My wife brought a puppy home.
 

Ok so my wife brought home a new heeler Australian puppy while we currently have a six month old baby, and a 7 year old son.. I just don’t know how I feel about it. We’ve had him for almost a week and he seems like a good dog and trainable, the research I’ve done on this breed is they are loyal, family oriented but require training and a lot of activity…

My cons:

He’s biting a lot, not hard but it’s enough to where he made our baby cry and ripped up some of our couch and my wife’s night gown. (This is my biggest con as baby comes as #1)

Along with having what is practically a new born, I’ll now have to spend my time training this puppy for months/years.

Long trips are now difficult as we will need to secure either a dog sitter or spend hundreds on a dog hotel.

My wife despite bringing the dog home now has had a change of heart and wants the dog gone.



My Pro’s

My kids get a dog and that’s always awesome for kids and teaches responsibility.

If I could choose a dog years from now it would be this one as he’s already showing signs of being trainable and has already started going outside for restroom breaks. All around seems like a good dog but im not sure if that’s just the breed?

I’ve become attached as has my son.



We’ve found a friend that will take the dog, big yard nice people, I’m just a pet guy and have become attached and just want to know what some of you guys would do in this situation or you older guys what you did do.

Call Michael Vick or Kristi Noem.

Pics of wife?

Ditch the wife and keep the dog. Child support sucks, but happiness has no price.

Sounds like a bitch

I have 2 healers now. They’re smart as hell and once they figure out the baby is important they’ll protect the hell out of him.

There are a lot of training guidelines for healers online.

Read up. Keep the dog.

They’re great dogs

LMAO :facepalm:

Make it your friend's dog --

http://i.imgur.com/vTf8daD.png

What do you do regarding trips? Even long day trips seem impossible. Maybe because he’s a puppy??

Healers are gonna nip and herd. They're cattle dogs after all.

I'd have no issue having one in the home with my kids and they're about the same age as yours. I'd expect you'll have a very good dog you and your kids will love in short order.

The wife created this problem, she can live with it.

Signed - a guy with a wife that created the exact same problem for me. I've got 3 dogs, 2 cats and 2 kids. I live in a ****ing zoo at the moment

Most of the time we take the doggo. They’re great in the car. If you kennel train them they’re good in a hotel room.

It’s More money for pet fees but they’re fun to take along.

Pics of wife’s puppies

Damn im sorry

Do you ever leave them in the kennel at the hotel and go out and about? For example some restaurants won’t allow a dog so say we go somewhere and what to dine out, a few hours in the kennel isn’t an issue right?

I could never give up a pet I’ve become attached to, and me becoming attached to them happens immediately. They become part of the family and I feel responsible for their happiness and wellbeing. Making an innocent pet feel abandoned or unloved would eat at me too much.

Now if it was truly a danger to my child it would obviously be a different story, but I feel like I’d either recognize that before I brought it home or be able to train them out of that quickly.

Now it was your idea to keep it remember LMAO

Oh yeah. When we kennel train them we make them spend the night in the Kennel. In a new place it makes them feel safe.

Your wife is fickle as ****, as most women are. Make her live with the decision to bring the puppy into your home. She can buy a new nightgown.

Who’s to say she won’t have second thoughts all over again if you were to ditch the puppy? She already made one decision, only to second guess herself. Now you get to call the shots.

You're not taking any long trips, at least not overseas.

You can take the dog with you in the car for vacations, it is very possible to do this and have a lot of fun.

If overseas vacations or the money to the board the dog are more valuable to you than the dog, make that choice.

When I was a kid we'd visit our grandparents every summer.

Dog came with us. He loved road trips. 8 hrs in the car, TX-MO, both ways.

He loved it. He loved our grandparents.

I will say your wife is ****ing stupid.

We were all school age kids when we got our first dog. 3 kids and a dog was probably a lot for mom and dad, looking back. But mom was stay-at-home.

A newborn kid and dog LMAO

Disasters will strike.

No way could I give a dog back. It would break my heart first.

I advise those thinking of getting a dog to read Family Dog by Richard Wolters. Its an oldie but goodie and gives you a great understanding of things to consider and discuss before bringing a new puppy home. It is an excellent training book. Very often folks bring the dog home first and then say "how do we do this"? and are behind the 8 ball at the start. Puppies are more tiresome than newborns but it goes by quickly. Good luck!

Give the dog to your friend with the big yard. Consider also giving your wife to them as well.

My wife brought a puppy home.
 

It’s a dog. Make it sleep in a kennel overnight, train it properly for its specific needs, play with it, and it’ll be perfectly happy and content in no time. For trips take it to a hotel. It’s not that complicated.

Your wife should have gotten a cat, they are easier to take care for

Seems like a bad lesson to teach your 7 year old if you give up the dog because it is currently inconvenient. Raise the puppy right and you will have a great dog in a year or so and you will be mad at yourself for ever thinking they shouldn't be part of the family. Most dogs have a great soul and are full of unconditional love.

Can we see those puppies? And maybe the dog too?

Your wife isn't the best thinker, is she?

That’s why I bet she’s hot

I don't know, OP has a slight beta vibe.

Heelers are smart. He could train the dog to film him banging the wife and upload it to chiefsplanet.com

I used to give my brother shit saying he was pussy whipped. Now I laugh with my dad telling him how I’m pussy whipped so hard to argue with you there.

Nope. She don’t listen to shit lol.

I spoke with my uncle who has quite a few number of dogs and he says I should just give it to the friend. In the op I mention my baby girl. He says the dog/puppy is going to continue to nip at the baby, crawling is around the corner so she will be face level which everything I’ve read says to avoid that scenario, and he says she will hate dogs by the time she is 2 years old. Any truth to that? Please anyone feel free to respond to this as well.

Most any dog can hurt a baby or toddler. I have a sweet mutt and beagle mixes and I still try to keep space between her and the dogs as much as possible. Supervise them when they’re around her. Mine are older so they are more chill but still prone to spurts of wildness. They are food aggressive because she feeds them and they trail her after both my kids for scraps. So there’s times when they get downright wild with each other but they always avoid the kids in the madness. Son will be 8 soon. Daughter just turned 1

A puppy may view her as a playmate for a while but it you actively stimulate and train the dog it will learn to steer clear for the most part. And when your kid gets up and moving they will play together again. I know they will herd but i don’t know how serious their nip is.

I wouldn’t be worried about that breed spazzing out and attacking so if it does nip way too aggressively at some point and can’t be corrected offload it to this other party. My kids both grew up like this and they both love the dogs and aren’t scared if them in any fashion

Giving away a 7 year olds puppy is some prime trauma shit too btw

You got a baby to worry about but if your son is attached to this dog in any fashion it’s gonna ruin his little world for a bit

He’s the main thought in this process for me at least. If he wasn’t in the picture I’d say **** my feelings, my daughter will have a dog for her 5th Christmas or whatever. But, we have made it transparent that this isn’t a commitment yet and we can look at it as we found someone’s dog and took care of it for a week while the owner came to take it home…. IF we give it to the other family, I’m 100% positive he cries on the way home but he’s been resilient with the other things he’s faced in life and he’s also acknowledged that maybe getting a dog when baby sis is 2 Christmas morning might be a better option.

However it doesn’t make me feel like any less of a dick of a father.

I mean, it's going to take work. They learn pretty quick if something isn't OK. If you just let it do whatever it wants it's going to be a ****ing land shark, but they learn fast as long as you're consistent. So you have to micromanage that thing - along with your toddler constantly in the beginning.

And you'll need to work the dog some. If they just lay around the house, they'll get full of energy, get the zoomies, and get themselves into trouble. Plus they have some quirks to learn and manage.

It's not some lazy house dog you just chill with, but once they're part of your family they are a damned rewarding dog to own. But let's be clear - it's not without work.

If the kid fully understands it’s a trial run then that’s more reassuring. I’m framing a lot of this thru the views of my son

Did you guys name this dog already?

What do you use to say no to biting? Just “no”? I’ve read that hitting the butt or nose is a no no. During the puppy phase and so on what do you suggest?

Yeah. They have to learn no. No bite or leave it.

I’ve booped them on the butt. Not a beating, but a bop. You. An also act like it hurts so they’ll stop.

A big thing you can do is redirect with a toy. If they want to chew for the sake of chewing, make them chew a Toy. If they want affection make them do it without teeth. If they want to chase and herd make them play fetch. That kind of stuff.

Yes :/ he attacks my face btw every once in a while when laying down together but if I give him a chew toy immediately after he’s like “thank god”. But again, that concerns me with baby girl.

poor puppy

but I'd understand why you wouldn't want a puppy around a newborn

A heeler can be one of the best dogs you will ever have but they need training. I had one in the past and have a Heeler mix now.

First thing to do is decide whether or not you want to put the effort into making the dog work for you guys. If you don't then just find a good home for the dog and wash your hands of the whole thing.

If you decide to keep the dog (this info is based on how hessistant you seem to be around the dog):

* get it up to date on vaccinations and spay/neuter

* find a puppy socialization class which is basically puppy pre-school where they learn to interact with other dogs and people appropriately. from there start looking for an obedience class once they become old enough. after that there are even sports that you. the kids, and the dog can participate in such as flyball... at which heelers tend to be fantastic.

* come to terms that you have a dog specifically bred to nip at the heels (thus Heeler) of livestock (my Louie does a good job and he loves his goats) and it is gonna be a bit of a chore to break them of that when it comes to the kids.

* you are gonna need to have a conversation with the 7 year old and let him know he has to help train the dog. if the dog comes up and nips... whomever is nipped should let out a sharp and loud pain squeak/noise. puppies communicate to one another that play is too rough with those types of noises. Gotta speak their language. Follow up the pain noise with a firm, but gentle, *NO*. heavily praise the dog when it is playing appropriately.

* whomever the dog bonds with the most in the family is going to be the one most likely to have success in training it and should be the person to introduce the dog to the baby. make a big show, especially with a puppy, expressing care and love for the baby. the dog will pick up on the fact that it is important to the person and will likely become very protective of it.

If you aren't willing to do the above listed things... best thing for everyone is for the dog to get a new home.

And if I can just say this for the dog lovers and dog experts out there. He’s next to me right now, being the little shit that he is, but he keeps snapping at me (angel last 2 hours) but now he wants to bite my dick and sofa let alone anything else his eyes notice, so my immediate reflex which I’m doing is closing his mouth, shutting his jaw but at the same time im telling the family “I’m doing this wrong” because everything tells me im not supposed to do this this/that. So again, any response is appreciated

Thank you. Not much to reply to because such good info, so / but thank you

The Rover app is great for oversea trips. We have 3 dogs and when we went to Italy recently we had someone watch our house and dogs.

Louie ate the floor trim at the top of the stairs. I thought about fixing it up but now it makes me smile and think of when he was a pup.

I forgot to mention. Chew toys. Definitely get chew toys. I don’t suggest squeakers in toys unless you want impromptu, and unceasing, wind instrument concerts at all hours of the day. Kong makes great long lasting toys and chew toys.

Perhaps you should try bonding with said dog with your dick stowed away.

At the insistence of a girlfriend's daughters, I once got a chihuahua that I carried home in my shirt pocket. (Wonderful dog for 12 years, BTW.) She wasn't a bad chewer, but I decided she needed a toy. She loved Valentino the Bear, even though he was almost as big as she was. They were almost inseparable.

Then one day, after that relationship had ended and my chihuahua and I had moved on with life, a nice lady was visiting the house and asked why my 4 pound dog had a $1500 chew toy.

Vick paid for his crimes. Let it go.

He might be tired. If he’s been good and is now being all over the place he’s either tired or has pent up energy. Try a toy and if he doesn’t shape up put him in the kennel and make him go to bed.

The wife or the dog?

The male heart is a slut, to a wiggling butt

Get rid of the dog. Your wife is tired of it and so are you. The dog is going to create problems. You have a family that can care for it better than you can. It’s better for the dog and for you for the dog to be gone. You might try fostering dogs. We have a non profit here that gets adoptable dogs from the pound before they get killed and homes keep these dogs like foster parents until they are adopted, so it’s short term. Getting another dog is easy and there are options to help your son understand it but with a new baby and an emotional wife, you need to get rid of that dog. When the baby is bigger, get a dog then when you have time for it. You need to save all your patience for your family and I can feel the fatigue that the dog is causing. Get rid of it.

I can’t imagine my wife or myself bringing home a new dog without it being a decision we made together first. That’s like buying a car. A massive obligation that will dominate your lives for the next 14 or so years. I think I’d be too pissed at the betrayal to even consider keeping it.

Agreed, it has to be a mutual decision. We have 2 senior dogs (14). We are at the age now where we're thinking about how we're going to spend our golden years, and if that plan includes pets. We've come to the conclusion that pets won't be a part of the plan, but my wife loves her lap dogs, so we'll see what happens.

Just a stern “No”. Do NOT use their name while saying no, it will really screw with them.

So has the dog been ousted yet?

Well my nieces dog died in their car because the dog was Cher didn’t do what they should’ve done

And I there’s a viral video where one of the people was rapped inside a closet because of the dog and rover the app just didn’t do anything to help her

I wouldn’t recommend them

This is why I don't attend rap closets

What the **** are you talking about? Maybe if you typed in English we could understand whatever it is you are trying to say.

Oh, it's a wittle doggie. What a cute wittle doggie. Who's a good boy? WHO's a good boy?

Wait, what was the question again?

Seems straight forward to me...

https://i.imgur.com/CG8JX9v.png

FYP, and attendance is mandatory.

Get rid of the dog.



Though I’d be a little irritated at my wife for bringing it home in the first place, then a couple days later changing her mind and now wants me to get rid of it for her? What, is she a 9-year-old? I’d have to have a talk with her about impulse control.

Why did I used to go to this bar?

What happened with the dog?

Mad Chow disease

Unfortunately that comes with the breed...

Heelers are smarter than most young women these days, and absolutely more loyal. They never question your authority and are FAR less expensive to feed. Keep the dog, keep the wife until the child can walk, then foster out the wife.

If its half Aussie all you need to worry about is dog hair.

Put a picture of your wife in the "Would you" thread.

Thanks.

CP is on pins and needles at what you're going to do with your dog.

Extend mercy to your new born baby and have doggie hit the road.

You need to keep that woman on a short leash.

Lots of people waiting to know the dog’s fate. Can’t just leave us hanging!

Maybe he put the wife in a shelter for some other family to give her a good home.

I don’t want to be her forever home but I could foster some help around the house.