Is it a good idea to get a dog before or after I have a baby?

Is it a good idea to get a dog before or after I have a baby?

The situation between dogs and babies is kind of precarious. You know, we all have this dream that the dog and the child are going to grow up together and it's love, love, love and certainly that could be the case, however there are so many variations to this theme. You need to take into consideration that when a child becomes a toddler, they pull and grab at a dog, the dog sees the child as a prey item or as a littermate, so there's a lot of problems that come inherent with the situation. If you have an existing dog, there are many things you can do prior to the baby coming to acclimate the dog slowly to children. If you are considering getting a dog after the baby is born, I highly recommend that you wait probably until they are 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 years old before you get a dog.