When to buy a new pup?

Looking for a little advice on when and maybe where to buy a new pup. My wife and I are moving to our first house next week. Needless to say we couldnt be more happy. But I keep thinking that the time to get the black lab I always have wanted would come soon!

With winter coming I am not sure that I want to get a pup this fall. My wife is also 5 months along and I am not sure that I am ready to take on a new house, baby, and a puppy.

Also I should ask for the dog owners out there are balck labs good with babies? I am thinking that the dog will stay inside until I feel the time comes when I can build her kennel outside.

So if you have any info I am all ears.

I should also say that I mainly want a pup that likes water and swimming out to get DUCKS

Thanks in advance.

We got ours the year before the babies came and that was good. It was good practice for the babies to come. I wouldn’t want a pup and newborn(s) at the same time. The pup will try to establish his place in the family and not like the attention paid to the baby. I would wait a year if I were you. Another thing to look at is cost. Dogs are expensive to the vet and to purchase especially in year one. You will have all kinds of expenses you didn’t realize you would get with the new child. We had a lot saved when the twins were born and we blew through that in 2 months.

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate already.It might be a good idea to wait until spring to pick up a pup then you can concentrate on training the dog and get some limited hunting the first fall. If its your first hunting dog you might want to consider a started dog. Ready out of the box so to speak. Plus it will set up a relationship with a trainer to help you along the way.Labs are well known to be great family dogs but there can be indivdual exceptions in any breed. Congrats on the new life coming your way and enjoy!

If your looking to buy make sure you do your research. Finding a dog with health clearances and a good temperament would be at the top of the priority list…..along with hunting abilities depending on how much you plan to train.

With a new baby I would think the training time would be at a minimum….so take that into consideration. If you are looking to train a gun dog it does take time….and daily training. Doesn’t have to be long sessions…..10-15 min/day would be fine but not sure how the baby would play into it. The beginning year of a dogs life is where it learns the most…..so making use of this time will greatly help the dog and you with hunting.

A started dog would be a good idea….but more expensive also. What you would get though is a dog that has the OB training done that you would otherwise need to do yourself…and thats a huge part of having a good dog. Also, you will know the health of a started dog when purchasing. If you get a pup from the best of breeders with both parents having excellent hips for example, there is still a chance at getting a pup with hip issues (I know…it happened to me and has cost me a lot of money!).

Just remember this:

The cheapest part of owning a dog is the initial purchase!

I to would wait until after you have your child, if the child would have alergies that would be the pits to have to get rid of your pup! Also if your lucky or unlucky enough to be in a line of work that has layoffs, i would try and match the timing as the more time you can spend with them the first 6 months is critical IMO.

Thanks for the info guys. I think I am going to wait. You guys brought up some good points. I am just so excited that we are getting our first house my dream has been to own a black lab. spring is not that far away. And I have a full plate coming up soon.

Thanks!

By the way… Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey thanks!

harder to house bread a pup in the winter. i’ve picked up a lot of accidents because mine didn’t like the cold yet.

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harder to house bread a pup in the winter. i’ve picked up a lot of accidents because mine didn’t like the cold yet.

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All the reason to keep them outside until they do their duty. Should be easier to do in the winter once they learn what needs to be done to get back inside!

I would wait till the young one is out and crusin a bit ,so you will have a little more time to spend with the pup and not to overwelmend with all the new things on your plate …I have a 3 week old little boy and a 11 month old lab , a old dog , I dont have my own place but over all its great and can be very overwellming at times…..

….and to answer your question, “Are labs good with kids”. IMO, labs are excellent with kids. I have had three labs now and have always had at least one since we’ve had kids almost 10 years ago now. Labs seem to understand that little kids and babies are to be treated differently (gently) than older kids or adults.

The one exception to that, make sure the kids are out of the way when playing fetch! The dogs go kinda crazy when fetching and I’ve seen all of them run right over kids of all sizes when fetching. I know to be careful now, but be careful when your older kids pick up a ball to throw to the dog. Kids don’t know to make sure the path is clear when playing with the dog.