Age to Get a Pet

As someone who grew up with animals such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs and horses, and now has a rabbit, I'm pretty used to pets.

I'm pregnant and already have a pet, so my son will grow-up with her around, but she's MINE and going to be kept separate. I was planning on adopting a dog before I found out I'm pregnant, but now will be waiting.

I think it's a REALLY bad idea to get any pet besides ones like fish with a child under two. But think it's a good idea to wait even longer, till 4-6 years old, depending on the child (the more "bouncy" or loud, etc wait longer).

I might wait another year or 2 if it was me not because your kids couldn't handle it, but because they themselves will be a little bit less demanding at that point & it will free you up a tiny bit to care for the pet. Obviously kids at 3 yrs & 18 months will not be the caregivers, you already know that, so I would say it's more whenever YOU'RE ready, not so much the kids.

I would recommend waiting until your youngest is around 4.
We adopted a cat when my youngest was 2, and while she loves the cat, she doesn't quite get that the kitty may not like to get a big hug or be followed constantly, or be petted in the opposite direction that they like. She turned 3 in Feb., and while there has been a little improvement, she still doesn't completely get it.

The cat was already 3 when we got her, and she really is a wonderful cat- mostly very patient (but we all have our limits). She has scratched our DD a few times. I always have to keep my eye on them when they are together, and sometimes feel like I need to have eyes in the back of my head. I can't tell you the # of times I've had to drop whatever I was doing to protect them from eachother. I love the cat, but wish we had waited another couple years.

While you don't have to worry about scratching with a dog, even a nice dog can nip. It is tiring to have to constantly be watching. Plus I think a dog is more work than a cat- and taking care of the cat sometimes just adds to my to- do list. Litter box, washing the dish, fresh food and water, more frequent vacuuming. It wouldn't be a big deal if I didn't already have so much to do, but I have 4 kids (3, 6, 8, 12) who keep me plenty busy.
Wish someone had given me a heads up :)

I love love love dogs and couldn't wait to get a dog. We got one when my daughters were 3.5 and almost 5. It was fine bc we got a rescue who was house trained and good with kids. Even so, I'd have waited a year in retrospect. It just wasn't worth the extra hassle. Older kids understand dogs have needs too vs my younger one would get upset if I was leaving to take the dog out or she was incovenienced somehow. If you got a puppy too, beware that puppies nip so much you have to keep kids and the puppy separated a lot I've heard. If an older dog, I think it depends how big. We got a big lab and he needs to get a lot of exercise. What didn't occur to me is that both my husband and I have to be home to walk him bc someone has to stay home w/ the kids. It's not a frequent issue but it comes up sometimes when one of us is gone for awhile or at night. If it was a small dog we just let out back at times like that, no problem. But I'm a big believer in not just letting larger dogs out and that they're much happier with exercise. I guess some small dogs need to get out too...

My answer will probably not be real popular with people, but I don't recommend getting a puppy or a new dog until the youngest child in the house is at least 5. Your older dog was already house-trained and past the "crazy puppy" stage before the kids came (I would assume) and having a typical rambunctious puppy in the house with little ones is too much, IMHO. Puppies play bite, they chew everything, they get into everything, and they need to be house-trained. Small kids don't know how to handle themselves around puppies like that and can't be relied upon to keep toys and clothes picked up well enough to keep puppy from grabbing them. It's still a lot of work when the kids are school-age, but still way easier than it would be now. Don't base your decision on one afternoon of fun they had with a neighbor's puppy.

There are always exceptions and a calm, older, already house-trained adult dog might be just the right thing to do - however, I would still wait until the kids are older and make sure the dog has been thoroughly temperment-tested and will be reasonably stable and reliable around kids. Even then, the dog and the kids should never be unsupervised together.

my daughters are 4 years old and 18 months old. We just got them a yorkie-poo puppy. And they are doing great with it. I think that this was a good age for them because they think of it as a companion and love spending time with it and carrying it. In my opinion though, if u get a dog, its best to get them a puppy that can grow up with them and will be used to them. I feel that older dogs have a better chance of turning on kids... good luck

My daughters are 7 and 4, and we have two (quite large) greyhounds. They're retired racers, so we didn't have to worry about the frustrating and time-consuming puppy stages (potty training, teething, leash training, etc.)

Our first one died when our oldest was about 6 months old, and he was FABULOUS with her. http://www.frensley.org/Family/2003/December-2003/1658120...

One of our current dogs was here when I got pregnant with her. He was TERRIFIED of children until I had her, and he realized pretty quickly that kids really aren't that bad (they drop food on the floor, and now dress him up and make him do tricks - he's perfectly happy, since the treats keep coming).

The last one we adopted is a big ol' lug. He's perfectly content to be used as a pillow, and I have a picture of him last week, covered in kids in my 4-year old's preschool class.

The point is - we're a dog kinda family. We had dogs before kids, and the kids have been raised right along side them. We've taught our children from the beginning to respect and be gentle with them, to give them their space, and to NOT leave doors open, so they won't run away (this comes in handy, so the kids won't run out, either). We've also taught our children that not all animals (not just dogs) are as friendly and gentle as ours are. Many adults have been impressed, that my girls always ask before touching, and are always incredibly gentle with animals. . . and I think their lives are better for having animals around.

M.

I personally feel like I have to have a furry friend to live, but I would be careful about getting a puppy with such young children. We have two dogs (one is a huge lab, too) and a cat who are all geriatric, and we have a puppy who is 15 wks old now. She's a mini australian shepherd so she probably will get to around 20 pounds. Even though she is small, her puppy teeth are SO SHARP, and we constantly have to help my 4 year old daughter out with her getting too rambunctious nipping on her legs. My daughter enjoys wrestling around and running around with her every day, but we still have to intervene sometimes. It would be difficult having that around an 18-month-old baby, I think. She is a wonderful smart puppy, and I know one day she'll get out of this stage.
A little bit older dog (maybe a 1 year old?) would be perfect as long as it was extremely kid friendly, I think. Hope this two cents is helpful. : )

My advice-If YOU like pets, then get one. If you are ready and willing to do all the maintenance yourself then why not. We got a dog last year b/c the kids wanted one. HUGE mistake. I really don't like animals very much and neither does DH. We did it for the kids b/c we thought they would be old enough to take care of it. Well they have really don't nothing with the dog-they barely even play with her. So DH and I are left with ALL the upkeep of a dog that is high maintence, has ruined 1000's of dollars worth of our stuff and who we don't even like. This goes down as our biggest mistake ever. I think if we were dog people it would not have been nearly as bad.

Of course just make sure it is a dog that is good with children. I was surprised how rough my youngest was with the dog when we first got her. The dog nipped at him a lot.

At 3 years old, they cannot take care of a pet, nor know how to handle one all the time.
You will need to supervise.
Kids and dogs, can take swipes at each other.
For example.

The temperament of the dog, matters.
Not all pets, like kids nor do well with them.
So you really have to screen the potential dogs, you are thinking of.

You will be the one... to take care of the pet in all aspects. Your kids are young.

A pet, will be like having a 3rd child.
So it is up to you.

Offer to do some dog-sitting for your friends in the meantime. All the joy without the responsibility right now.