Getting a Family Dog

You know, for the last 8 years, I have been pregnant every 2 of those 8 years…It is true. When my toddler was 18 months old or so, I would get pregnant with another one. I did this three times. Now that we are officially a family of five and done being pregnant and adding to our gaggle of girls, I felt a tug at my heart to get a family dog. That’s right…we got a dog.

Barley is (almost) 4 months old and let me tell ya…having a 3 year old toddler and 4 month old puppy is NOT for the faint of heart. I find myself wondering who got into the toilet paper, who broke the crayon to pieces on the living room floor, who took the laundry out of the laundry basket, etc. IT IS A LOT OF WORK. Why did we decide to get a puppy you might ask?!?

It all started with our oldest daughter and her absolute obsession with animals. She has begged us for a puppy since she could utter the word puppy and because of that, we decided to “one day” get one. My brother and sister-in-law decided to breed their two golden retrievers and reached out to ask us if we would want one of the puppies…and who could say “no” to that offer???

and our journey began…

I want to explain the resources I used and what I found helpful when preparing for our new family member to come and join us. I hope this can help others embarking on the same journey and wondering where to start.

1. I researched the breed of puppy and what to expect from that breed. I did this through various internet pages and recommendations.
2. I YouTubed how to quickly train a puppy. I had heard how difficult raising a puppy could be and wanted to make sure I did it right. So…YouTube became my best friend for the several months leading up to getting the puppy. Here is the channel (Zak George) I found most helpful: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZzFRKsgVMhGTxffpzgTJlQ
3. I read a book called The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller. This book along with her website helped me navigate how to treat my fur baby once he came home. Her site can be found here: https://theloveddog.com
4. Prayer. I prayed that the dog we would end up with was the right fit for our family. We have 3 small children and I wanted a dog that would fit in well with our chaotic lifestyle.
5. Support from friends and family. If we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. That meant we were all in or not in at all. We informed family and friends of our decision to get a puppy and what it meant to us along with our insecurities around it. We were blown away by the amount of support and love we received with our decision…which made the decision easier.

If you are contemplating getting a dog to be a part of your family, I encourage you to take a peak at the 5 tips I listed above and use it to help you decide if you and your family are ready as well. As with anything new, the unknown can be a bit scary. Educating yourself on what to expect is key for future success.

Good luck and comment below if you have any tips for us as we embark on this new journey.