Hello everyone - this is my first time posting. We have the opportunity to get an 8 week lab puppy. We have a 5 year old and 3 year old who have been around their grandparent's lab all their life. We are both teachers off work indefinitely due to the covid-19 pandemic. There is a strong likelihood that we won't be going back til September (even if we do go back before June, we have lots of family to help throughout the day). We are thinking that this would be the opportunity to get ourselves a puppy because we can invest more time. Here's where things get tricky...we JUST found out I'm pregnant (still very early - fingers crossed it sticks). When baby is due, the puppy would be about 9 months old. I'm well aware that labs stay "puppy" like for a good couple of years - but will this be completely unmanageable? I know what to expect with a brand new puppy in terms of nipping/mouthing, chewing on everything etc. I don't know exactly what a 9 month old will entail. Pros - we can take advantage of more time off to train puppy. Cons - New baby and adolescent dog Thoughts? Advice?
Hello and welcome, for what it is worth, here is my opinion. Forget the baby for the moment, I think a lab puppy with the age of the children you have already is a challenge. I waited until my kids were able to understand to keep away and wait until the crocopup stage was over. Labs are very bitey and your 3 year old won’t understand that, your 5 year old might. You have to keep them separate a lot. So it’s tough with a pup and young kids. A baby and a 9 month old is another challenge. At 9 months they tend to be big bouncy daft over friendly dogs. No training at this point is usually proofed so they tend to have variable recall and can pull on the lead. Walking the dog and a pram would be a challenge. At this age they also need heaps of exercise and training to keep them occupied, which won’t be easy as your focus will be your baby. Also after delivery you might have issues that mean you can’t concentrate on your dog eg C section, poor feeding , longer hospital stay. As a Mum, a dog owner and a heath visitor I would suggest wait till your baby is here safely and your family have grown up a bit. Then a lab could be the perfect family addition. Just my view . Good luck with your decision.
Hi Kaliegh. I'm very much inclined to agree with Edp, when your baby arrives your puppy would still very much be a baby her/his self and would still demand a lot of your time and attention.
I also agree with Edp's comments. But this concerns me too: I see this such a lot right now, and it's very worrying. Being able to invest more time in a puppy is very appealing. But how will you socialize your little one if you can't go out in public with your puppy? Unless you live in an area where there is no quarantine or social distancing ruling, it will simply not be possible to socialize your puppy. And socialization (or rather lack of it) can affect your dog adversely for the whole of its life. Do check out the advice and recommendations on socialization before you go ahead with this pup. I strongly recommend waiting at least until social distancing rules have been relaxed. Fortunately Labs are very popular and there will be many more puppies available in a few months time.
I totally agree with @pippa@labforumHQ socialisation is crucial to having a well balanced dog who can adjust and adapt to life. Puppies now sadly will miss that important window and no doubt when life gets back to some sort of normal there will be a whole cohort of dogs with behavioural issues. Hopefully, breeders will put a stop to any more puppy plans until we can all get out and about again.
Thank you for your insight - I didn't even consider the inability to socialize a pup during this time. Ultimately, we decided not to go through with it and wait...several years lol to get a puppy. We are thinking that everyone has to be over the age of 5 before we commit to a puppy. That being said, we have put our application into a Lab Rescue organization in our area that maybe will have a dog that we will be a good fit for them in the coming years.
Sensible decision making. When do do get your lab, you will have a loyal fabulous family member that your children adore. It’s wonderful to grow up with a dog. My sons now 11 and Meg now 6 have such an attachment, it’s wonderful to see. Best wishes for your new baby. Exciting times ahead.
