Thinking about Getting a Puppy? Here, Take Mine.

Posted by Charlene Prince Birkeland

I'm kidding. Really, I am.

Now if you had told me two nights ago that you were thinking about getting a puppy -- when I was awake at 1 a.m. standing in my backyard while my new puppy, Luna, was going to the bathroom for the tenth time in two hours -- I would have gladly handed her over to you. In fact, I would have begged you to take her. Immediately.

Little Luna, at 13 weeks, has a bladder infection and some sort of weird gastrointestinal woes. I can't exactly be mad at her for needing to be let outside when the urge strikes her (Any woman who has dealt with a urinary tract infection can sympathize with the poor dog.) But I do get mad at myself from time to time for adding a new element of chaos and stress to my already hectic life.

I love my little pup and she is really, really cute, which does make up for the late nights and early mornings with her. And while I knew ahead of time that raising a puppy was going to be "hard work," I had no idea what this type of hard work would entail. Or the amount of stress it would place on our family.

The image of bringing a new puppy into your home is one of Hallmark moments. But the fact is that those Hallmark moments end after that first night at home, when puppy quickly grows from all cuteness to needing immediate discipline and hard training. Especially if the image you have of your puppy five years down the line is one of a grown dog curled up on the floor at your feet while you read a book to your little ones.

If you're a working parent with young kids and you're thinking about getting a puppy, don't just think twice. Ponder this topic for days, months, hell -- even a year. Talk to other parents who have recently gone through the new puppy experience and make sure their kids are of similar ages as yours.

And ask yourself the following questions:

-Are you ready for sleepless nights? Sure, dogs are like babies in that you don't know what you have until you get home. I have several friends with dogs who as puppies, slept through the night. But my puppy, she wakes up at least once a night. Sometimes twice. And after years of uninterrupted sleep, night wakings are no fun, especially when you have to wake up and work the next day. Just think back to those first few months post baby...

-Can you handle being home-bound for 10 weeks? Puppies can't go for walks until they get their rabies vaccine at 16 weeks, which means you'll be spending alot of time at home. This is even more true if you are crate training your dog. And when you do go out sans puppy, you'll be on the stopwatch based on the last time you put your pup out for bathroom break. With Luna, I can only leave the house for two hours tops. Our family is suffering from withdrawls from our weekend day trips, which we can't take until we have a new puppy run built in our backyard.

-Can you work from home until your dog is house trained? If you expect your puppy to learn where to "potty up" easily outside, then be prepared to stay at home and train your dog until you can leave him/her outside unattended (typically the 12-week mark). Otherwise just brace yourself for lots of time on the floor cleaning up puppy's mistakes. And while your at it, factor in that your work day will be faced with constant interruptions from puppy (sometimes a good thing when you need a break).

-Will you have adequate time to properly train your dog? Dogs don't become well-trained overnight (but you knew this). Even with weekly puppy school, factor in obedience training all the time. Sure, people get puppies and it seems like peaches and cream. But the difference between the dog that you love playing with because he/she is well-behaved -- and the dog that you can't stand because he/she jumps all over you and has bad dog manners -- is all in early, consistent and ongoing training. It's tons of fun but it's also really time consuming. And the dogs that end up with poor training? They usually end up in the backyard or at the pound because no one wants to play with them anymore.

-Are you prepared for the stress of a dog that barks incessantly after a day at work and the kids are climbing on you? You think I'm joking, but it's no picnic to listen to a puppy yap for attention after a work day while your kids simultaneously pull at you from every angle and you're making dinner or just trying to catch your breath.

-Are you ready to have another baby? The bottom line is that having a puppy is exactly like adding a new baby to your family. Trust me. Take a hard look at your work situation and your family life, and ask whether or not the timing is right for a new puppy. And if you really, really want a dog but don't want to deal with the hassles of getting a puppy, consider finding an older, already trained dog.

Next time on the puppy topic...how to survive motherhood, work and being a new puppy owner.

Comments

[Florinda]

I've only raised a puppy once - when we got him, my son was 12, and I've said for years that the pup is what confirmed my decision not to have any more children. And if I ever do it again, I'm taking several weeks of leave if at all possible. My second dog is an adult rescue adoption, and while they have other issues, at least the basic training is usually in place. You're being totally honest about what's involved in taking on a puppy, especially in emphasizing the early training ALL THE TIME.

It will get better, though...they do grow up a lot faster than kids do. Hang in there! And she is absolutely adorable...I just love black Labs!

[michelle]

i feel your pain, and i have to say, she's freaking beautiful. congrats! ever the shirker of mom duties, i've raised two black labs that i adopted (not at the same time) when they were about a year old. it was still puppy hell, but nowhere near what you describe. still, totally worth it, even when my current mutt (Buddy) needed $2K of "routine" surgery after eating a toy he shouldn't have.

[Susan]

Awwwwww... cute. But I can't believe you got a puppy when you have little kids! We got a puppy pre-kids, and I thought that was rough. Then I had kids. Put them all together, and you have a whole lotta hassle.

Still. Cute.

Susan at Working Moms Against Guilt
http://www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com

[Melody]

We got a black lab puppy several years ago. My husband and kids swore they would take care of her. As usual, the majority of the work fell to me. Biggest problem was we weren't home long enough to give her the time she needed. Between work, church and kid's activities the poor thing was alone too much. She began to chew everything in sight! We, sadly, sold her to a couple that had more land and time. Now we have a Blue Healer. She's not very cute, but she's older, we rescued her from the pound and she's the sweetest dog you've ever met. She's always excited to see us, but just as excited to be left alone to take a nap too. I hope you can survive the puppy stage. She's very cute!