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Things have changed since. Almost year past can't believe.
Anyways last time I asked the same question I got a tremendous helpful tips from everyone. Thanks a lot for that. Now after a year we have made some changes.
First of all we are blessed with a beautiful daughter, wife and I couldn't be more happier. She is 3 months and 2 weeks old. She is super active girl and fairly advance. From our busy schedule we have made some changes so now we spend good amount of time at home. We both workout at home instead of hitting the gym for 2 hours. Saves time and money.
Wife and I are now on same page due to our mid size house we have decided to go with small size dog. (Women always wins don't they ) After doing some research we both are set on Bichon Frise. We want an active small dog who is great with kids.
Now the question is are we rushing to get a puppy?
We are thinking it will be great for our girl and puppy to grow together as becoming the best buds. She (daughter) is very attached to her puppy toy. plays and talks with it all the time with that toy only. loves when the toy puppy barks and move around.
My mom is living with us so little puppy will be watched all day long. I don't know how much that helps for house breaking.
Will it be too much with an 4 month old? Is it a good idea to have a puppy and baby to grow together?
Your daughter is happy with her stuffed dog, one that doesn't nip (as real puppies do!), doesn't pee/poop at will (does your family really want to deal with that when you also has a 3 month old?). You say you couldn't be happier. Clearly things are good; why risk it by adding a puppy to the mix at this time? They require a lot of attention, so much so that even I, a long time animal lover will never have a puppy again.
I've had kids and I've had puppies. No way would I want both at the same time. Shelters and Craigslist ads are full of pets given up because people "don't have the time" for them.
I would wait until my child was older and let them play a role in selecting their new pet. That's a memory they will cherish. I still remember going out and getting my first dog.
If you're still pining for a puppy, may I suggest you foster one for a rescue? That way you can get a taste of what life with a dog would be like without the lifetime commitment.
Things have changed since. Almost year past can't believe.
Anyways last time I asked the same question I got a tremendous helpful tips from everyone. Thanks a lot for that. Now after a year we have made some changes.
First of all we are blessed with a beautiful daughter, wife and I couldn't be more happier. She is 3 months and 2 weeks old. She is super active girl and fairly advance. From our busy schedule we have made some changes so now we spend good amount of time at home. We both workout at home instead of hitting the gym for 2 hours. Saves time and money.
Wife and I are now on same page due to our mid size house we have decided to go with small size dog. (Women always wins don't they ) After doing some research we both are set on Bichon Frise. We want an active small dog who is great with kids.
Now the question is are we rushing to get a puppy?
We are thinking it will be great for our girl and puppy to grow together as becoming the best buds. She (daughter) is very attached to her puppy toy. plays and talks with it all the time with that toy only. loves when the toy puppy barks and move around.
My mom is living with us so little puppy will be watched all day long. I don't know how much that helps for house breaking.
Will it be too much with an 4 month old? Is it a good idea to have a puppy and baby to grow together?
I love bischons. Wow, they need major grooming. Expensive and just another "thing" in your life to make appts and take to groomer once a month and comb daily.
Go to a rescue and get a 5+ year old short haired dog that is basically a couch potato. Get one who has lived with kids and doesn't need other dogs to play with, also is house trained. There are plenty of wonderful dogs like this out there. Boston Terrier, Beagle, many mixes, too!
A puppy is very active, needs house training, has sharp nails and teeth to slice through butter soft baby skin. A puppy is a baby. You have a baby.
Never mind if a puppy will be too much for a 4 month old child... a 4 month-old child AND a puppy just may be a bit too much for mom! You don't necessarily have to get a puppy to "grow up" with your baby. A young adult dog who already has manners will make it sooooo much easier on everyone!
A small puppy will need to be taken outside every few hours to "go," has to be constantly supervised when free. An adult can hold it much longer. I would suggest looking for a young adult dog, 1-2 years old. A puppy can be VERY fragile, and with your daughter becoming mobile in a few months, can be easily injured. Also, a very young puppy has VERY sharp teeth, and can injure your daughter in play. And how will you and your wife react to that? Another reason for a young adult dog who already understands bite inhibition during play.
ETA: What atina33 and Squirl said!
Last edited by steelstress; 09-23-2013 at 09:46 AM..
Reason: ETA: The 2 previous posts above mine is better advice than my own!
This was posted just minutes ago (wow -- what a coincidence!!) on my facebook because I am a FB fan of Boston Terrier Rescue of North Texas. He is what would be perfect for you!
Going to post a few non boxer/Boston's that are in dire need of foster or forever homes. Please consider them.
This is Owen. He is currently boarding in Austin and needs a forever home. We can get him to you if you are near Austin or Dallas. Owen is kid and dog friendly. His family has moved away. He is six years old and weighs about eight pounds only. I've known Owen all six years and he is a real cutie. He has always lived with kids, but can fit in anywhere.
I've had nothing but Bichons for 20 years( well we now have a Bichon Maltese mix and a Bichon). They are incredibly loyal and the ultimate velcro dog. They need a great deal of attention and are notoriously hard to potty train. Don't know why- just are.
They do need daily grooming and professional grooming at least every 6 weeks which costs $50 plus tip. They also are susceptible to skin disorders which cause hot spots which make them miserable. Our Bichons eat extra expensive dog food because the hot spots are food allergy related.
I subscribe to Rescue.me for Bichons in about 6 states just to see what dogs are available. It makes me very sad to see so many which say Not Good with Kids. I think that is because they were not raised with kids or conversely they were raised with kids who tormented them.
My Bichons do wonderfully with kids and cats and other dogs but they bark like crazy when they perceive their home and people are under attack. Like when a leaf falls in the next yard or the UPS truck drives by. I think trying to keep a sleeping child sleeping and handle an inside barking dog would drive me insane.
Am I correct to assume your mother will be caring for the child during the day? Whoever it is will have to deal with caring for a young child, potty training a dog and watching both every single minute to make sure individually they are safe and together they don't hurt each other.
I suggest you wait until your child is at least 4 years old. She will be potty trained herself and will have a better understanding that a dog is not just a moving toy but a living being. Any younger is asking for trouble. A great many dogs are surrendered because of problems with young children.
When you do get a dog please look into rescue as there are some wonderful and young dogs who have to be rehomed for all sorts of reasons. Puppies are a great deal of work and, while cuter than anything else in the world, Bichon puppies are a great deal of work too.
Don't buy from a pet store or a backyard breeder if you decide to go the puppy route. A purebred quality Bichon will cost a great deal of money starting at $750 and all the way up.
I'd go with an adult dog if you must have one, many rescues out there and I'll bet the BF's have one too. They "kid test" the dogs and will know the activity level of the dog too.
You are going to be very busy with a baby for quite a few years, I'd go for an adult dog that has been kid tested from a breed rescue group.
I think it's great for children to have dogs. Children who grow up with dogs, among many other things, have stronger immune systems.
Rescuing a dog is a wonderful thing to do. Raising and training a puppy is wonderful too. I have one of each.
NOW, based on my wonderful rescue dog, I WOULD NOT WANT TO BRING SUCH AN UNKNOWN IN AROUND MY CHILD.
My rescue is a wonderful, loving animal to me, my wife and my other dog, however, he did nip my sister pretty hard on the calf last year. Yes, my sister is a cranky, malicious drunkard, however, my 'puppy' has never taken umbrage to her before.
A dog with a past is a dog with a past, and if you're not at least an intermediate dog trainer, I would really use caution.
HOWEVER, as has been said, puppies are a fair amount of work. As sweet as it is that you want your daughter to have a puppy, your mother will bear the brunt of training and cleanup. This will be a family dog, so you must make sure the whole family is up for it.
If your mother will not have time to attend formal dog training sessions with your new dog, I highly discourage taking on the large commitment that dogs bring with them.
Would a truly responsible breeder or rescue allow one of their pups to be adopted into a home with a 3 month old baby? I think if the OP insists on getting the dog NOW he will be extremely limited as far as ethical puppy sources. Maybe a desperate shelter would allow a family with a 3 month old baby to adopt, but I'm doubtful OP would have many Bichon puppies to choose from.
OP, in a few years a dog will make a wonderful addition to your family. But just thinking about having a baby and a puppy at the same time makes me break out into a cold sweat with heart palpitations. I think one would have to have pretty unrealistic expectations in order to go forward with such a plan.
I would get a 'working' breed over a 'pet' breed for my child. Working breeds seem to be more child friendly in my experience. Additionally, how many 'pet' breeds can keep up with a kid on a bicycle?
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) After doing some research we both are set on Bichon Frise. We want an active small dog who is great with kids. 
