Is it better to have the pet first before the baby, or the baby before the pet?

If the couple has no experience as a couple with shared responsibility with life I'd recommend the puppy first. A puppy is a less committing trail run on raising a living being. Many couples find that their view of how to raise a child or animal vary widely once they actually have the pet or child and you'd be surprised how raising one or the other are similar.It's better to find and work through such differences with a pet than with a child.

If the couple does have experience, possibly with past pets etc. I'd actually wait on the dog until the child was a little older. This way you avoid the division of your attention. Newborns are massive time consumers a dog would feel rather left in the cold competing with a new baby.

Plus you may find the baby has allergies, it's easier to get rid of a dog you just got than one you've had awhile.It can work out having them at the same time however, I got my dog at the same age my first son was, they loved one another. My son and my dog playing at 6 months old.

I do not think there is a wrong answer, however my opinion is to have the baby first, focus on baby and then decide if you have any extra time for a puppy. Babies can take up alot of your time and puppies/dogs do need love and attention as well. People always think just puppies need attention, but a dog lacking attention will get into trouble.

They may even start chewing thing they are not supposed. It's not that I do not think people can balance baby and puppy. As long as you understand upfront that the dog can not be put on the back burner.

He needs to be played with, loved, hugged on and walked. If your friend does not feel she will have the time, simply wait until she does. flickr.com/photos/karachristine/2873431318.

I think they should get a puppy first, train it well and teach it that it is a dog so it knows its proper place in the family pack, that is, that it is subordinate to humans. People who treat their dogs like children and overindulge them (so the dogs think they are human and perhaps even superior to the humans in the family) are the ones who end up with jealous dogs with behavior problems. Once the dog is mature it will be calmer and less likely to unintentionally cause harm to the baby.

Of course, you never want to leave a baby alone with a dog, even one that you think you can trust. Some breeds make better pets for families with children so they should do their research and choose a dog carefully. Beagles are fond of kids and make great playmates; German Shepherds tend to like kids, too, and when they are raised to be gentle and non-aggressive make excellent watch dogs because of their intimidating appearance and reputation.

I'm leaving a few links below to help your friends make their decision; one article addresses how to introduce a new baby to your dog and they may find it helpful in the future.

I think the important thing is just to not have them both together at the same time. A puppy requires attention and training, and a baby of course requires tons of attention and is 100% dependent. Dealing with both needy little creatures at once could be a nightmare.

Either way, the dog is going to need training about the baby, and as the baby grows, the baby will need to learn to be gentle with the dog. Whether the dog is part of the family before the baby or not, dogs do tend to understand that babies are "human puppies. " As such, their pack mentality says that they outrank the baby, just as any adult dog would outrank any puppy.

That can lead to the dog "correcting" the baby by nipping at the baby if s/he is being annoying. Not all dogs behave like this (some do seem to pick up on the fact that the baby is off limits), but it should always be assumed that dog plus baby equals time and training for both of them. I agree that a puppy could be a good learning experience for would-be parents (they'll learn a lot about themselves and each other when that puppy is having accidents on the floor and needs to go out in the middle of the night), but only they know their circumstances and what makes sense.

I think they should have the baby first and then worry about a pet. In addition they say some dogs get jealous when attention is turned from them to something else, the baby, and have been known to go after the baby. If the baby is already there they don't get used to total attention.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.