Advice on a new puppy, possibly two and maybe a baby!
Discussion
Sadly on New Year's Day we lost our beloved staff harley 
we think he was 10 but now I think he may have been around 13, he was not right for about a year and it ended New Year's Day, he literally gave up in the end which if you know how tenacious these dogs are was even more heartbreaking.
Our house is now empty and feels weird without the potter patter and chain knocking I could usually hear, harley was recused from some breeder and I also had a female staff (who my mum literally stole from me!) who was also rescued, naturally I wanted another rescue so I went to the dogs trust who basically said we can't have one, as hopefully this year we will be having our first (and only
) child.
The reason they won't give us one is they are concerned the dog may be returned to them, it may not like children (which is unlikely for a staff) and I do understand they need to cover themselves as obviously they don't know what the dogs have been through.
Upon thinking about it I do understand this so our attention has turned to a puppy, the idea is I can train it from a young age to be a clam sensible dog, the last two dogs although were great dogs we did struggle to teach them as much as they could have learnt. So we are going to visit one tonight.
Now here's my thoughts......
We both work, I can be in and out, or at home or sometimes out until 7pm. The mrs also gets home at about 6:30
The plan is for my mum to partially look after the dog during the days, like she did poor harley, and also get a dog walker so the dog wouldn't be left for more than a max of 3 hours.
A thought that has just come to mind is in the pictures of the pup he always seems to be with his sister, would I be better off getting both? I know staffs well and know they want lots of attention but I have also seen some over the years like this and they do keep each other company and the bond is amazing. A friend had a mother and son and they truly truly loved each other, sadly when the mum died it left the poor boy literally broken
I'm not worried about the baby, we are responsible sensible people, I know several people who have had dogs and specifically staffs before babies and they have been fine, one friend even told me it was as if the dog knew she was pregnant and to be gentle. We know others as well who aren't quite as sensible as us as well......and all good.
So I suppose the question is do I just have the boy pup or will it be easier for everyone to have the sister as well?
Thanks
we think he was 10 but now I think he may have been around 13, he was not right for about a year and it ended New Year's Day, he literally gave up in the end which if you know how tenacious these dogs are was even more heartbreaking.Our house is now empty and feels weird without the potter patter and chain knocking I could usually hear, harley was recused from some breeder and I also had a female staff (who my mum literally stole from me!) who was also rescued, naturally I wanted another rescue so I went to the dogs trust who basically said we can't have one, as hopefully this year we will be having our first (and only
) child.The reason they won't give us one is they are concerned the dog may be returned to them, it may not like children (which is unlikely for a staff) and I do understand they need to cover themselves as obviously they don't know what the dogs have been through.
Upon thinking about it I do understand this so our attention has turned to a puppy, the idea is I can train it from a young age to be a clam sensible dog, the last two dogs although were great dogs we did struggle to teach them as much as they could have learnt. So we are going to visit one tonight.
Now here's my thoughts......
We both work, I can be in and out, or at home or sometimes out until 7pm. The mrs also gets home at about 6:30
The plan is for my mum to partially look after the dog during the days, like she did poor harley, and also get a dog walker so the dog wouldn't be left for more than a max of 3 hours.
A thought that has just come to mind is in the pictures of the pup he always seems to be with his sister, would I be better off getting both? I know staffs well and know they want lots of attention but I have also seen some over the years like this and they do keep each other company and the bond is amazing. A friend had a mother and son and they truly truly loved each other, sadly when the mum died it left the poor boy literally broken
I'm not worried about the baby, we are responsible sensible people, I know several people who have had dogs and specifically staffs before babies and they have been fine, one friend even told me it was as if the dog knew she was pregnant and to be gentle. We know others as well who aren't quite as sensible as us as well......and all good.
So I suppose the question is do I just have the boy pup or will it be easier for everyone to have the sister as well?
Thanks
Firstly, I am sorry to hear about Harley
No offence, but personally, I think you are mad to be considering two new/young puppies with a baby on the way.
I struggled with two 8 month old pups, and I don't have any children! The general advice from those 'in the know' is not to get two littermates - the pups tend to bond/interact with each other rather than you, and they are therefore harder to train. I am sure lots of people will tell you different (and I myself ignored the advice
) but two pups is really not easy, I assure you! There were many times when I questioned my decision - it is only now that they are older (3) that things are a bit easier.
It might be different if someone was home full time, but you're relying on other people too. What if it gets too much for them? Two young pups are a completely different kettle of fish from an elderly/steady single dog.
I would just get one dog at this stage, then see how it works out once baby arrives. You can always add another dog later.
Best of luck.
No offence, but personally, I think you are mad to be considering two new/young puppies with a baby on the way.
I struggled with two 8 month old pups, and I don't have any children! The general advice from those 'in the know' is not to get two littermates - the pups tend to bond/interact with each other rather than you, and they are therefore harder to train. I am sure lots of people will tell you different (and I myself ignored the advice
) but two pups is really not easy, I assure you! There were many times when I questioned my decision - it is only now that they are older (3) that things are a bit easier.It might be different if someone was home full time, but you're relying on other people too. What if it gets too much for them? Two young pups are a completely different kettle of fish from an elderly/steady single dog.
I would just get one dog at this stage, then see how it works out once baby arrives. You can always add another dog later.
Best of luck.
I think that does make sense tbh, part of the reason for initially getting a boy is that my mum has a girl so they will be able to mix. If I had a girl it rules out them mixing as previously I have tried to mix same sex staffs and it can quite easily end in tears. So getting a girl as well will complicate things.
Poor old harley was such a good boy, he was such low maintenance, for around the last two years he wouldn't even go for a walk I'm sure that will change now with a pup though.
It's amazing how much they get under the skin, I always liked harley, but really he was my wife's dog,he literally worshipped her
however when he died I was crying like a baby to see an animal you've loved for nearly a decade appear to be dying was really harsh.
Maybe we can rescue one in a few years once we have a child who's a little bit older. I must admit the dogs in the dogs trust place I visited were almost living in luxury
heated floors, toys, interaction all day and 3 walks a day I was really expecting to walk out in tears but seeing how much they are cared for and how careful they are rehoming them I actually felt positive for these poor dogs
Poor old harley was such a good boy, he was such low maintenance, for around the last two years he wouldn't even go for a walk
I'm sure that will change now with a pup though. It's amazing how much they get under the skin, I always liked harley, but really he was my wife's dog,he literally worshipped her
however when he died I was crying like a baby to see an animal you've loved for nearly a decade appear to be dying was really harsh. Maybe we can rescue one in a few years once we have a child who's a little bit older. I must admit the dogs in the dogs trust place I visited were almost living in luxury
heated floors, toys, interaction all day and 3 walks a day I was really expecting to walk out in tears but seeing how much they are cared for and how careful they are rehoming them I actually felt positive for these poor dogs You sound like a really caring owner
Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I am a fairly experienced dog owner (including multiple dogs - up to four at a time) and I was genuinely shocked by how tough it was dealing with two pups. I, like you, had been used to older dogs for some time before Sam and Jet arrived, so it was a very steep learning curve!
I wish you the very best with your new pup and hope that you are able to adopt another rescue dog at some stage in the future too.
Sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I am a fairly experienced dog owner (including multiple dogs - up to four at a time) and I was genuinely shocked by how tough it was dealing with two pups. I, like you, had been used to older dogs for some time before Sam and Jet arrived, so it was a very steep learning curve!
I wish you the very best with your new pup and hope that you are able to adopt another rescue dog at some stage in the future too.
Gargamel said:
We had two children, a newborn baby and a 12 week old lab all at the same time. All seemed to work out ok.
Plus you can get a cheap deal on a bulk buy of disinfectant.
Plus you can get a cheap deal on a bulk buy of disinfectant.
I can imagine that may have been a handful 
And yes they are known as the nanny dog, obviously I don't have children but I have friends that do and I have quite a bit of experience around these dogs and it is true that they all love children.
My only fear is that some of them are literal lunatics and do not stop bouncing about so I'm just conscious of this if we have a new born, I don't want my wife or myself getting stressed and getting annoyed with the dog if this happens as they are only being friendly, I just want to instill calm into him and it looks like he may naturally be that way, I noticed he wasn't very mouthy at all, I notice a lot of staff pups are.
Our poor boy harley would have been perfect with kids
with 100% confidence I could take food from his mouth without as much as a groffle he was such a good old boy.In any case we went and saw the pup last night and he's lovely, it struck us immediately that he was quiet and a little more nervous than his two female litter mates who were crazy
he had a sense of calm about him we will just have the boy for now and hopefully in 3 or 4 years we can rescue one too.
We have a 10month old son and 9 month old male Rotweiler.
Now after toilet training it wasn't too hard, he was crate trained till roughly 7 months and then left free to roam downstairs with the cats at night.
Good points....
Growing up together, it's lovely watching them interact every so often and it's a good experience for the baby.
I work away so the security aspect is nice, plus it's more company.
Animals can make a home.
Exercise, it's all too easy to stay at home with a baby, it's great strapping my son to my chest and having a good long walk outside.
In later life it will teach my son responsibility and companionship.
Bad points....
Water bowls, nearly always in a state of being pulled over.
Mess, dogs can be messy after a walk, so are baby's, it is a noticeable amount of extra work.
Attention, we have to shut the dog out of the living room at times as baby talk is dry appealing to a dog and sometimes you just want to play with the baby.
Cost, food and our vet scheme come to £150 a month.
Stages, dominance, recall, playing, barking etc all come quickly in stages with a puppy. Baby sleeping patterns, tiredness etc can all give you some miserable times. Our dogs recall seemingly stopped overnight and it made it very stressful for my wife.
Clumsiness, our only real worry is how single minded he can be, he can unwittingly hurt our son by knocking him or kicking him by accident, he's a 40 kilo dog at the minute and you do have to be aware.
Given the same puppy and child, in a perfect world I would have waited till Maxwell was 6 months old to get a puppy.
Friends have to feed their baby every hour currently, a dog is the lowest on the pecking order in this house so it wouldn't get the care and attention it needs which would only impact how it gets on with the family as it ages.
One thing which shocked me though was the bond between the dog and my son. It doesn't look anything special, Flash could give or take it from everything I had witnessed. Then when out for a walk 2 dogs were jumping up at me and Maxwell started screaming, dog owners 100 metres away and as soon as he screamed Flash had one of them round the back of the neck, threw him away, stamped on him for a few seconds and then barked nastily at them till they ran away. Then instantly calmed down, he knows his place and that's very comforting, especially for me when I'm away.
It can be great but it can also be a nightmare, don't underestimate how much work is involved and how a lack of sleep alters how you handle things.
Dave!
Now after toilet training it wasn't too hard, he was crate trained till roughly 7 months and then left free to roam downstairs with the cats at night.
Good points....
Growing up together, it's lovely watching them interact every so often and it's a good experience for the baby.
I work away so the security aspect is nice, plus it's more company.
Animals can make a home.
Exercise, it's all too easy to stay at home with a baby, it's great strapping my son to my chest and having a good long walk outside.
In later life it will teach my son responsibility and companionship.
Bad points....
Water bowls, nearly always in a state of being pulled over.
Mess, dogs can be messy after a walk, so are baby's, it is a noticeable amount of extra work.
Attention, we have to shut the dog out of the living room at times as baby talk is dry appealing to a dog and sometimes you just want to play with the baby.
Cost, food and our vet scheme come to £150 a month.
Stages, dominance, recall, playing, barking etc all come quickly in stages with a puppy. Baby sleeping patterns, tiredness etc can all give you some miserable times. Our dogs recall seemingly stopped overnight and it made it very stressful for my wife.
Clumsiness, our only real worry is how single minded he can be, he can unwittingly hurt our son by knocking him or kicking him by accident, he's a 40 kilo dog at the minute and you do have to be aware.
Given the same puppy and child, in a perfect world I would have waited till Maxwell was 6 months old to get a puppy.
Friends have to feed their baby every hour currently, a dog is the lowest on the pecking order in this house so it wouldn't get the care and attention it needs which would only impact how it gets on with the family as it ages.
One thing which shocked me though was the bond between the dog and my son. It doesn't look anything special, Flash could give or take it from everything I had witnessed. Then when out for a walk 2 dogs were jumping up at me and Maxwell started screaming, dog owners 100 metres away and as soon as he screamed Flash had one of them round the back of the neck, threw him away, stamped on him for a few seconds and then barked nastily at them till they ran away. Then instantly calmed down, he knows his place and that's very comforting, especially for me when I'm away.
It can be great but it can also be a nightmare, don't underestimate how much work is involved and how a lack of sleep alters how you handle things.
Dave!
Personally concentrate on having a child
I have two dogs , two teenagers and just had a baby
Baby is lovely and was a straightforward pregnancy, dogs are well behaved and are only around baby supervised and no bad signs at all
But even when it is straightforward it is bloody hard work and the dogs can get filthy and make a right mess , even if they spend most of the time in our conservatory
Then if things "don't go to plan" it can be at best a PITA at worst a nightmare. A good mate had a premature pregnancy meaning the baby was in hospital for the first three months of his life. Whilst I appreciate this is an extreme example if you had dogs then visiting the hospital every night and all weekend becomes tricky
Then it might not be a straightforward dog, who could have issues. My collie has a proper breakdown day every month or so and just has a massive piss all over our front room! Great fun to clean up between nappies!
Then there is the chance the child could have allergies , I'm petrified my daughter could have them, as a child I had really bad pet hair allergies and we had to re-home our family cat.
I managed to train myself out of them.
Don't want to put you off , I love our baby , shes the best thing every, but blimey she takes up so so so much time! Plus as the poster above says, the lack of sleep and family stresses really take it out of you
I have two dogs , two teenagers and just had a baby
Baby is lovely and was a straightforward pregnancy, dogs are well behaved and are only around baby supervised and no bad signs at all
But even when it is straightforward it is bloody hard work and the dogs can get filthy and make a right mess , even if they spend most of the time in our conservatory
Then if things "don't go to plan" it can be at best a PITA at worst a nightmare. A good mate had a premature pregnancy meaning the baby was in hospital for the first three months of his life. Whilst I appreciate this is an extreme example if you had dogs then visiting the hospital every night and all weekend becomes tricky
Then it might not be a straightforward dog, who could have issues. My collie has a proper breakdown day every month or so and just has a massive piss all over our front room! Great fun to clean up between nappies!
Then there is the chance the child could have allergies , I'm petrified my daughter could have them, as a child I had really bad pet hair allergies and we had to re-home our family cat.
I managed to train myself out of them.
Don't want to put you off , I love our baby , shes the best thing every, but blimey she takes up so so so much time! Plus as the poster above says, the lack of sleep and family stresses really take it out of you
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 12th January 16:07
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