Get a puppy now or later?

[Alissa Edwards]

Hi there,
I'm new here. I'm a 32 year old married mom of three littles, a 7-year-old boy with ASD, a 4-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl. We lost our 8-year-old vizsla this summer to blastomycosis and recently purchased a home. I'm considering a double doodle this spring from a breeder I like.
Our life is crazy - not going to lie. I work from home, and my oldest is a real handful. Plus I have a very attached little toddler.
Trying to decide when to add a puppy to our home. There's a litter of double-doodles available early Feb that I could get, and another litter ready in April. My DD will be 2 in July and both my boys will be in school full-time in Fall.
Part of me wants to get a pup ASAP (the early litter has a mom that is a therapy dog, too) and the other part thinks waiting until spring would make potty training easier and would give the puppy a bit of time home with me and baby before the chaos of summertime ensues (and he would be a bit older to take walks and play by the time warm weather arrives). Alternately I could wait until fall when it's just me and baby most of the day and she's down to one nap and boys go to bed earlier because youngest boy won't be napping etc. ACK! Am I overthinking this? 
We're moving into a new house this week. There won't be an electric fence installed until spring. I did buy cesar millans mastering leadership dvds and plan on watching them with my hubby and kids before getting the dog as well as doing obedience classes. 

Any advice you all have is welcome.

 

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/profile/AlissaEdwards#ixzz2pvxTkr9Z

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

And side note:  We actually do have an electric fence that does work wonderfully - but the training that is involved in that - GOOD LORD we spent 2 hours a day before the baby came (with older dogs by the way), ensuring we followed the training on that to the T.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

If you were my daughter and I had 3 grandchildren, my advise would be to wait....years.....or at least consider an older rescue. My daughter just got a second doodle when her daughter was around 16 months. It took constant supervision and training and there were still plenty of knock downs and nips to my dear granddaughter. Now add 2 more young children to this picture and which way do you run first when a dog is misbehaving or hurting a child, or taking a toy, or nipping at heals as they run by or bark while the mailman comes and your 1 hour nap time is now 10 minutes because the puppy hasnt learned "No Bark" yet?
If none of this gives you reason for pause, then you are twice the woman I am, cus I just don't think I would be able to do or take care of ONE MORE THING, if I had 3 children already. Good Luck with your decision.

[Alissa Edwards]

You sound like my mom! Yes, all that is a consideration. In the fall though, I will not have three kids at home - at least not 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The boys will be in full time school and my daughter will be home with me. She will take one nap, rather than her current two, at that time. So I think I'll have more ability to "focus" on a dog then, take walks, go to the park, etc. with just my daughter, also my boys will be a bit older so when they are home hopefully they'll be more of a help (they will be 5 and a half and almost 8 then, my daughter will be 2 and a few months).

Maybe that's the best route. So hard to wait...

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

I would try really hard not to let the excitement/cuteness of getting a new puppy lead you to a rash decision.  I am so glad you are on DK and you truly are trying to think everything through.  We had to put our first doggie baby down when my boys were 7 and 1.  I wanted another dog SO BAD, but we waited until my boys were 12 and 7 - and that was the smartest decision we ever made.  There is no way I could have devoted the time and energy to the puppy if we had gotten one when my kids were so young.  It would not have been fair to the puppy.  I even remember with our first dog (the one we put down when they were young) I would feel so guilty about not spending the time as much as I would have liked with her.  I just think you will enjoy the puppy/dog so much more when your kids are older.  Otherwise, it feels just like more WORK and a CHORE rather than a JOY as it should be.  We will all support you either way!  It is your choice, and I'm sure other families have made it work, but I just personally would have been overwhelmed.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

As much as you want a dog, I really would put it off for as long as you can stand - like a year from next fall. While my doodles are NOT high energy, most people seem to have ones that are.  I do not take my dogs for miles of walks daily, weekly etc..   Unless you could find doodles like mine, perhaps a lower energy breed of medium size would be a doable choice????

[F, Calla & Luca]

It sounds to me like you are very busy. I don't think you are overthinking. I would not get a pup until everything is in place and even then I would think a bit more. I waited several years to get Luca until I thought I had the kind of schedule that would make having a pet doable.

[Alissa Edwards]

I think you all have convinced me to wait until next fall, at least. I will join puppy madness on here as well and in the meantime watch cesar millan's DVDs to prepare me.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Don't rush it.  Sounds like you have your hands full with kids and new home.  Your puppy will fit in whenever you decide you are ready, but doodles are very energetic dogs and require a lot of exercise.  Move into your new house and get it set up for a dog before you take the next step.  A fenced yard is really a necessity.

[Adina P]

Every mom is different.  Speaking as a mom of a 4 and 2 year old, there is no way I would get a puppy now.  My relatively low maintenance adult dogs are more than I can manage on some days.  But I still feel easily overwhelmed with the neediness of kids and keeping my house at only a stage 7 (on a scale of 1-10) chaos level ;-)  If it were me, I'd wait.  I promised my 4 year old a puppy in 6 years :-) 

[Sally S Miles]

My doodle is low energy, mellow to the core - still wore me out.  Everyone is different and so are the dogs - but as a Mom, grandmom, and dog person - wait until you are ready to explode with need for canine companionship.    This is a good time for some family training, study, consideration and plenty to gain favor with the kids about the details.

My son and wife have three kids - 12,7, 3 - she is a stay at home mom and has always had dogs, as had my son.  Last year they got a puppy.  One year later they are in need of training for all....... pup is not a Doodle -  but my darling girl is so mellow, & knocked down the little kids and jumped on them until - oh heck, she still does it when excited!!     The funny thing is the kids - oldest is great dog walker, otherwise doesn't care - - seven year old is the instigator for rowdiness - - three year old mostly has full command of the situation.     Now is a good time to study them and consider what to do/look for/etc with a dog.     The time will fly, all will grow, and enjoy the planning and prep - otherwise I would suggest an older dog.