newborns and animals?

Katie - posted on 12/29/2009

I have two dogs and three cats and have had them all since before my daughter was born more than 4 years ago. My big dog is a boxer/pitbull mix that was rescued from dog fighting. My boston terrier was also rescued from neglect. My cats are just fat, worthless, and loveable :). If you are going to get a puppy, get the puppy BEFORE the baby is born so you have time to potty-train and socialize the puppy. Once the baby is here, you WILL NOT have time for a puppy. If you still plan to get a dog after the baby is born, get an older dog from the shelter that is already trained. Puppies are JUST AS MUCH WORK as a baby so if you get a puppy after the baby is born, it'll be like taking care of twins. With our dogs and cats, when our daughter was born, while I was still in the hospital, my husband brought home some of the blankets she was swaddled in and let the dogs and cats sniff them so they got used to her smell. They were ready for her when she came home. They were curious at first and readily accepted her into the "pack." Do your research into any dog breed you are interested in. Some are NOT good with children and some are GREAT with children. If you do decide to wait until after the baby is born, you will probably find that you don't have time for a dog anyway. Go to the AKC website and start reading about different breeds. www.akc.org Also, petfinder.com is a good resource.

Brittany - posted on 12/28/2009

Beagels are soooo good with children. They are gentle when they are tugged on (great since you're having a boy), and love the attention. If you're worried about shedding and pet dander, a schnauzer is really good with children, and doesn't shed. I have a yorkie, and wouldn't trade her for the world. She loves kids, and doesn't shed.

Jennifer - posted on 12/28/2009

i have 2 dogs, one is a boxer mix the other is a lab mix. i couldnt imagine getting them after i had a baby. i had the lab mix since 06 and the boxer mix since 07, so they are older. they love my nephew!! we had a 3rd one but decided it will be to much so we found her a lovely home right before christmas.
i do think that if you want to get a dog after, i'd take the suggestion someone else posted. get one that is at least 2, and been around kids. that way it will be a smooth homecoming for the dog. i think bringing a puppy into the house while you have a baby would be super hard, with everything that you have to do with both puppies & kids. but, i cant tell you what it is like as i have no idea. i could just imagine (maybe because my dogs are stubborn that i think it would be hard? lol) anyway, best of luck with what you decide to do!

Elizabeth - posted on 12/26/2009

I'm 22 weeks pregnant with my first, a little girl and we already have a dog. She's a 6 year old boston terrier which are normally hyper active dogs. However, Faith is a little bit older now and started becoming quite calm about 2 years ago. She's also been around my nephews as infants and was very,very calm and protective with them. Faith has been sleeping next to my tummy and listening to Maddison move in my tummy since I was 12 weeks pregnant so I think we will be fine. I should also note that Faith was put in training classes as a puppy and finished at the top of her class. She's very smart and knows when to lie down and be quiet or when it's ok to get slighty rowdy and play. I think it not only has to do with breed or age, but the personality of the dog itself. I would suggest not getting a puppy untill your child is older and perhaps getting a dog of a somewhat mature age and watch to see how the dog's personality is before bringing it home as well as getting one from a rescue center that has a history of experience with children. Good luck to you and everyone else expecting!

Maddison Elizabeth Marie Bearce is due May 1st, 2010

Elisabete - posted on 12/26/2009

i have 2 dogs and 3 cats and a guinea pig and i can tell you that pets are great if you get teh right one as long as its got a good temperament friendly and dont sheed allot of hair.cats a pain with kids but dogs are great.the best thing to do is have the new puppy around children so it gets used to having them around and dont become skitish and when the baby arrives give it allot of attention ,and let it smell a blanket with the babies sent and only allow it to smell the baby for a couple of minutes every few hours .i can garantee they will becoem best mates .i have one dog which has been with me since i had my first son and she has been a great family dog and we are expecting baby 6 now as she is just as excitted as me as she never leaves my side

Katherine - posted on 12/26/2009

Depends on your taste I supose but I have 2 dogs one is a border collie cross blue heeler (Charlie) and a Staffy (Juice), Both are great with my boys. Charlie I have had for 6yrs and until I had my first son she had never been around kids, I got her as a pup and used her for a gaurd dog. My son's are 2yrs and 9months. Charlie loved my first son the moment I bought him home, she would lay on the floor near him and if he cried she would come to me then go back to him and sit down. I got Juice 2months after I had my second son, he loves my boys, I also got him as a pup and he will lay on the floor and let my 9month old crawl all over him, pulling his ears and everything.

It is really up to you but I bleave that kids should grow up with pets, I have always had a dog in my life my parents had dogs when we were babies even before we were born. We recently lost our family dog that us kids grew up with she was 16yrs old. Kids need to know how to act around dogs and what is the best way to learn then to have a dog in the family. My son is 2yrs and he feeds his dog, which is Juice. We didn't make him do it, he just watched us feed him and started asking to feed Juice, so we told him when Juice needed to get fed and now he just feeds him of a morning and afternoon. Kids learn very quickly :) Hope this helps.

Elaine - posted on 12/24/2009

I would suggest waiting until after the baby is born, then get in touch with some of your local rescues or shelters and try to find an older dog (2 years or so) that already has experience around children. That way, you're already past the housebreaking and destructive puppy stages. Then introduce your baby and the dog somewhere else to see how they interact before you bring the dog home. Take your baby with you any time you see the dog, so he sees the baby as part of your "pack" from the beginning.

Personally, I would avoid the smaller more excitable dogs like chihuhuas, jack russels, etc.. Pugs are a good choice if you want a smaller dog, and, if you want a slightly larger dog, a lot of the working or herding breeds are also generally good with children, since it's in their nature to protect the pack. I have two German Shepherds and they are both wonderful with children - very gentle and patient. Of course, once you bring the dog home, it should always be supervised around children, regardless of breed.

Vanessa - posted on 12/24/2009

Oh my baby isn't due until late march and the pugs are already bonding with it. They love to lay beside me in bed and rest their heads on my belly. Very affectionate. =]

Vanessa - posted on 12/24/2009

I have 2 pugs a girl and a boy and they absolutely adore children. Pugs like nothing more than to curl up on the couch with you, they don't need heaps of exercise either. One of their biggest drawcards though is the fact that they are short headed dogs (ie muzzleless) which makes it far harder for them to bite anything or anyone unless of cource you shove your hand in their mouth. They are extremely placid dogs and definately worth looking into.

Meagan - posted on 12/23/2009

id say wait cuz dogs are just as much work as babies and babies are ALOT of work. if u want it to be long term wait til u settle into the mommy role!

Teria - posted on 12/23/2009

thank you Brandy and Stacy for your opinions.

Stacy - posted on 12/23/2009

I agree with Brandy, especially if you are planning on getting a puppy. I can't imagine having two small creatures to clean up poop after. Dogs require a lot of time to train, walk, feed and I don't think I would place an unpredictable animal the same space as my infant. I would wait until baby is older and you have the time to properly train a dog.



My brother in law has a 115 lb golden retreiver and the dog is wonderful around children - his grandchildren love Moose and he plays well with them. But Moose is amazingly disciplined. If I ever decide to get a dog (chances are slim to none since I am not a fan of dogs - they are too much work to maintain) I would go with a golden retreiver. That's just my opinion.

Brandy - posted on 12/23/2009

Personally, I would never do it but it's up to you. I can't stand pet dander and the thought of bringing it into the house right before bringing a newborn into the house would just drive me nuts. Personally, I'm waiting until my kids are past the toddler stage to get our own pets. Even then, I will probably get an outside dog like a golden retriever or great puranese or some other type of family dog. All of the smaller dogs just seem too excitable and moody to have around children. I mean it's up to you but since you're asking for opinions, that's mine.