When we started looking for a dog, one of my big must-have’s was a dog that was potty-trained. I knew I would not be able to potty train a puppy and take care of baby Sadie at the same time. It was also important for the dog to be potty-trained in our apartment; during the week we fostered Wally, I watched for accidents and made sure he knew how to show me when he needed to go out. Luckily he has been accident-free since day one!
Wally also came to us with the ability to sit on command, he was crate trained, and he rarely barks or jumps. (And when he does bark or jump he will automatically stop with a “no.”) It may be a lot to expect a dog to have that much training right off the bat, especially a puppy, but if you can find one and you love them – don’t let that dog go!
I also highly recommend waiting to get a dog until your baby is sleep-trained (so about 6 months). It will make it so your new dog spends less time alone and if your dog accidentally wakes the baby up, it’s lot easier to get them back down. I did not intentionally plan to do it that way but I am very glad we did!
Lastly, you should also consider your own “training” with dogs. If you’ve had a dog before or have lots of experience watching dogs then it should be relatively easy to take care of a dog. My husband and I both had dogs growing up so we’ve been able to pull from our own experiences as we raise Wally. Even so, I’m still always researching new tips and asking friends for advice on how to be the best doggie mom I can be.
Baby's First Puppy 