Is there any reason not to get a new dog and at the same time have a pregnant wife?

Just asking. Because I really do want a dog and the wife is starting to make noise about a baby now that we just visited my friend's 8 month pregnant wife.

Dogs eat kids.

Just so you know.

Get the puppy first just so you can practice cleaning up vomit and excrement before the baby comes.

Kids eat dogs.

Just so you know.

Fixed.

Got my eye on you, Hanzo.

Fixed.

Fixed.

as helpful as I expected

(Rob, the real answer is, if you have a baby, especially your first, your hands will be WAY full. You won't want a young dog. A big, friendly, low-maintainence dog is what you want or nothing. They also tend to be better with kids, Labs especially. You DON'T want a little high-energy dog. You DON'T want a young dog. Adopt an older fellow or just skip the dog until the young 'un is about three or so. That first year of your first baby is a lot of work. And dogs underfoot while your wife is pregnant? You don't want that.)

Sigh. Then i shall remain dogless

While that dreaded cat remains.

Darn, darn, darn.

Dog eat dog

Just so you know.

I can't tell you what deer do to dogs 'cause this is the Playroom.

I agree with others (serious) posts. If you get a dog first, you also risk jealousy and temperament issues when the baby comes. Better to wait a couple of years after the baby comes. Let me also second the recommendation for a Lab, golden retrievers are wonderful and gentle.

Having 3 children, and also many pets, I have to say that I agree with this post.

Except the lab part. I had one, and it was trouble from the start. Jealous, dominant, needed TONS of exercise, and eventually got run over by a car, while being walked by someone else. I think for big dogs, mastiffs are good....but I would never trust a dog 100% with a child. I love dogs. I love my girls' beautiful faces more though. There's always that chance,

Pugs are a nice breed.

I say either get the dog now, so it has a chance to grow before you had a baby, or get one way later, when the child is 5 or 6, and able bodied.

Just my opinion though....my experience...

We have a black lab named Elmo who was about 1 year old when my son was born. He was very sweet, even protective of both my wife and son when he was a baby. He never seemed threatened or jealous but he was also never allowed on the sofa or beds which I think helps avoid some of those issues.

One important thing to know about dogs is that they consider your family to be their "pack". If they ever are allowed to perceive that they are equal or superior in the pecking order of the pack as your wife or child, there will be problems once they realize they have been supplanted. As long as you make the commitment to train the dog and teach it it's place in your family from the start, you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Don't get a dog. Seriously. All they do is crap all over your yard, dig holes, chew stuff up, try to steal garbage from the garbage can, pull food off the table, and scratch the f*ck out of your back door when they want to get in. If you get a dog for "the kids" they will NEVER take care of it unless you...dog...them to do it.

Anyone want a dog?

I'd advise adding neither dog nor baby to your life, Rob.

But that's me.

I have a Playstation 2 and some plastic fish.

And that suits me just fine.

Dosg are teh awesomesauce

Logic > puppy

Yeah, so we got our lab puppy when our first son was two years old. We thought it would be so cute, what a great time. He's three now, and she (the dog) is one and a few months. And it's been hell. Hell, I tell you. There has been no time to properly train the dog, so she's hyper and does not obey very well. (On the positive side, she is a very sweet dog. But still).

So now we have a three-year-old, a newborn, and a puppy-in-the-body-of-an-adult-dog. Our house gets pretty crazy every day.

I can't imagine training a puppy with a new baby. If you get the dog a year or so before the baby arrives, you'd probably be OK.

Otherwise, wait until your kid is about three.