice to not leave the baby unsupervised with the dog is sensible.

In other news.... I can't believe how many people are saying it's like having another kid though. I always thought that was one of those things that people who *don't have children* say. Puppies don't (unless you are *really messing up* with the training) wake you through the night for months on end. (Maybe one or two nights - but our two didn't even do that. My daughter on the hand was two years old before she slept through!) They don't require constant breastfeeding. They don't need to be changed, and they toilet train a *whole lot* easier. They don't cry much..... Nope, it really isn't like having another child.... :-)

I love dogs. I got my first (my own not my parents) when I was pregant with my first. It was fun to train her and then she was super good with the baby.

I think you should consider a few things first, then decide. I don't know where you live, you called it a flat, so I am thinking somewhere in Europe. I don't know how things are there, but here in the states if you don't own your own home, it is very difficult to rent an appartment with a dog. Most landlords don't allow dogs. Make sure your land lord allows dogs and that if you have to move are you prepared to only take a place that accepts dogs? The other thing is it is very time consuming to train a puppy. You have to take them out very often. I know you are looking at that as a plus, but with a baby, you might want to consider that Dec is the middle of winter. It might be easier to do the training during the spring into summer. I do know that when I got my last dog, I considered that and decided to wait until spring. (note I live in North eastern, USA it snows and is very cold in winter.)

The other thing is the chewing. You need to make sure you have plenty of chew toys for the dog and make sure your (I think you said son) son knows not to play with the dogs toys. Puppys are very playful and will not know the difference between which toys are ok and which aren't. Make sure you are prepared to lose a few kids toys. Puppys also go through teething just like babies, you will need to watch that when the puppy starts really chewing on stuff.

In my opinion Labs are the best dogs. I love them. They are very good around kids. I have 5 kids and I have had two black labs, no issues. I think if you truly feel comfortable after answering these questions, then go for it. make sure you spend some time with your son and the puppy to see how they interact, before you bring home the dog.

Best wishes.

I am an avid supporter of dog adoptions to good homes, I think it's wonderful that you would consider taking a dog in to your home. A Labrador is typically a wonderful family pet. They typically have a very good temperament, and are extremely smart and easy to train. You should have a feel for what temperament this puppy has by now. You can kinda see if it will be submissive or aggressive. Labs are genetically designed as retrieving dogs .. they have what is referred to as 'soft mouths' . They can instinctively pick up a hunted bird (for instance) without mauling it or puncturing it's skin with their teeth. Believe it or not, but that is just one of the factors of why they make such great pets. Labs are notorious for chewing .. that is one their traits. Make sure it has plenty of SOFT chew toys so it won't victimize any of your favourite slippers.

Taking in a puppy at the same time you have an infant is not going to lack in challenges. Please consider, exactly WHY you want to take a pet into your home. Is it because it's cute and cuddly and you think it will be a great toy for your child, and may soon tire of challenges involved of having a dog in the house (the potty training, the dirt it will track in onto the same floor that your child will be crawling on, the cost of food, vet bills and regular care) .. or are you willing to take it into your home as a new family member, for the long term no matter what the cost or effort. Labs grow to become quite a large animal, will your household accommodate it's size? As pups and young dogs they also require exercise regularly. This is not the type of dog that will benefit from being neglected (come to think of it, not many breeds are), and may act out in frustration if not handled properly.

I really do wish you well. I love to hear success stories of families who have adopted a pet into their homes. I cringe at the thought of someone taking a pet into their home, only to have it locked up for hours on end, or tied on leash with little or no interaction or socialization at all. Please, do your research, and consider not only what that animal can do for you, but what you can do for that animal. This dog may very well be your own built in babysitter (so to speak) and security system .. Labs are so smart that they can sometimes even alert you to dangers that may be lurking. They are good protectors of their 'pack'.

Again, Best of Luck!