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I think having the companionship of a dog would be a wonderful thing to have during the roller coaster of TTC. But we got our dog a few years prior to that, and we really spent that year totally focusing on raising our dog: potty training, obedience classes, socializing at the dog park, etc. I'm glad we took the time (and money) to give our dog a good start at life because now he is a wonderful, wonderful (well-trained) animal.

If you guys can handle the financial burden of all the start-up costs associated with a new puppy, then go for it. But we spent more that first year than we have in subsequent years just because there are so many one time things that happen at the beginning (lots of shots, spay/neuter/obedience school/etc.).

If the commitment combined with the stresses of TTC sound like too much, and you wouldn't be able to give the dog all of the attention it requires, especially at the beginning, I don't know that I'd move forward with getting one.

ETA: It also depends on what dog you get. If they are already fixed, potty trained, etc. obviously that would be different!

I personally would say go ahead and get a dog, but maybe not a puppy. After all, if you do conceive, it'll be another 9 months before the baby is actually around. That'll give you plenty of time to train it. As long as you don't mind the dog being near-ish to the baby, you can still spend plenty of time with your dog. The one caveat is if you get a high-energy dog, you'll need to make sure once the baby comes someone can still exercise the dog daily, either taking walks with the baby in the stroller, or someone else, or hiring a dog walker.

I personally think having a dog is great preparation for a baby because it teaches you how to live according to someone else's schedule... like, you can't just go out after work because you have to go home first and walk and feed the dog. Also, if your dog gets sick it prepares you to stay up all night, worried. AND picking up after your dog gets you used to pee and poop And all the regular costs of having a dog (vet visits, food, etc) gets you financially ready to spend your money on something other than yourself. Obviously a baby is much more demanding, but it's great preparation nonetheless.

The reason I say not a puppy is because puppies are REALLY REALLY tough to raise and it might be emotionally a lot for you to handle as you're TTC. A slightly older dog (even just one year old) will be MUCH less work.

You just have to be absolutely certain that you will be able to give the dog enough attention after the baby arrives. Having two dogs is actually better because they keep each other company.

We got a dog a year before TTC and it had always been our plan to get a dog after we got married since DH is away at least 50% of the time and I wanted a companion. TTC was not even on the radar when we adopted him.

I adore my dog but I can say that I absolutely would not get a dog if I were planning to have a baby any time soon. My poor dog does not get nearly as much attention as he used it, despite our best efforts. It's just difficult to care for a baby, work full time and get everything done around the house and give the dog the attention he used to get. We do our best, but it's a lot of work.

If you do decide to get a dog, I'd try to get one that's at least a year old. Many go through a difficult rebellion stage from 9m- 1.5 years. I cannot see myself being able to handle what I did with my first puppy and all the time and effort I put into training her with an infant too. Personally, I'd wait til your baby is 2-4 years old and then adopt a family dog.

I second the cost factor too! I just got home from spending $300 at the vet because our dog ripped his dewclaw off playing ball. Total accident, totally shocking price tag.

@Mrs. Stroller: ouch!

Sigh and it never ends just like a baby! We just spent $750 to remove a cancerous tumor. Along with baby hospital bills and house renovations. But you gotta do it!

And... PLEASE ADOPT!!!! (ok. off my soapbox)

My DH and I got a lab puppy last summer. I was actually pregnant at the time (but it ended in MC). I don't regret it at all though. I'm now due in Oct and our dog will be about 1.5 years old when the baby comes. I don't see why it would be a problem to get one now if you're still TTC. Once you get pregnant, you'll still have 9 months until the baby arrives. I'm really happy that we got a dog when we did. We were able to devote a lot of time into her training which you might not be able to do with a LO. Plus, we just love her so much and has become a part of the family. She's brought us so much joy. I'm really happy we had her through out the TTC process.

I got a couple month old puppy the day before I got my positive and regretted it within a month, she refused to potty train or walk on a leash and she was always running away. I was sicker than all get out and had no energy to give her the love she needed so we gave her to some people we knew would love and care for her. Then we got a one year old that was already potty trained and all that and it has worked out amazingly!

Have you ever had a dog before? Has your husband? It can certainly be done, and if that's what you want, go for it. There are a lot of pros and cons, many mentioned above. I think most dogs can be good with kids and babies. We've got a German Shepherd and a Yorkshire Terrier. Our Shepherd has recently become an "outside" dog. Besides all the fur (SO much fur!), she's kind of squirrely. It's not that she would intentionally hurt the baby, she just gets excited and I worry that she'll accidentally step on the baby. Or that she'll knock the stroller over. We have a small house but a big yard, so she's been outside for months now. She's not a bad dog, at all! I spent tons of time training her, it's just her personality. The Yorkie has surprised us. In the past she has hated small children and I didn't trust her around the baby, but she's been super gentle and just curious about the LO, so they're kind of friends now...

The expense is there, for sure, as previously mentioned. We had our dogs for years before the baby (they're turning 7 and 6 this year), and we both grew up with dogs. So we sort of knew what we were getting into. Since the baby was born, however, we've been overwhelmed with everything.

I understand wanting something in your life, particularly if you've been TTC for more than a year. So, if it's really what you want, and your husband is on board, do your research and go for it.

Also, do you have friends/family you could borrow a dog from for a few weeks/months to see how you like it? See if you're really up for it? Some people that didn't grow up with dogs have difficulty adjusting to the fur/drool/poop and potential damage.

I agree with Mrs. Wagon, it is good training in a lot of ways for a baby. But I don't think that I agree that 2 is a good idea. Either of our dogs would be just fine on her own. My Shepherd really could care less about the Yorkie (the Yorkie came second). And the Yorkie is really a lot more like a cat . . .

We inherited our golden retriever as a new puppy in November because my husband had always wanted his own dog. We got married in December, and got pregnant with Emma in late January. Thankfully Honey is smart so training her hasn't been a huge issue but she's stressful at times because she's still so much a baby herself and our human baby is going to be here in less than 40 days. We really worry about her adjusting to Emma.

We love our Honey girl, but if we had our time back we probably would've waited until Emma was four or five to get a dog. Too bad my husband can't seem to delay gratification long enough to think about things, lol.

I wouldn't. People do it all the time, but I wouldn't be able to handle a baby + dog. I'd go crazy.

I wouldn't get a puppy but adopting a dog that is 2-3 and slightly more trained wouldn't be a bad idea. Our dog definitely gets less attention now that my son is around, but that's not necessarily a bad thing... she was overly spoiled before!

I totally get the concept of trying to work towards things you can control to help you deal with the things you can't control. I totally did that when we were trying!

I have a friend who is like 3 months pregnant and has a brand new little puppy and just the other day was like "What was I thinking?!" haha... but obvs a dog that was a bit older and from a shelter may be a bit easier... I would just make sure the temperment to be around kids is good.

I agree with everyone that an older dog is a wonderful compromise. Even at a year old, they have so much less energy than the crazy puppy stage. I don't think I would, personally, but if it was taking a long time (well, and I didn't already have an almost 10 year old dog) I would consider it with an older dog. But I completely agree that it's a lot harder to give them the attention they need when there is a little baby who needs that attention more.

We got a dog 2 years ago on Christmas & I can't imagine trying to train her while being pregnant (or even TTC.) Puppies need a lot of attention in the beginning and I don't think it would be fair to them to have one "parent" distracted.

On that note, we did discuss getting a second dog as a companion for our dog who seemed sad by all the soon to be changes (seriously she is an emotional little lady) but decided that it was too much of a responsibility with a baby on the way and we didn't need somethign else making accidents!

I brought my dog into this relationship so my husband didn't have a choice! But if I didn't have a dog and we wanted to get one together I would not get a puppy. The first two months of getting my dog I didn't sleep for two months! She kept me up like a newborn b/c she didn't know how to self soothe! It was terrible. Luckily I was in my early 20s and the lack of sleep didn't affect me as it does now. She also required a lot of energy for the first 5 years of her life. It was nice after she finally calmed down and just lounged around with me.

I would adopt a dog that is close to 2 years old and find one that's not high energy like a terrier. I would also find one that is child friendly. I lucked out that our Maltese isn't aggressive at all. She's warned bite (lightly placed her mouth) my 3 y.o. in the past but never broke skin. She's just saying..."stop it."

Having a dog is awesome but it is a lot of work when they are younger. My dog is 11.5 years old now and is just wonderful. She has accidents when I forget to let her do her business. Having kids will do that to one's memory! Just yesterday she peed by her bowl b/c she REALLY had to go. I didn't get mad b/c I know it was my fault for forgetting. She's pad trained indoors so it was as simple as opening the laundry door for her. I felt so bad.

So just be prepared for a little bit of work in the beginning and I highly recommend doggy obedience/training school.

We didn't get a puppy while TTC, but our little chihuahua definitely comforted and distracted me during the painful road we had ttc. I don't know what I would have done without him! And maybe we were really lucky, but he was so easy to train! Maybe because he was little - don't know if that made a difference...But he didn't really tear anything up because his little teeth couldn't really do much damage. And he was super easy to potty train too...

We got a dog years before we TTC. I don't know if I would want to train a new dog while pregnant.

I was on cycle 8 so its taking longer than expected to get pregnant. If I had known it would take this long and I wanted another dog, I might get a dog.

I do love my dog. She is a great dog. She definitely has her issues but it's a good practice for a future baby. Not saying pets will get us completely ready but helps us take care of something other than ourselves.

I wouldn't get a puppy but maybe it's just specific to our dog. He is 3 and just now mellowing out a little bit. It really would have been difficult to have a baby when he was 2 or 1. We probably wouldn't have been able to put as much effort into training him. That being said, as a relatively new dog person, the companionship and love of a dog is seriously amazing. You don't know how long it'll take you to conceive but if you get a dog that is even 2 or 3 that could make all the difference training and behavior-wise.

ETA: I always knew my husband would make a great dad but having our dog made me 100% sure so that's a plus! They teach you a lot about self sacrifice if you've never had one.