Reasons Why You Shouldn't Get a Puppy When You Have a Newborn
A new addition to the family is joyous, whether it be a new baby or a new puppy. The idea of having both a newborn baby and a puppy might be better than the reality, however. While there are plenty of opinions that support the idea of raising a puppy and a newborn child together, those opinions should be weighed against the argument.
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Time and Energy
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A puppy is essentially a baby and can be just as demanding as a newborn child. Puppies and babies are time consuming and have similar needs when it comes to attention and energy. It is difficult and stressful to give both the attention they need and deserve, especially while you're focused on creating a bond with your new child.
Discipline
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Puppies need discipline from the moment you acquire them. If the puppy does not understand basic commands prior to baby’s arrival, it will be difficult to discipline and train the animal while everyone is adjusting to a newborn baby. Just like a child, the time and energy you give to love and discipline a puppy shapes its behavior later on in life. It takes six months to adequately train a puppy to the point where it is independent enough to need less attention.
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Jealousy and Moodiness
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Dogs get attached, moody and jealous, just like humans do. Dogs have a keen sense of fairness and tend to get jealous if they feel they are not getting enough attention. Dogs tend to get destructive when they are lonely or depressed, and they may take it out on the child or personal property. If your puppy is tired, jealous or not feeling well, it could respond aggressively by snarling, snapping, nipping, scratching or biting.
Potential for Biting
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While any type of dog will bite, certain breeds are more prone to biting than others. Any unintentional harmful action by a baby such as grabbing, biting, crying or invading an area the dog deems as its territory could provoke a puppy to respond by snarling, snapping, or biting. Puppies and newborn babies should not be left unsupervised alone because neither one knows the difference between right and wrong behavior. Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites and bites to the face are the most common. According to 2010 data provided by Dogbitelaw.com, 61 percent of dog bites occurred to children 11 years and younger and 75 percent of those children were under the age of 4. Statistically speaking, biting potential is not breed specific but pit bulls and rottweilers have the most incidents of fatal dog bites.
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References
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